Monday, July 06, 2009

Imaginary Jesus tag line competition -- tell your friends

The Contest:

We're working on a tag line for Imaginary Jesus (coming to bookstores near you in April 2010). Basically, in this contest I'm asking you to throw out your best ideas for a tag line. I'm looking for something clever and catchy that sort of sums up everything about the book. You can see a basic "back of the book" type description here. Here are some thoughts by someone about tag lines in general. I'm looking for a quick phrase that is humorous and sharpens the reader's expectation beyond what the title implies. A few examples:

Imaginary Jesus: Real as a Unicorn

Imaginary Jesus: The best friend you never knew you had.

Or preferably something better than those.


1) Enter by posting your tag line idea in the comments section of this post. Post as many as you like.

2) I'll need some way to get ahold of you if you win. So anonymous, contact-less entries won't get a prize even if they win. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A BLOGGER ACCOUNT TO LEAVE A COMMENT! And if you want to send me your contact info, post your comment and then write me at matt.mikalatos(at)

3) It has to be original and it has to be yours. So taglines like "In space no one can hear you scream" or "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!" don't count. I guess you can post them just to be funny though, you sick, sick people.

4) Deadline for entries is July 17th, because that's my birthday and because I say so.

5) No whining if it takes a while to announce a winner, because I'm learning that the publishing world spins a little slower than the world outside. Whiners automatically forfeit all rights except for those specifically granted under the Magna Carta of 1215.

6) All entries must be type-written.

7) It's a tag line, not a poetry contest. Keep it short. Haiku length or shorter.

The Prize:

It's a three parter. TO THE WINNER GOES THE SPOILS! ONE, your name in the acknowledgements of the book itself. TWO, a copy of Imaginary Jesus signed by the author (when it comes out of course). THREE, my gratitude. I will even write a thank you note to you.

Of course you also get bragging rights, but that goes without saying.

Now get to work, people.

Legal Stuff:

Okay, I'm not a lawyer but just so you know this contest is illegal wherever such contests are illegal, and is not sponsored by Tyndale, Barna Books, Campus Crusade for Christ or anyone associated with those organizations. Final determination of who wins goes to
moi (moi = Matt Mikalatos) and whomever I might choose to include in said determination. Moi reserves the right not to use a tag line, to use multiple tag lines or to use a tag line not generated by this contest. By leaving a comment and/or tagline here you are giving permission for it to be used in the publication and publicity of all kinds for Imaginary Jesus. Forever. In the whole universe. And other dimensions. Even other dimensions where, perhaps, you are evil instead of the pleasant, reasonable person whom you appear to be here in our dimension. Please remember that in the end this is all for fun. It's not like I'm promising, for instance, to make you the poet laureate of a laureate-less state.


  1. Anonymous8:38 PM

    My first thought: "Imaginary Jesus: beyond the flannelboard."

    Janet O (you have my contact info)

  2. i love it matt! i'm horrible at this stuff, but i thought i'd give it a try...

    Imaginary Jesus: Did thousands of people die for nothing?

    Imaginary Jesus: Pursuing the Truth

    Imaginary Jesus: Chasing a dream?

    Imaginary Jesus: Hoping it wasn't just my imagination

    Imaginary Jesus: Better than Unicorns, Leprachauns and Tooth Fairies

  3. Imaginary Jesus: Come See Him for Yourself
    Imaginary Jesus: He Really Does Talk to Me

  4. Anonymous11:24 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Our link to hope and change

    Ron Nutting

  5. James Morgan5:30 AM

    (1) Jesus the friendly ghost.

    (2) Imagine the unimaginable; Jesus!

    (3) A love you can see but not feel.

    (4) you can not see; nor hear but you have decided to walk with him.

    (5) so powerful; but yet his love is softer than a baby's bottom.

  6. Anonymous5:32 AM

    In space no one can hear you scream.


  7. "In space, Jesus saves screaming unicorns."

    "Knock, knock. It's Jesus."

    Okay. I need to work on my entries.

  8. Imaginary Jesus: Because the real Jesus doesn't cater to my every whim.
    Imaginary Jesus: Because the real Jesus is just too....real.
    Imaginary Jesus: Because the real Jesus wants me to be happy.

  9. Imaginary Jesus: Better (tastier) than virgin Mary toast

  10. shanti.mathew@uscm.org3:11 PM

    I am going to have way to much fun with this game... here goes!

    Meeting a person I never knew.

    Leaving behind what I've been told and meeting the real Jesus.

    He's not just a hippie anymore.

    A modern-day odyssey to find the real Jesus.

    The day I realized I didn't know Jesus at all.

    He's bigger than he looks.

    Unlikely companions on a quest to find the living, breathing Christ.

    Do we really know him?

    Even the donkey knows more than I do.

    A chase that would change me forever.

    Now you see him; now you don't.

    No quest is complete without a talking donkey.

    Turns out I was wrong.

    A hilarious tale of meeting a Jesus who is physically absent yet relationally present.

    Would you recognize him if you saw him?

    Chasing a dream through the streets of Portland.

    How I found myself chasing a Jesus I didn't even know.

    Tracking the imposter.

    He's more real than you think.

    I couldn't make this stuff up.

    How Jesus got me out of the coffee shop.

    The tale of an unlikely band of heroes on a quest to discover the truth about history's most controversial man.

    Don't let him get away!

    And the quest to find the real Christ.

    The hilarious tale of learnining that everything I knew was wrong.

    An unlikely quest for the man behind the robe.

    The time I chased Jesus.

    Turns out he's not a space cowboy.

    How Jesus convinced me that I had it all wrong.

    Chasing the Christ. Hilarity ensued.

    Yup. That was too much fun. I'm supposed to be working on MPD...more ideas later.

  11. Anonymous3:25 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: or IS He?

    Jenny B, I work with you, you had better know how to reach me. :)

  12. Imaginary Jesus: Hot pursuit of the most popular man who never existed

  13. shanti.mathew@uscm.org4:18 PM

    Snap. I like Sam's.

  14. It's just so bizarre, you might actually like it.

    Putting the fig back in figment.

    Wait, come to think of it, I may have just given you two entries...

  15. Imaginary Jesus: The best part was watching him try to walk on water.

  16. Imaginary Jesus: De-robing the Messiah

  17. DW Peoples4:59 PM

    I always thought He was imaginary, until I met Him.

    I thought He was imaginary, until I met Him.

    I thought He was imaginary, until I saw Him face to face.

  18. Imaginary Jesus: How Jesus became real

    Imaginary Jesus: will the real Savior stand up?

  19. Anonymous11:36 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: This book is gay, dont buy it!

  20. Anonymous7:07 AM

    Imaginary Jesus: 52 days of every year in a suit and tie for nothing?

  21. Anonymous12:25 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: He's the homey you always wanted.

    Imaginary Jesus: He's the friend you never knew you had.

    Imaginary Jesus: Rising from the ashes of a burning revolution and there's nothing they can do to stop him!

  22. Imaginary Jesus: More Powerful Than The Guy Who Works At The Taco Stand

  23. Anonymous2:06 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Wait, you're not Jesus...

    Imaginary Jesus: Have you seen my friend Jesus?

    Imaginary Jesus: His blood and body are at every church, but he's nowhere to be found.

    Imaginary Jesus: What it really means to find Jesus

    Imaginary Jesus: Where be your Gods now?

  24. Anonymous2:22 PM

    Imaginary Jesus. When things get unreal, He's the one you turn to.

  25. Imaginary Jesue: If you meet the messiah on the road/run, buy him coffee, then kill him!

    Imaginary Jesus: In a world were all you have is faith, manifestations cannot be tolerated

    Imaginary Jesus: Bethlehem? That's so last age!

    Imaginary Jesus: The tale of the coffee junkie Messiah

    Imaginary Jesus: This will get me Jerry Springer for sure!

    Imaginary Jesus: Where have all the false prophets gone?

    Imaginary Jesus: Wait! What were those lottery numbers again?

    Imaginary Jesus: There's no profit in being a Prophet

    Imaginary Jesus: Can I see some ID?

    Imaginary Jesus: For God was so pissed at the world, he sent his ill-begotten clone

    Imaginary Jesus: For one night only! Live in the Theater of the mind, the subconcious ideal of the Messiah!

    Imaginary Jesus: It's not the second coming, but I sure had Revelations

    Imaginary Jesus: Unanswered Prayers meets Unwanted Quests

    Imaginary Jesus: If I was Left Behind why are you here?

    Imaginary Jesus: This is only a test. Had ths been an actual'd be too late

    Goodness Gravies. Please forgive my silly ones as I had to work them out of my system and I thought they might inspire what you ultimately use. There are a few I actually like in here. Can you tell I am angling for a free copy of the book?


  26. Jake20001@aol.com5:51 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: You thought that was a monster under your bed?

  27. Mary Yajko6:52 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: chasing a holy imposter down the road to salvation

    Imaginary Jesus: chasing a holy pretender down the road to salvation

  28. Imaginary Jesus: Humping the Leg of Consciousness

  29. Imaginary Jesus: Just when you thought you had Him all figured out

    Imaginary Jesus: Tastes like chicken

    Imaginary Jesus: Kind of like Clifford the big red dog

    Imaginary Jesus: Why worship something we've created?

    Imaginary Jesus: Matt Mikalatos is the coolest.

  30. Here's a marketing ploy for ya... have 10 (or so) different tag lines (one for each imaginary Jesus). Then you can encourage people to buy multiple copies of your book. Collect 'em All!

    Imaginary Jesus: A Magical Mystic's Tour

    (hey MJ's dead, who owns Beatle's copyrights now?)

  31. Piggy backing off of Dean Christensen's comment for a cheap shot at the win,

    Imaginary Jesus: COLLECT THEM ALL!!!

  32. Anonymous11:54 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Who knew finding Christ could be so hard?

    contact me at

  33. Anonymous2:05 AM

    Imaginary Jesus: Real Fiction
    Imaginary Jesus:Beyond Imagination
    Imaginary Jesus: God Figure (d is printed in Grey)
    Imaginary Jesus: A Search for the Genuine Superstar
    Imaginary Jesus: Will He rise again?


  34. Imaginary Jesus: The Clone Wars

    Imaginary Jesus: More Flavor than Savior?

    Imaginary Jesus: Just not awesome enough

    Imaginary Jesus: Beyond the blue rayon robe

    Imaginary Jesus: The Trouble with Tribbles

    Imaginary Jesus: Divorcing the Straw Man and finding the Prince

  35. Imaginary Jesus: Because Real Saviors Don't Drink Lattes!


  36. Kaitlyn Gutierrez1:52 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: God was on a coffee Break

    Imaginary Jesus: More real that the Virgin Mary Toast!

    Imaginary Jesus: Yoda was right!

    Imaginary Jesus: Knee high to a grass hopper

    Imaginary Jesus: Because Imaginary Gandhi was already taken

    Imaginary Jesus: Killed the radio star

    Imaginary Jesus: Better than Pulp Fiction

    Imaginary Jesus: Knows what you did last summer

    Imaginary Jesus: Supreme overlord and ruler. Yea, suck it.

    Imaginary Jesus: Lovin you since the beginnin' of time!

    Imaginary Jesus: Doesn't love the stoners

    Imaginary Jesus: Because imaginary friends are for the unstable adults too!

    Imaginary Jesus: "Look! I made a table!"...carpenter...

    Imaginary Jesus: So adjective he verbs nouns

    Imaginary Jesus: Brought to you by Myspace and YouTube! World leaders in sucking out your brains!

  37. Imaginary Jesus: Conterfeit Faith
    Imaginary Jesus: Genuine Faith
    Imaginary Jesus: The Authoritative Guide
    Imaginary Jesus: Clandestine Messiah
    Imaginary Jesus: The Messiah Scandal

  38. Anonymous7:20 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Pseudolord or pseudonym

  39. Anonymous8:28 PM

    Kaityn has some great ones, but here are a few more:

    Imaginary Jesus: Exercising the right to Exorcise
    Imaginary Jesus: Was he under the sofa the whole time?
    Imaginary Jesus:He's everywhere
    Imaginary Jesus: Slippery when wet (I don't know where that came from)
    Imaginary Jesus: How much caffeine did I really drink?
    Imaginary Jesus: Now that I found Him, what do I do?
    Imaginary Jesus: Someone has to save the world
    Imaginary Jesus: A tale of Love, God, and Literary License
    Imaginary Jesus: If God is an Imposter, who will save us?
    Imaginary Jesus: What if on the seventh day God blacked out?

    This was fun! The book sounds fun.


  40. Imaginary Jesus: The Imperfect Truth

    Imaginary Jesus: Truth, Lies, and Gray Matter

    Imaginary Jesus: Lies and Revelations

    Imaginary Jesus: Lifting the Scales (as in Saul/Paul)

    Imaginary Jesus: Truth Is Not(italicized) Relative

    Imaginary Jesus: Seeking Truth and Abandoning Intellect

    Imaginary Jesus: The Relationship Revealed

    Imaginary Jesus: The Way Home

    Imaginary Jesus: Finding a Father in a Fallen World

    Imaginary Jesus: Dismantling the "Truth"
    (As in Separation from Christ/God)

    Imaginary Jesus: Revealing the Lies in Truth

    Imaginary Jesus: Redeemer Revealed

    Imaginary Jesus: Desperately Seeking The Savior

    Imaginary Jesus: The Truth about Blind Faith, Becoming a Child, and Matt's Other Miraculous Adventures

    Imaginary Jesus: Sayonara Status Quo

    And, for the record... I really like the flannel board one just before mine also. =)

    Contact Info: My name is Jaton L.

  41. oh. the flannel board one is the first one posted. for some reason i thought that the last posted was at the top... not the first posted. apologies. but, i do like it. =)

    Good luck in your adventure. I will keep you and your cause in prayer.

  42. Anonymous10:57 AM

    ...they seek Him here, they seek Him there
    ...why imagine Him? Just believe.
    ...maybe dreams can come true.
    ...more than just a shadow
    ...can you see Him 'cos he can see you

  43. Anonymous2:54 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Jose needs a playmate

    Imaginary Jesus: Real Wars

    Imaginary Jesus: Mohammad Mirage

    Imaginary Jesus: Sex Toys by Mary

  44. The Real Jesus: The Goly Hoax

  45. Anonymous4:38 PM

    From ctm:
    Imaginary Jesus: Real Jesuses Don't Run

    Imaginary Jesus: One more makes a trinity

    Imaginary Jesus: What the Chr!st is going on?

    Imaginary Jesus: Three days dead and counting

    Imaginary Jesus: Born in the USA

    Imaginary Jesus: As real as it gets

    Imaginary Jesus: When only the best will do

    Imaginary Jesus: Because the real guy is on his lunch break

    Imaginary Jesus: Or real, whichever you prefer

    Imaginary Jesus: They don't make 'em like they used to

  46. Seeing as you don't say what the book is about, creating a tag line is difficult. But here goes...

    Imaginary Jesus: You mean he wasn't imaginary to start with?

    If you want to find Jesus, he's hiding under your bed... waiting for you to fall asleep... and then he's going to crawl out... Booga! Booga!

    Imaginary Jesus: This time it's personal.

    Before I sleep, this I pray, Jesus please just stay away.

    With Imaginary Jesus turning tap water into sweet, sweet wine, you'll never say "beer run" again.

  47. Anonymous1:39 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Is it all in my head?

    Imaginary Jesus: Lifting the veil of faith

  48. koleac@yahoo.com5:18 PM

    Imaginary Jesus: Now you see him... Now you don't...

  49. Imaginary Jesus: Who Says You Have to Outgrow Your Invisible Friends?

  50. A. Jesus that scared the Bejesus out of me

  51. Anonymous9:58 AM

    Imaginary Jesus: Oly $19.99! And if You Order in The Next Ten Minutes We'll Include Imitation Satan as Our Free Gift To You!

  52. What is the book even about? What is your direction with it? For instance, if its a reference book looking for evidence of Christ's existence, go with something like:

    Imaginary Jesus: In Pursuit of the God Who Wasn't There.

    Or if it's more like a satire or comedic thing:

    Imaginary Jesus: How a Jewish security blanket changed the world.

    It's hard since I know nothing about the book, much less have read any of it, but hopefully you can get something from the suggestions.

    Imaginary Jesus: A Closer Look Into The Life That Was Never Lived

  53. Imaginary Jesus: Santa Claus for Adults

    --Craig Duckett

  54. Jesus is the Reasoning for the Seasoning.