Making Your Book Memorable

By Jeffrey Eaton, author of the “Murder Becomes” series, @murderbecomes

Each year, more than one million books get released by publishing houses and self-published authors. You read that right – more than one million books. Every year.

How do we make our books stand out in a crowd that immense? Well, it’s not easy, and even the most relentless marketers get no guarantee their efforts will result in their titles rising above the ever-increasing din.

There are, however, a few techniques we can employ that will at least increase the odds people will notice our novels and then remember them when they’re looking for something to cozy up with on a cold winter’s night.

Here are three things we’ve done with the “Murder Becomes” series to build renown for the books over the past four years:

1. Develop a theme that’s memorable

I have a slightly embarrassing confession. I stole my idea for the “Murder Becomes” series from the dear and recently departed Sue Grafton. When I stumbled upon her Kinsey Millhone Alphabet Murder Series in a bookstore several years ago, I thought, “What a clever idea. How can I make such a simple concept my own?”

I have been a free-lance journalist most of my life, conducting interviews in cities all over the world. So, for me, the natural answer was to set my mysteries in international locales that start with the letter ‘M’ (to alliterate, of course, with ‘murder). Fortunately, the number of intriguing options is endless, and soon “Murder Becomes Manhattan” was born, shortly followed by “Murder Becomes Miami” and (as of October 1, 2018) “Murder Becomes Mayfair.”

Now, I have readers pleading with me to set a future book in one of their favorite ‘M’ locations – Milan, Moscow, Montreal, Marrakech and Maui, to name just a few. The theme has stuck in their minds and gotten them eager to learn at the end of one book where the next murder will take place. And, believe it or not, the woman who volunteered to host my first book launch at her spacious home in Dallas has the initials, “MM” (a complete coincidence).

WHAT SORT OF MEMORABLE THEME CAN YOU CREATE FOR YOUR BOOKS?

2. Create memorable characters

               The protagonist in the “Murder Becomes” series is Dalton Lee, a world-renowned architect who was born in Hong Kong but raised in San Diego. Dalton’s bicultural background helps him stand out, right from the get-go.

But he has other characteristics that make him hard to forget. He is a purist when it comes to how a grilled cheese sandwich is cooked. He rides an Italian scooter from the 1950s called a Maicoletta. And, he is frequently engaged in conversation by inanimate objects – sculptures, paintings, and even mannequins in a department store window.

The result? Readers are constantly sending me grilled cheese recipes to ‘pass along’ to Dalton. Or, they send photos of themselves posed alongside an Italian scooter. I even had a reader send me a photo of a car they were passing that had the phrase “Where is Dalton?” written in soap on the back window. Dalton’s peculiarities have bred a bit of fandom among my readers, who associate with his quirkiness in ways that drive them to purchase the next book in the series.

               WHAT MEMORABLE TRAITS CAN YOU INFUSE IN YOUR CHARACTERS?

3. Consider taking the digital versions of your books to a whole new level

               I love a hardcover book as much or more than anyone. But I also understand the world is changing. The more we adapt to and profit from the change, the better.

That philosophy has led us to do something innovative with the digital versions of the “Murder Becomes” series. We’ve embedded hyperlinks throughout the story to give readers some visual and aural elements to make the reading experience more memorable.

When a street musician plays a tune that causes one of Dalton’s teammates to have a meltdown on a Manhattan street, you click on ‘song’ and HEAR the tune in a YouTube video. When Dalton has a clandestine meeting in a creepy cemetery in Miami, you click on ‘cemetery’ and SEE a photograph of that cemetery.

And with architecture playing a critical role in each book, we give readers links to visuals of the skyscrapers in Manhattan, the Art Deco hotels on Miami Beach and the Georgian townhouses that populate the London neighborhood of Mayfair.

               HOW CAN LINKS MAKE THE READING EXPERIENCE OF YOUR BOOKS MORE MEMORABLE?

It’s not easy these days to capture the attention of readers inundated with one new title after another.
Find a way to employ the techniques described above, however, and you will be well on your way to helping more readers than ever before to find your books, savor them, and recommend them to their friends.

Learn more about “Murder Becomes Manhattan,” “Murder Becomes Miami,” and “Murder Becomes Mayfair,” at murderbecomes.com.

Eaton was graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a degree in journalism. He instantly put it to use, becoming editor of the university’s alumni magazine at age 23 and editor of the employee publications produced by an international oil company at age 25.

He formed his own freelance writing business at age 27 and by the age of 30, had been to 45 countries on five continents. Among his most memorable assignments were interviews with a prime minister, a world-renowned heart surgeon, and the CEO of one of South America’s state-owned oil companies.

Now Eaton has returned to his first passion – writing novels. The “Murder Becomes” series unites his love for intrigue with his passion for travel with his excitement for crafting word puzzles, several of which have been published in some of the world’s premier newspapers and magazines. He hopes you enjoy reading these tales as much as he delights in creating them!  More about Jeffrey here. 

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