“Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”
Charles Bukowski.
I got lucky this week and got offered my second book contract this year. I was overjoyed until I realized the new contract came with one sticky little caveat. Management thought the working title of my book was not sexy or evocative enough. My title got the boot. My editor hinted that as soon I gave her a good title she would give me a contract.
I like a challenge. I loved the title I had but I also understood management’s decision. I jumped right in and wrote eight new titles and sent them back within half an hour.
“No” to all of them.
I wrote eight more titles.
Nope, I’m off track and not only that I’m in the forbidden word zone. I can’t use any of the words I want to use because those words are saved for authors writing in other genres. Those lucky bastards, I just hope they appreciate their free flowing hearts, clash, captive, slave, Master, secret, agreement, bonds…
Okay, I wrote eight more titles working under a different concept.
“No, the story’s a historical, you should choose something historical and descriptive but don’t use forbidden words that actually describe the situation. Make it sexy but don’t use the sexy words you’re not allowed to use. Those are for somebody else to use-not you.”
But it’s a culture clash story between a Celtic slave and a Roman Magistrate…
“No, don’t mention slave that’s for BDSM only. If you mention Celtic you’ll get a Celtic cover. You don’t want that. This is a Roman story…”
I just kept trying. My editor and I exchanged eight emails that day each chock full of new titles. Management wasn’t buy’n what I was sell’n. We finally got a title we could all live with but it was trial by committee.
Am I happy with the title? I’m happy with the book contract and the opportunity to learn the ropes on a historical. I’m also very grateful to my patient, helpful editor.
Has anyone else struggled with a title like this? I’d love to hear about it.
XXOO Katalina Leon
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Sounds like a frustrating experience. I've never gone through that! Lucky me so far!
ReplyDeleteKat, congrats on the new contract!! I've had one title changing experience which doesn't begin to compare to yours! Ageless Desires was not the original title. I was told that the one I submitted it under was too close to one by another author. It took hubby and I days to come up with alternatives. It was incredibly hard because that story had been in my head for years under the old title!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Julia and Tessie. I try not to be married to my titles because I know title changes are common I just didn't know how challenging it could be on short notice.
ReplyDeleteXXOO Kat
I hope you kept a note of all your suggestions - maybe you could use one or two of them further down the road? I think I'd find that a very difficult excercise because, as Tessie said, the story belongs to a particular title so the mind refuses to come up with adequate alternatives. Best to be Zen about it I think.
ReplyDeleteNormally, I find my title as I write. I write a sentence that is catchy,and I go "Wow...TITLE RIGHT THERE!"
ReplyDeleteOnly had a title issue once...and ended with one we settled on. Not my hopeful choice, but accepted it. I feel kinda lucky though...some people never get to have the titles they want!
ReplyDelete