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.
Available Now!
And you can find Heather at:
heatherthurmeier@gmail.com
Facebook:
Heather Thurmeier, author
Twitter:
@hthurmeier
3 comments:
Thank you for having me on your blog today, Lindsay!!
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!
Love the title.
The title is the easiest thing for me - it's everything else that come after... lol
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