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I have a confession. I'm terrible at tag lines. I love coming up with titles for my books and even writing blurbs for them. But tag lines? I seem to be incapable of describing myself or my books in a single, memorable line.
In 2014, I decided to have custom website designed but still didn't have a tagline. So, I stuck with the basics: "Isabella Norse, Romance Author." I requested that the designer (the amazing Ida Jansson of Amygdala Design) use light colors to reflect the fact that my stories tend to be on the humorous side and that she include cats in some fashion since they have a way of appearing in all of my stories. She created the image below that I have used for the past three years:
It hit all the points I asked for and even met with my love of symmetry - a love that Ida didn't even know about. Even though I was happy with the design, I still couldn't help but long for something even more... me. So, the search for a tag line continued.
I will admit to more than one why-didn't-I-think-of-that moment as I came across amazing tag lines created by other authors. I also came up with - and discarded - more than a few potential tag lines for myself. One example? Love, Laughter, Happily Ever After. But, that one seemed to be everywhere. However, everywhere or not, I kept circling back to it. Finally, I realized that all I had to do was change one word to make it work for me. The result? Faith. Laughter. Happily-Ever-After. Perfect.
Faith: I'm a woman of faith and my faith, like my love for cats, works its way into each story.
Laughter: My stories tend to be humorous. Even on those rare occasions when they get dark, there is still humor.
Happily-Ever-After: I write romance, so this one is a given.
Once I settled on a new tag line, it was time to contact Ida to give my website an update. The new design is below:
I love it - it is so me! The new header keeps the same colors as the old one while including the new tag line and a more subtle reference to my feline fascination. The rustic image is also exactly my style. Of course, I picked it out, so it should be, LOL!
So, here's to the end for the search for a tag line, a new look, and everything that lies ahead. *raises chai latte in toast*
What do you think of the new look?
Great tag line, and I love the hearts and flowers. Now you've made me think I ought to update my website header into something more interesting which at present is (you've guessed it!) Paula Martin - Romance Author!
ReplyDeleteThanks Paula! I say go for it. I hope you have an easier time coming up with a tag line than I did, LOL.
DeleteIsabella, I love writing logline. I like to keep them down to 10 words or less. It is a challenge and not all of mine are good, but it's fun all the same to me.
ReplyDeleteNow writing a tagline to express who I am, what I write, and what makes me different is difficult. I think you did a fine job coming up with one. I liked the whole banner you designed. It's absolutely lovely.
Thank you Sarah! Now I know who to come to for help the next time I'm stuck. :-)
DeleteI agree with Sarah. I enjoy writing the short descriptors. Maybe there's a relationship between that and why I like Twitter...short, sweet, and to the point. ;-) I've changed my tagline twice. I think it's a work in progress that evolves as our writing evolves.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain about writing taglines. It's advertising which I never signed up to do...but do it anyway. It's part of the job in today's publishing. Now writing titles is a real pleasure.
ReplyDelete