12 September 2011

Guest Blogger Heather Thurmeier!

Happy Monday, folks! I have Heather Thurmeier as a guest today, and she has an excellent blog about titling a book. Enjoy, and thanks for dropping by, Heather!


Who cares what the title is as long as the book is good, right?

Wrong.

Titles are incredibly important. They immediately tell us something about the book we’re about to submit to publishers, about to read—or about to buy. Admit it, you’ve passed over a book in the store or online because at first glance, the title didn’t reach out and grab you. I know I have.

When I first wrote LOVE AND LATTES, I really struggled with the title. I did all kinds of brainstorming for the perfect title as I wrote it, but there was never one that really got me excited. Finally, I settled on Chasing Julia. My hero is Chase and my heroine is Julia. I thought it was a perfect play on words and it was memorable. But as I finished the book, I just couldn’t bring myself to send it out as it was. The title didn’t fit and I knew if I sent it out to publishers with that title, they would have the wrong impression of the book before they ever read it.

What does the title Chasing Julia conjurer in your mind? A romantic suspense? A mystery with lots of clues and red herrings? My book is a funny, contemporary romance set mostly in a bookstore. Didn’t get that from the original title though, did you?

So I went back to brainstorming. I wanted something fun, flirty, and romantic. I wanted a title that captured a moment from the book—a title that captured the tone and voice. Then I came up with LOVE AND LATTES and I knew I had a great title. It just felt right.  *Happy sigh*

Finally, I had a title that actually represented the book. SQUEE!

If you’re having trouble coming up with a title before you write or while you are writing your book, by all means, don’t let that keep you from putting your words on the page. Keep writing and the title will work itself out later. You can always have a working title while you write the book. I think sometimes you don’t even know what your book is really about until you finish it. So it may be impossible to come up with the perfect title until the book has been completed. If you’re still struggling with a title after you type The End and brainstorming isn’t working, ask a fellow writer, friend, spouse, whoever will listen for some suggestions. Give them the list of your brainstormed titles and see what they think. Do they like a title that you’re still unsure about? Do any of the titles make them want to read the book? Do they have any other title ideas based on your brainstorming session?

If all else fails and you still don’t have a title, don’t stress. Pick the best one you can from your list of options and send it out. Maybe that agent/editor who loves your story will have the perfect title for you.

Thank you, Lindsay, for having me on your blog today to help celebrate my debut release!

Love And Lattes:

Chase Bloom wants the one thing his wealth can't buy--a woman who loves him for who he really is and not just his money. Not only is Julia Walker beautiful, funny, and so incredibly sexy, she's also the first girl who doesn't seem to know who Chase is. Finally, after two years of playing the field Chase gets a chance to date a girl who's interested in him, not his status. As Julia waits at the bar in one of the local clubs, she wonders how much more cleavage she'll have to show to be granted a drink by a bartender with blinders on. Just when she thinks she's bound to die of thirst, the man of her dreams steps up to the bar and into her heart with a frosty Cosmo. Their casual encounter at the bar quickly escalates into an intimate encounter in the bedroom.

When Julia runs into Chase on her first day of work she's excited to finally see him again—until she learns he's her new boss. Now Julia must stop fantasizing about him even though her mind is constantly remembering his hands on her body, his lips on her eager flesh. But her fantasies fizzle when both Julia's first customer and her new manager threaten her to stay away from the boss. Chase is a player and Julia is his new toy. Should Julia heed the threats about Chase or is a chance to fall in love worth the risk?


Available Now!

And you can find Heather at:


heatherthurmeier@gmail.com
Facebook: Heather Thurmeier, author
Twitter: @hthurmeier


3 comments:

Heather Thurmeier said...

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Lindsay!!

Shoshanna Evers said...

Such a good point, Heather! Titles have an important job. I tend to be very "on the nose" with my titles, basically saying: "Hey, what you see is what you get" LOL

You made a great choice with Love and Lattes as a title. I loved your book, btw, and I can recommend it to anyone who likes romance with a humorous voice!

Liz said...

Love the title.

The title is the easiest thing for me - it's everything else that come after... lol