Have you ever been to a crowded bar and felt overwhelmed by the endless drink options on the menu? How do you decide what to order?

What are you in the mood for?

Will you be eating? Have you already eaten and the thought of drinking a pint of Guinness would be like drinking a glass of mercury?

We’ve all got our go-tos. Our favourite tipples. Maybe you like a nice light session IPA, me, I like a cocktail (or a mocktail). 

Chances are, I’ll go straight to the cocktails with catchy names because they stand out from the crowd and pique my interest.

Then I’ll check out the ingredients. 

If it’s got Amaretto in it, I’m sold. I'm there. Decision made.  

I think the same principle applies to your writing. Not just a hook for your book, but a hook for you—your author brand. 

When there’s supposedly 6 million ebooks on Amazon, it’s hard to stand out in a sea of other writers in your genre. 

So, let me ask you this…

If I were speaking to a bunch of readers, how would I sell you?

What would I tell them so they would remember you?

If your answer is ‘I’m a sci-fi writer’, that’s not enough. 

What makes you stick out from all the other sci-fi writers out there?

What makes you any different?

By crafting a unique selling proposition (USP) for your author brand, you can create a signature cocktail, a.k.a a hook that will stick in reader’s minds, keep them coming back for more, and they can easily sell you to some of their friends. 

I’ve had a few weird drinks in my time. Larger and orange - not recommended. Amaretto and cranberry - highly recommended. 

I went out for dinner with a few friends recently, it was a place not far from me called the Binary. It’s your typical wine bar dine-ary, dim lighting, plenty of rough sawn wood tables, and a massive fake tree covered in fairy lights. 

On the cocktail menu was a drink called a New York Spritz. 

Sounds jazzy, no?

It was basically just prosecco with a raspberry in it and a fluffy ball of candy floss on the top. 

But it was fun and different and appealed to my inner child.  

I recommended it to my friends.   

Now, think of your books, and your author brand, as that signature cocktail. Your USP is the combination of ingredients that makes it and you stand out from other authors in your genre. 

It doesn’t have to be complicated, just a couple of simple ingredients can really make a difference. 

But without a hooky USP, how are readers going to remember you and recommend you to their friends? 

Do you want to be just another romance writer? Just another fantasy writer? Horror? Sci-fi?

I’m guessing not. 

So how are you going to stick out from everyone else? 

Especially now there’s all this noise around AI generated novels and robots taking our jobs. Ekkkk. 

Don’t go unnoticed, like a bland drink on a crowded menu. 

Figure out a hooky and memorable USP, and you’ll be a shiny signature cocktail that catches readers' attention and leaves them wanting more.

So, as you're crafting your author USP, think about what makes your book unique. What ingredients can you combine to create a story that's unexpected and unforgettable? 

Remember, your USP is your signature cocktail, and it's the key to standing out in a crowded market.

Let me know what you come up with?

Cheers to crafting your own signature cocktail!

Angie 

I'm dyslexic. If you spot any typos or run on sentences or dangling thingamies, please be kind and let it slide. While I do my best, I can't afford to have everything I write edited.

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