Exercise: PERSONAL Guarantee MAD LIBS

Exercise: Personal Guarantee Mad Libs

Try finishing one of these sentences:

  • “In every book, I offer _____________.”
  • “My writing stands out because of _____________.”
  • “My work always makes my readers _____________.”
  • “I can promise that every one of my books _____________.”
  • “My readers love my books because _____________.”  

Here are a few more things to consider:

If you’ve got work out in the market, describe the emotional rides reported to you by people who’ve read your work.

  • List three unique, positive qualities that reviewers or fans mention consistently about your writing.
  • Write a one sentence advertisement that distills your authorial voice/style and sells it to a nonreader.

Now that you’ve articulated some parameters, you’re going to draft a quickie personal guarantee that nails the singular appeal of your work. Trust your instincts and answer with an eye to clarity and practical steps.

I am the only ___(name your niche)___ author who ___(name a unique talent/skill you possess)___. I write for _________ (describe your ideal reader segment)________ who admire and acquire books that show _________(unique strength of your work)________ and offer them _________(characteristic emotional experience)________ which is why _________(give supporting evidence/examples from comments, reviews, awards)________. Unlike _________(list 2-3 similar book/author options)________ my work appeals to my readers because it _________(how it pleases your distinct audience)________ and improves my genre by _________(how it develops/expands your genre)________.

Emphasize emotional appeal of your work, and make liberal use of active verbs that describe the effect on any potential reader. As always when defining your brand, avoid clichés, negatives, and vague or complicated language. Keep your personal guarantee simple, punchy, and precise.

© 2016 Damon Suede & Heidi Cullinan, All Rights Reserved

Share this content:

Privacy Policy

Any contact information collected by the Your A Game authors and their staff via newsletter, giveaway, or direct exchange will adhere to the following privacy policy:


  • No information collected in any venue by Your A Game will be distributed in any way to any third party at any time unless specifically stated.
  • Your A Game newsletter subscribers must elect to join this mail-serve themselves and will not be added manually unless this is specifically requested in writing. No information collected will be used to populate any other newsletter or mailing lists, including the personal mailing lists of the authors of this book.
  • For contests, winners will be announced on one or all of the following public mediums: the Your A Game website, Twitter, Facebook, newsletter, Rafflecopter, or other social media service. Only the name given as an entrant will be displayed. No emails, addresses, or phone numbers will ever be shared when winners are announced.
  • Information collected for giveaways will be saved only for purposes of picking winners and delivering giveaway prizes. Reply emails from winners will be saved only to verify receipt of notification. Any physical addresses collected for purposes of this contest will be used only to mail prize winnings and will not be saved or used for any other purpose now or at any time.

If you have questions about this privacy policy, please email us at info@your-A-game.com.

Buy Links

Your A Game: winning promo for genre fiction by Damon Suede & Heidi Cullinan