A copywriter, an artistic director, a breakfast burrito, and a tagline for a bestseller.

How do you figure out the tagline or elevator pitch of your book?

I’ve been sifting and filtering, choosing and toying, trying to find that “winning combination” of something snappy but still intelligent, quick but meaningful for my upcoming book “Every Single Day.”

I needed another opinion. I needed expert advice. It was time to turn to the pros.

Lauren Deane Evans is an award-winning art director and can see the big picture as if she flew her own helicopter.

Gil Zeimer has worked for big ad agencies and now runs his own copywriting shop.

“What is the outcome you want the reader to have when they finish the book?” Lauren asked.

“I want them to take even a single step out of their comfort zone. A tiny step towards the mindset of the person who is living the life they want to live,” I said, trying to let it come out naturally. Also hindering my progress was the breakfast burrito that was eyeing me to dig in. The first California burrito I’ve had an intimate relationship with in one and a half years since I’ve been gone.

“Make them feel special, unique, a part of something exclusive,” Gil started. “Maybe something like, ‘I’d like to invite you to be one of the first 100 people to pre-order my new book … ‘” A bit of huevos rancheros and he continued. “Then a follow-up email a few days later, ‘I wanted to thank you for your support with my book. We didn’t make it to 100 pre-orders, we made it to 300.’ Get them excited about it–share your enthusiasm with them. Get them to be part of the team.”

“It’s OK to want more,” Lauren said.

“Do some A/B testing with a different email subject lines to see what works better,” Gil said, munching a melt-in-your-mouth dripping-in-cheese corn tortilla.

“Share your story, let them know what you did, but don’t tell them what to do,” Lauren added.

Questions dug deep into how I thought about the book, how I can see that it will actually help people.

“Let them know that they can escape their comfort zone, it’s possible, it’s OK, they’re allowed to want more,” Lauren said.

This is How You Do It

In a cafe in San Francisco on a sunny Saturday morning, trading ideas and swapping taglines with two dear friends over fresh Mexican food. I can’t imagine a better way to spend the morning.