What’s Your Writerly Unique Selling Point?
When I decided to fly to California and train as a bounty hunter it wasn’t part of a marketing strategy but as research for my debut novel – Deep Down Dead.
You see, back then I was about 40,000 words into my first draft of a thriller featuring a single mom bounty hunter, and I felt that as a UK-born, non-bounty hunter, I really needed to find out more about the job, and the people who did it, to make my story and characters authentic.
So I found a guy who was licensed to train bailbondsmen and bounty hunters, called him up and asked if I could train with him. I think he was intrigued that a British writer wanted to train as a bounty hunter, so he said sure I could come out, as long as I had an open mind. I thought that I did, so I got on the plane.
Right then I was 100% focused on writing the book and making it the best I could. It wasn’t until later that I realised in doing so I’d given myself a writerly USP (unique selling point).
Fast forward a little, and the book is picked up by Orenda Books. This is the point where I started to think about marketing. Just like a book’s back-copy blurb, the writer’s bio needs to be concise, interesting and make them stand out. This was when I realised the bounty hunting training was useful for more than just research. I led with it in my bio in the back of the book, and on my Goodreads and Amazon author pages: “Steph Broadribb is an alumni of the MA Creative Writing at City University London, and trained as a bounty hunter in California.”
In terms of marketing and PR, having a USP is like a shorthand for the publisher and PR person when they’re pitching you as an author. It’s helped me get invited to talk on BBC Women’s Hour, chair panel at Bouchercon mystery convention on Interesting Day Jobs, and given me lots of fun engaging with readers on bounty hunter related topics on Twitter. I’ve also played up the bounty hunter element in reader giveaways – including pairs of handcuffs with book prizes – and I’m about to invite a small number of readers to join the #TeamLori advance reader bounty hunter team. At my book launch we had a bounty hunting themed cake (complete with silver handcuffs, and cake taser!).
So although I got my USP by happy accident as a by-product of research for the book, I’d recommend to writers working on their novel to start thinking about their USP early on. You could include it in your covering letter when sending out your submission package to agents and publishers, and use it in your bio and to talk about when you’re marketing your book later on.
Your unique selling point is ideally something that links you to the subject of your book and can be summarised in a short sentence. It could be something you’ve done to research your book, prior knowledge of a related subject (maybe you’re writing a thriller where poisons are used and you have a chemistry background), a hobby, or a life experience you’ve had that relates to the book’s themes.
Once you’ve had a think about it, write down your answers to the following questions:
What’s your unique selling point?
Describe it in a single sentence:
How could you use this for marketing your book (your author bio, your website, blog tour posts and articles for media, pitches to festivals, social media, reader giveaways and competitions)?
When you’ve answered the questions – congrats – you’ve got yourself a USP!
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Steph Broadribb has an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) and trained as a Bounty Hunter in California. Her debut thriller Deep Down Dead (Orenda Books) was shortlisted for the eDunnit eBook of the year award, the ITW Best First Novel, and the Dead Good Reader Awards for Fearless Female Character and Most Exceptional Debut.
The second book in the series Deep Blue Trouble was published in January 2018. Under her pseudonym Stephanie Marland she writes the Starke/Bell psychological police procedural series (Trapeze – Orion). A keen reader, she blogs about all things crime fiction at www.crimethrillergirl.com and is a writing coach at www.crimefictioncoach.com
About DEEP BLUE TROUBLE
Single-mother Florida bounty hunter Lori Anderson’s got an ocean of trouble on her hands. Her daughter Dakota is safe, but the little girl’s cancer is threatening a comeback, and Lori needs JT – Dakota’s daddy and the man who taught Lori everything – alive and kicking.
Problem is, he’s behind bars, and heading for death row.
Desperate to save him, Lori does a deal, taking on off-the-books job from shady FBI agent Alex Monroe. Bring back on-the-run felon, Gibson ‘The Fish’ Fletcher, and JT walks free.This is one job she’s got to get right, or she’ll lose everything…
Breathlessly paced, and bursting with high-voltage action and edge-of-your-seat jeopardy, Deep Blue Trouble is the unmissable next instalment featuring one of the most memorable and fearless female characters in crime fiction.
‘My kind of book’ Lee Child
‘A real cracker … Steph Broadribb kicks ass, as does her ace protagonist’ Mark Billingham
‘Brilliantly pacey’ Steve Cavanagh
‘Really, really good’ Ian Rankin
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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