Changing My Tagline

For many years, I have used the tagline "Thrillers with a twist of financial crimes" to describe my fiction.

It’s part of my email signature. The jamesmjackson.com website includes it in the header that appears at the top of most webpages. It encapsulates most of my writing. Sure, there’s the short story here or there that doesn’t involve a financial crime or isn’t a thriller, but for 95% of my writing, it is dead on target.

Until the near future, when 100% of my current writing does not fit that description. I am working on the Niki Undercover Thrillers, which I envision having at least three novels. The first, Niki Undercover, is in its final stages before actual production; the second, Niki Unleashed, is with beta readers; this week I started a first draft for the third, Niki Unbound (I think). The thrillers part of my tag line still applies, but the twist of financial crimes portion becomes less meaningful the further into the series we go.

What one line will intrigue readers, differentiate my stories from everyone else’s, and be honest? After posing that daunting question, I considered adding a financial crime to Niki Unleashed and being done with the concern.

Instead, I reflected on common themes in my novels. Both Seamus McCree and Niki seek justice. Seamus fights for the powerless against powerful people and institutions. Niki focuses more on bringing to justice those internal forces who attack the United States, but she also tries to right institutional wrongs the system can’t or won’t address. Conflicted family relationships play a role in most of the stories. My novels are complex, weaving multiple storylines. My characters use brains more often than brawn. They are intelligent, deeply human characters, not superheros.

Starting with a blank sheet can be daunting. Here is a great use of AI. I posed the problem to ChatGPT, and it spit out many alternatives, giving reasons each might apply. But they spurred me to my first try:

Justice-seeking thrillers with a heart.

ChatGPT told me why it liked it but then offered alternatives with a similar bent. One of which was:

Smart, driven thrillers for readers who care.

I didn’t care for it (the “for readers who care”) was off-putting, but inclusion of the word smart triggered another alternative:

Smart, justice-driven thrillers.

ChatGPT riffed off that idea and among others came up with

Smart, justice-driven thrillers with a bite

Justice-driven thrillers with brains and bite.

Thrillers powered by justice and smarts.

Smart thrillers. Justice at their core.

Intelligent thrillers with a moral compass.

Now comes the fun part. I have my favorite two, but I may be too close to be the best judge. Which one(s) do you think work best?

I look forward to your comments.

* * *

James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. To learn more information about Jim and his books, check out his website, https://jamesmjackson.com. You can sign up for his newsletter (and get to read a free Seamus McCree short story).

When Is Enough Enough? by Marilyn Levinson

Phew! I am exhausted. Booked on Murder was released earlier this week. It's the eighth and final book in my Haunted Library series. I've written several guest blogs and interviews; I have a virtual book tour going. And I'll be speaking at my local Barnes & Noble. I've been posting some really wonderful reviews on Facebook; I've sent out a newsletter with all the sales info for my new book; I talk about my book when I do Author Takeovers. Still I wonder--am I doing enough to encourage readers to buy my new book?

One big problem is we authors never know exactly what part of marketing is drawing readers to our books. Facebook? Ads? Visiting bookstores?  When I see an author featured on a new webinar or a new platform, I shoot off an email to see if I can be a guest, too. Often the answer is yes, so I add that to my marketing regime.

Of course my previous books can't be ignored. They need to be nurtured and attended to, especially when they receive wonderful reviews. Or an older book is going on sale. This has to be spread far and wide on social media and via my newsletter. Many of my older books are being re-released and having cover reveals.

I must say, this recent bout of promotion has stressed me out. I tell myself next time I won't write as many guest blogs or do as many interviews. But my next book is the first in a brand new series. It will require all the attention I can muster.  And so the promotion bout will begin all over again. I wish some marketing guru could tell me when enough is enough.

My fellow writers, how do you feel about all the marketing we do? Readers, what encourages you to buy a book?

MY NUMBER ONE AUTHOR MARKETING TIP

by Korina Moss 

Let me preface this blog post by saying I’m not a marketing expert. My first book came out last March and I’m in the early stages of growing my “brand.” (Gosh, I hate that word.) So my number one marketing tip is my number one, not the number one. It’s the one that I go by when I decide how I’ll spend my time on social media. But hear me out because I think my tip can work for you and make your marketing life more enjoyable. 

So what is my number one author marketing tip? Be yourself. I know it sounds simplistic but, ironically, it may not be intuitive. 

When we think of marketing, we immediately think ‘sell your books’. We transform from multi-faceted creators into one-dimensional salespeople. My social media has plenty of posts promoting my books and other authors’ books, especially around the time of their release. Book promotion is necessary, and it can be a lot of fun. It can also be exhausting for the author and for readers who follow us on social media. 

Because I’ve been a reader for a lot longer than I’ve been a published author, I look at author marketing through a reader’s lens. The books I love to read the most tend to be the ones where I feel a connection. So as an author, I want to forge a rapport with my readers beyond the pages of my books. We’re already connected through our love of cozy mysteries, but I can use social media to strengthen that bond. And by using the various platforms, I can show different facets of myself. 

 

My recent Instagram feed

On my Instagram page, I lean toward posting nature photos of where I live, trip pics, throwback photos of my son, and food snapshots (which, of course, include cheese!). My Facebook author page feels more like a daily chat, so I like to talk about routine things that are happening in my life and pose questions to get to know my followers and those who stop by. My Twitter account is almost solely about reality television. I live-tweet humorous takes about the shows I watch. I’ve made a great bunch of friends on there who do the same. This is the one platform which is rarely book related. Frankly, I was a little nervous that my publisher would frown upon my gossipy banter, but they were supportive of me being me. I’ve also since discovered that many reality TV tweeters are cozy mystery readers and have bought my books. 

Last week, one of my Twitter friends contacted me. She co-hosts a podcast that discusses a franchise of reality shows called Below Deck that we watch on Bravo TV. Having seen my tweets and knowing I’m a super fan of the franchise, she invited me to be a guest on the podcast to talk about the show. We recorded the podcast and I had a blast. She asked me questions about my cheese shop mystery series (which she’s read), and we talked about which annoying reality show member I might fictionally “bump off.” I wasn’t expecting it, but my cozy mysteries ended up getting quite a bit of airtime on the podcast, and I reached a whole new audience who might not have known about me or my books. Being myself and sharing an interest outside of books on Twitter ended up affording me a new opportunity as an author. 

 

Instead of dreading marketing, by being yourself on social media you may find that the best part is the connection—the same as can be found in a good book.

Readers: What’s your favorite social media platform to use? 

To connect through social media, you can find me at: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or my website korinamossauthor.com

To listen to the Gangplank Report podcast mentioned in this post, go to: The Gangplank Report