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Consider this one for The Help, which is a quote from NPR.org: “This could be one of the most important pieces of fiction since To Kill a Mockingbird…lf you read only one book…let this be it.”
Then there is this snippet for a book titled X-Isle: “In a drowned world, everybody wants to get to the island.”
And this one for The Nine Lives of Chole King: “Even curiosity can’t kill her.”
Another tagline crafted to work with the title is on the cover of Divergent: “One Choice Can Transform You.”
Did these lines entice you? I ended up buying a copy of The Nine Lives of Chole King. Taglines seem to work best when they are relevant, succinct, with a zippy hint of something. Think elevator pitch on steroids. Such a well-done tagline under a title in a manuscript might even catch the attention of an agent, or editor, or both.
What do you think about taglines? Has a tagline ever snagged your attention? If you are a writer, could you write a tagline for your work in progress?
I appreciate taglines. They say so much without giving much away. A fitting tagline is priceless.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Emily! : )
DeleteI definitely get drawn in by taglines! Definitely! I have the attention span of a gnat so a snappy tagline always catches my eye!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am totally useless at creating my own! Totally! :-(
Take care
x
Taglines are really hard for me to write, too, Old Kitty.
DeleteI prefer the taglines of the sort you quoted for 'X-Isle' over the one for 'The Help.' The taglines like 'you must...read...this...book' just sound cheesy to me, and I always wonder what's hiding behind all those ellipses.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny that you wonder what's hiding behind the ellipses. I hadn't thought about that, but it's a great point.
DeleteI can do with or without taglines when looking for a book to read, however, coming up with my own one line pitch for the novel I am writing helped me to focus on what the novel was really about.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the advantages of writing a tagline for your own novel, Dave. Getting the core of the work into one sentence is a great exercise (but tough).
ReplyDeleteTaglines are great, but they are SO hard to write! The Help one was kind of a cheat because it's more of a blurb. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThey are hard to write! And I understand what you mean about The Help, Lisa, but I've heard agents and authors refer to the blurbs on the covers as well as labels such as "Bestselling author" as taglines. Maybe because they market the book?
DeleteThose are great taglines! Yes, I can see how they would sell a book (a good tagline, anyway). I will have to ponder my own novel...I don't have a tagline...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol. And good luck crafting one for your novel.
DeleteTaglines are HARD to write but I can appreciate them. Especially when they get to the heart of the story. I created a tagline for my novel and it really helped me focus on the main point was about...but creating it? UGH. LOL.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Karen--writing taglines is rough stuff, but they do help a writer to focus on the core of the story.
DeleteChloe snagged me, too. I'm actually going to look for it after I leave this comment. I've written a tag line for the book I'm about to begin writing. We'll see if it stays the same when I'm done - LOL.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I love that you wrote a tagline before writing the novel! Brilliant. And you'll have to let me know if you read the Chloe book. You must be a cat person, too. ; )
DeleteI can't imagine myself as a tagline writer, but I do appreciate taglines. They don't always persuade me to purchase a book, though.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Medeia. Now I'm wondering what persuades you to buy a book because I know you read lots and lots of novels. It's impressive. ; )
ReplyDeleteFunny, the 9 lives tagline caught my attention the most, too. To be honest, I usually read the back flap first and I usually look at things based on recommendations. Still, the one on "The Help" left me pretty curious.
ReplyDeleteI must say, being a huge fan of The Help, that this tagline is true. That novel is amazing. I'll let you know what I think of The Nine Lives of Chloe King. ; )
DeleteI've been hearing about tag lines a lot lately. It totally intimidates me. I'm not clever. Yet, it's funny because when I submitted what I thought was an absolutely stupid tagline for the book I'm querying, they loved it. O_o
ReplyDeleteFantastic, Donna! Apparently you are more clever and better at taglines than you think. : )
DeleteThey totally entice me to at least pick up the book and learn more. I've been working on my tag lines, but not to much success. Still working on it.
ReplyDeleteI think they take a lot of practice, Patti. I'm still working on creating decent taglines, too.
DeleteI'm terrible at writing them. Sometimes they pique my interest, but I usually read a few honest reviews before committing.
ReplyDeleteVery wise, Lydia. Taglines nudge me toward spontaneous purchases, for better or for worse.
DeleteI love taglines, but find it difficult to write them. I had to write a blurb for my book...that was hard. Maybe it's just me.
ReplyDeleteOh, I don't think it's just you, Loree. Taglines are challenging. But so are blurbs. We all need magic wands or some such.
DeleteMatter of fact, I do read the taglines. The labels that say bestseller are not necessarily why I buy. If the story premise is intriguing then I'm in.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit, J.L, that bestseller labels do pull me in a little. But from there I do need to be intrigued by the premise.
DeleteI read them and they do influence me when I'm deciding to buy. These and the cover plus those first lines have a lot to do with my taking out my credit card.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, first lines or even paragraphs also influence my decision to dig out the plastic.
DeleteI think it's much easier to write a 300 page novel than a one sentence tagline. I know this sounds crazy, but I just have not mastered the art of writing short and sweet.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't sound crazy at all, Alissa. I find writing taglines to be grueling.
DeleteI do think I'm subtly influenced by them. I've never really tried to write one. I'm not a short writer either, but my loglines are getting better, so I guess practice helps. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope practice helps, Marcia. : )
DeleteFor a tagline to work for me, it can't be too gimmicky, or trying too hard. I don't have one on my novel, but my blog does ... Pour Your Heart Into It.
ReplyDeleteGreat point about bad taglines trying too hard, Joanne. Trying too hard or being gimmicky is the kiss of death for me.
Deleteoh, I love that tagline for The Nine Lives of Chole King. I'll read taglines almost always (unless it's a recommendation) but I'll usually skip the back cover blurb. It's all about a speedy decision. :)
ReplyDeleteI thought that tagline was great, too, Lynda. It definitely influenced my decision to buy The Nine Lives of Chloe King.
DeleteThe only thing a tag line has done is caused me to look at the blurb. But for me to notice the tag line, the cover has to be hot. And if the cover is hot, then I'll look at the blurb either way. If anything, I find the tags entertaining. You know, like when you read the wine description on the bottle. Seriously, who comes up with those?????
ReplyDeleteHa! Good question, Stina. Probably the people who write the wine descriptions could write killer taglines.
DeleteThe first thing that catches me is the book's cover, then I read the tagline, then I read the blurb. I think knowing how to write taglines is a big help when marketing one's work! great post! have an awesome weekend.
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Thanks, Nutschell. I agree that knowing how to write a tagline and writing a decent one are huge helps in marketing a novel. I also think carving out a tagline helps a writer focus on the heart and soul of a novel.
DeleteI've almost finsihed the Help and love it. I'm prolonging finishing it because I will be sad when I get to the end.
ReplyDeleteI love the tag line “Even curiosity can’t kill her.” I want to read it now.
Fun post theme. Yes I guess taglines do appeal, hook me in like a sprat with a worm!
Madeleine, I had the same experience with The Help. Such a great novel!
DeleteYes I love a good tag line!
ReplyDeleteI go by cover first.... Tag line second... Blurb third. That is if I'm picking up a book in a shop.
But most of my purchases are of friends books or recommendations
Ah, good point, Michelle. Recommendations and friendship connections trump taglines almost ever time for me, too, when I'm book buying.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually buy based on the tag line alone, but it does help focus in on what might interest me. And writing one is daunting, even more than writing a query letter!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, much more daunting to write than a query letter. The less language we have to work with, the more difficult the writing.
DeleteThose were some great taglines - I think the X-Isle and Chloe King ones were my favorites. I'll have to give some thought to coming up with one for my wip.
ReplyDeleteThose were my favorite taglines, too, Susan. Good luck in coming up with something snappy for your wip.
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