"Choices, a Teen Woman's Journal for Self-Awareness and Personal Planning" was a hot seller but it could not be used in schools unless there was a version for the boys. So the authors wrote a masculine edition. Working titles ranged from "Choices II," to "Choices Too," and even "Son of Choices." What sounded ridiculous or humorous in the beginning became familiar and sounded fairly good. Finally, the three female authors settled on "Changes" but found that men did not warm up to the proposed title. After discussions with a number of men, they agreed to change the title to "Challenges, a Teen Man's Journal for Self-Awareness and Personal Planning." Most men rise to challenges but do not like changes.
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Book Publishing Tips of the Day
Daily words of wisdom from Dan Poynter and other publishing industry experts. (Search on "tip" in archives for complete list.) - Today's Tip from Poynter: "Beware of Working Titles."
PUBLISHING TIP OF THE DAY"Beware of Working Titles."
Be careful what you make permanent.
Working titles are dangerous. They can become too familiar to us while being misleading or meaningless to potential customers.
A working title is for the manuscript, not necessarily for the book.
"Authors, as a rule, are poor judges of titles and often go for the cute or clever rather than the practical." -Nat Bodian, author, How to Choose a Winning Title.
(c) 2000 by Dan Poynter. For more tips and information on book writing, publishing and promoting, see the Para Publishing Web site.
MARKETING TIP OF THE DAY
THEME: COPYWRITING
Before a media contact will say "yes" the best publicists are asked "could you send me more information on that?" Don't forget. Media people are journalists. They are writers. The materials you send them had better be well-written. Here are a few . . .
Rules for Powerful Copywriting
Quit referring to your cover letter, and start calling it your sales letter - because that's truly what it is! Use emotion-provoking, convincing language, and make sure you ask for what you want - a review, a testimonial, to be featured as an expert, to be accepted for distribution, to be included in their catalog, etc.
(c) 2000 by Tami DePalma. For more tips and information about "Marketing with a Twist," visit the MarketAbility Web site. Don't your books deserve MAXIMUM EXPOSURE?