Friday 18 February 2011

Straplines

Good morning Novel Racers. I'm posting this before racing off to the hairdressers, so I'm afraid I can only offer you the basics, instant coffee, tea (in various forms, fruit, Earl Grey, PG, etc). I do have a tin of Scottish shortbread to share though and they do look appetising.

I subscribe to Sarah Duncan's blog posts, which are updated daily and the other day she posted about Straplines and why to use a strapline to pitch your novel. Here's the link. What fun, thought I, immediately settling down to try and work out straplines for my own books. It's not as easy as it seems.

High Heels & Scandals (a jilted shoe designer enjoys a holiday romance with a man she discovers is the one person capable of ruining everything she's worked so hard to build up) - Devil Wears Prada meets The Tudors

Truth & Other Lies - (An Artist falls pregnant at the beginning of WW2 believing that the man she expected to marry has deserted her). Enigma meets Erin Brockovich.

Okay, so these may not be brilliant, but I'm having to hurry (8.27 and my appointment is at 9am). So, can you think of straplines that may sum up your novel? I'm going to try and improve on my wretched examples and look forward to seeing what you come up with when I get back.

13 comments:

Karen said...

I'm an avid reader of Sarah Duncan's posts too, I read that one and tried to come up with something for my second novel, but failed miserably! My first one is being pitched as 'The Time-Traveller's Wife for the light-hearted' which I think sums it up pretty well.

Yours are really good by the way!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Thanks Karen. It's far harder than it looks to come up with something that encompasses the whole book.

I look forward to reading yours.

Graeme K Talboys said...

I suppose I could somewhat grandly claim that Thin Reflections is Empire of the Sun on the Home Front, but I wouldn't be so bold.

sheepish said...

Oh dear I shall have to put my thinking cap on, this may take a while!!!!!

Cheryl said...

Mmmmm I am back in the midst of my novel now so must getting thinking about this one. Thanks for the link too :)

Rachel Green said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rachel Green said...

I generally write three-line hooks. I shall have to cut them down a bit.
The one for my novel currently in the circalit competition (http://www.circalit.com/leatherdykeuk/projects/a-state-of-madder/) reads: "Wallender in an English Village"

Denise said...

I saw this yesterday, decided to have a think about it and am still thinking! I shall be back...

Anonymous said...

So, we authors have to write the novel, edit it, pitch it, do the blurb, do our own marketing and now come up with our own straplines. I wonder what it is that the publishers actually do, apart from take a cut of the money. Do they really not even read the books they sell? Perhaps it's not so surprising that the industry is in difficulty. I tell you, self-publishing looks more attractive each day, since I'll obviously have to do almost everything else myself.

I've been trying to come up with some straplines for my work, but I can't seem to boil it down. The stories just seem too complex. Perhaps that's a bad sign.

Kate Lord Brown said...

Good idea Debs. Think mine would be 'Top Gun for Girls' :) Sorry I've been quiet lately everyone - race turned into a bit of a marathon, finishing the second book. The first is out 1/4/11 :) Look forward to catching up on the posts.

Denise said...

I did come back, but I still haven't got a strapline! Good topic Debs, has really got me thinking, but I'm finding it impossible to come up with anything useful. I used to have a 2 line pitch for this novel, but have changed it so much it doesn't work anymore. I shall now try to come up with a new one.

HelenMWalters said...

I'm not sure about the 'meets' thing. I don't think I'm far enough down the line for that. But I did come up with - 'It's about making such a mess of your life tht you want to turn the clock back, then realising you can't and somehow having to find the courage to carry on.' Hmmm, still needs a lot of work.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I love these answers, thanks.