Blogging 101- Would you help me?

I have completed Blogging 201 and now I’m doing another online workshop called WordPress Blogging 101. It might seem that I’m taking these backward but there was no pre-requisite when I signed up for 201 first. I learned so much in 201 about how to improve my site and attract more readers. I’m building a platform for the book I’m writing called, “Not My Story To Tell”, about my daughter, Justine’s life. She was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder as a teenager and rode a roller coaster life until she was tragically killed in a car accident last year at aged 29. Blogging 101 is also teaching me how to ramp up my site to attract more readers.

We were asked to rename our site and find a snappy tag line. In the Hay House Writer’s workshop (https://cathylynnbrooks.com/2015/07/14/writers-workshop/) I’m taking online, Reid Tracy gave some great advice. The tendency would be to name all media with the name of the book. He warned against this and for a very good reason. He said to name everything your name, as the author. That way as you write more books you already have the platform. If you had to start all over again with each book it would be a tremendous amount of work. So my title is my name and it’s staying Cathy Lynn Brooks. My tag line was “Author” but I’ve changed it to “Author of the book, ‘Not My Story To Tell'”.

This is where I need your help. I realize it’s not very “snappy”. Do you think it’s catchy enough or should I change it to something a little more lively? Any suggestions?

34 thoughts on “Blogging 101- Would you help me?”

  1. your name sure sounds like a real writers name, Cathy Lynn Brooks , but as english is not my native language, I don’t have a feeling what’s snappy and what’s not. Hope other people can sort you out here . Good luck !

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  2. i like your tagline because it’s clear and direct like i changed my tagline to ‘let’s do it’ because i like the sound of it, as far i know, taglines are a personal thing. just remember, you’re not advertising a movie here.

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  5. Hi cathy
    I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I think reading about your experience will be a great help to families and mothers in particular who are dealing with this illness. I don’t think it necessarily needs to be “snappy” because it is a serious subject you are dealing with. Does the title “Not my story to Tell” have to stay? Because really it is your story. How about A mother’s story? If the title has to stay I think the tagline is fine.

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  9. So sorry about what happened to your daughter. I think that your book can be helpful to many families out there though, and I support Scott’s idea <3.
    I have friends (not close though) who have been diagnosed with bipolar, so this sounds interesting.
    Thanks for following my blog too!

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  11. Hi, Cathy. Bipolar disorder is a bugger to say the least. My niece has it, and she was nearly 40 before they actually got her treatments in order so she can live a more normal life. So very sorry about your daughter. Praying God’s grace over you. As for your tagline, I like the suggestions that you keep the ‘author’ focus, but perhaps not a specific book as a part of it. God bless.

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      1. That’s cool too. Me, I’d forget to change it. As a matter of fact, I had to go to my blog to see WHAT my tagline was! Lol. It’s only right there for 2 years.

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  13. Honestly I like your tagline. It gives your readers an idea about your upcoming book and its personal to you. As well as let me extend my condolences on your loss. As this is such a personal journey for you, I would suggest leaving it as it is.

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  16. I’ll think about it, Cathy. I don’t think you need to say “author of the book,” in the tagline – it could be more generic, something that gives your readers a feeling of what kind of things you write. For instance, “telling the untold stories” could tell people that you are a writer and you write stories that have never been told before. But then tag lines can always be changed…so for now until your book finishes, you can stay with the current tagline too. Perhaps, “telling a story that’s not mine to tell.”

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  17. Hi Cathy, I’m so sorry about your daughter, I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it must have been. I think using your name as the title is great, I agree with those who think the tagline should not be book specific. I like “telling the untold story” the most.

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  19. I like the mystery that comes with your title “not my story to tell” I would eliminate the author if part and just use that. Keeps everyone wondering who’s story it is and forces them to read the blog to find out

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  21. I agree with Scott that “snappy” does not seem to be the right tone for your site. I love Anand’s suggestion of “telling untold stories. I would really think about that! I would be hesitant about using something like telling stories that are not mine to tell because that implies in a way that perhaps you’re invading someone’s privacy. I saw that you had some advice to use the word “author” when possible, so what about utilizing the most underused of punctuation marks and going with “Telling Untold Stories: An Author’s Perspective” or something like that?

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  22. hi Cathy

    i couldnt find where to sign up for your blog, i to am just learning all these in’s and out’s…fun, fun….i also replied to your comment on my blog, but not sure i did it right…:) so will put that response here also, i have an ipad 1 and it is very limited in what it will and will not do….so blogging on it is a challenge… have a really fun day.

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  24. I had planned on taking g Blogging 101 first. I thought I had signed up for it but somehow missed the first week. So I signed up for 201 which ended right after it. So like you , I m doing the courses backwards. It worked out well. We met in 201 and then finally in 101 had the time to really connect.
    I am doing the courses…..I need to check out Day 4 ….I am just not able to fully write about them like I did for the first course.
    I’ve read all the comments here ….the internet is so slow that I didn’t do all the likes I would have for everyone’s comments.
    Cathy, I wish there we had more time…to write and comment….and still sleep, eat , cook, etc…….
    Hugs my new friend.
    Sarah

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    1. Michelle has said that we don’t have to write about every lesson. In 201 we were encouraged to write every day. I do write every day but some of the lessons don’t lend themselves to a blog. I’m OK with that.

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