Comments on: A Rose By Any Other Name …

By: Alain

Alain — Sat, 01 May 2010 07:23:44 +0000

The cover and the title – thanks, everyone for your comments. Your overwhelming advice? Don’t mention Hezbollah. Make it clearer the book is about relationships.

OK. Advice taken. I’m working on it now. Stand by for an update in a few days.

By: Carlyle Clark

Carlyle Clark — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:54:42 +0000

I think putting in a cover that shows it is a relationship oriented book, and then riff on the fact of something about this is about the nature of relationships in a war-torn region. Now that I think about it, I don’t know anyone including myself who would look at that title and that cover and think it was a story about a man with a broken heart. I also wouldn’t mention in the blurb that he’s self-centered unless you also imply that a particular woman changes all that. Still reading and enjoying it, Alan!

By: Lua

Lua — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:31:30 +0000

Ah Master Shakespeare- you ignorant, romantic poet, look what have you made us believe!
Ok, confession time, the title is very important. The title+ the cover and a simple summery of what the story is about is what gets us to buy books if they are not recommended by a friend. But I have to say, I really liked The Lebanese Troubles and IMO, putting the Hezbollah there would have not drawn my attention to the book if not the opposite…

By: David Hunter

David Hunter — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:25:39 +0000

Call it Lebanese Troubles and put a picture of Monique on the front in her freedom fighter kit. That gets both women and men noticing it. Put a tagline on the cover too under the title, something that plays up the troubled relationship angle

By: Corra McFeydon

Corra McFeydon — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:59:40 +0000

For the cover -

What about a silhouette of a man as seen from the side? Just a flat geometric shape, black against a neutral background color.

I’m suggesting this because in e-books, I recall you saying that simple, graphic design works better than intricate paintings? A silhouette leaves the man’s story, race, age, etc open to the reader’s imagination. Is he a soldier? Is he a farmer? Buy the book and find out!

Hezbollah? Not Hezbollah? This in no way attracts me to the book. Don’t tell me what it isn’t; tell me what it is. (IMO.)

I like Greta’s suggestion to put the novel out twice and see how it works in the market, separate from The Lebanese Troubles.

Titles:

I pulled this from your Big Writer summary: A Story in a War. Simple, honest, to-the-point, and it leaves the background open to interpretation.

Only ideas…

By: Sue Hall

Sue Hall — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:12:30 +0000

Putting Hezbollah in the title would definitely kill any interest I ever had in the book. I have no idea what to call it though. Maybe there ought to be a discussion thread on tnbw called “Help Me Name My Book.” I agree that name is very important. My original title turned a lot of people off: “Agony & Ecstasy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.” Who wants to read about agony where babies are involved? Many people reported it sounded “just too sad” without even trying it. I’m working on a new title that will probably go the other direction and include “compassion” in it somewhere…

About your cover picture: I like the piece of artwork but I think the reader maybe feels a little lost looking into the destroyed buildings. It’s a bit of a downer, just thinking how places get bombed out in war. I do like the idea of focusing on the relationship troubles both in the title and picture. That said, I don’t have a good sense of how to translate that into a cover. I looked at a link about the ten best cover designs of the past couple of years and even though supposedly I should be good at recognizing patterns, I couldn’t make heads or tails as far as what constituted a cover that would draw readers in. I don’t have that gene.

The point of your post is that title and cover are crucial. With that I wholeheartedly agree, but that doesn’t mean I’m any closer to knowing how to do it (obviously through no fault of your post, I’m just confessing my ignorance!).

By: Greta Stone

Greta Stone — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:25:36 +0000

hahaha Are you quite finished now? May I step in? Or are you and your alter ego still talking?

Title IS everything. I mentioned the same to you very early on when I started reading your story. I still believe your title and your image doesn’t do justice to the story. Honestly, I think your target market is middle-aged women. What makes them pick up a book? Pretty pictures and intriguing titles.

Try this…
Leave your book as it is everywhere. Don’t change a thing. In addition, drastically change your title to appeal to middle-aged women and redo your cover with either an attractive person or a pretty scene. Just see what happens. Make it a joke if you want to… appease Dave and his “sultry woman” obsession (which reall attracts women as much as it does men), come up with the silliest, most feminine title you can think of …and just post it. You may be surprised. Shocked even.