...IT'S ALL IN A NAME

...how do you give up your baby? I just spent a very painful week trying to come up with a new name for my book. The old name has been with me for so long, it is very hard to give up. I knew when I signed the contract in January that this day would be coming. My editor told me they wanted to change the name even back them. So we are now at the cover design stage and the name must be chosen.

I presented my argument to my editor as to why I love the name and how fitting it is to my story. She presented a very fitting argument back and in the end I bowed to her publishing and marketing expertise. I've come to the conclusion that my title is great for a non-fiction self-help book, but it does not fit with the entertainment value of the story.  It is, after all, a fiction story that entertains.

All of this brought me to realize how important the cover and the title are. No matter how good the pages inside are, the cover design and title do sell the book, in my opinion. I'm ashamed to say, I choose a book by it's cover. I gravitate towards names that catch my attention and rich, vibrant colours that I love. I may have missed reading some great books because of this, but being a writer is like being an artist. We are creative and we paint the story on the pages, so the title and cover need to paint a story as well.

In spite of the pain of leaving my comfort zone and giving up what feels like an old friend, the process has been fun and a learning experience. I'm not going to tell you the new name just yet, as I have it down to two and the final decision has not been made. I'm letting it gel and soon will take a deep breath and choose.

Until then, keep on keeping on writing.