Under Contract
Above my desk:
Writing is easy… just a matter of staring at blank page until your forehead bleeds-- Gene Fowler.
Gene Fowler was a screenwriter during the Golden Era of Hollywood. Today, we’d have to modify his quote to read “staring at a blank screen.” But the idea is the same. We struggle as writers. The screen stays blank. We wish for blood. Worse yet, we have no one else to commiserate with except other writers (thank goodness for she writes). We obsess. I obsessed about the title for my debut novel and even changed it after it was sold to St. Martin’s Press.
My novel was originally titled: L.I.E.
If you are from New York or familiar with the highway system in the New York City area, you read this title one way. You read it:
L --I--E saying each letter separately and usually with emphasis for the period (or pounding your voice down, sing the hours spent on America’s longest parking lot). When talking about the roadway, you usually add “the” before it, and as I discovered, do it unconsciously even if it is not written in the title.
So, my novel was named L.I.E. , which stands for the Long Island Expressway, Interstate 495, which runs from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel in New York City seventy-one miles east onto the end of Long Island.
The novel is set on Long Island, inspired by real events, and has as its central conflict the decision of the main character, 17 year-old Skylar Thompson, to tell the truth – or lie – about the murder of a young man of color by two white teens. The expressway is a central image and metaphor in the book (the characters are always trying to escape, except they are driving east, the end of the island). I thought I was being clever naming my novel L.I.E.
However, I have a pesky little brother. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Upon hearing the title, he said, “What are you doing? Nobody outside New York will know what the hell you mean. And even if they do know it stands for the expressway, they’ll ask you why you are writing about a highway. Lose it.” Little brothers can be good for some things. I took a step back and realized that he was right.
Yet, I still wanted that double meaning there for people who did know that this was a reference to Long Island. My compromise was LIE— always written in all caps.
I shared this late-minute re-thinking with my editor. As a first-time novelist, I had no contractual control to mandate “all caps” for the title of my book, which is not at all unusual. Alert: most writers published by established presses do not have any control over their cover, especially first-time writers. Luckily, she agreed— and the final title reads: LIE.
Titles are hard. You want to capture the essence of your book. You want, even more, to grab the reader’s attention. Maybe you think of it on the bestseller list and notice most titles are short, not long. However, one title I love: “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” has always resonated with me. This seminal short story collection by Raymond Carver uses the unconventional “we” in the title, and yet, it makes me wonder if it’s about what I talk about when I talk about love. Most of all, when I read this collection, I love that it’s about we don’t talk as much as about what we do.
What do you think of titles? Hard? Easy? Do you have a favorite one? Do you have a work-in-progress title, which you’d like to share?
I’m looking forward to guest editing and blogging all week. Watch for a wide range of blog posts from – Astrology and the Writer: a special interview with Madame Lichtenstein, published author, and astrologist extraordinaire – to PR Punch -a mix of PR advice served up from a 20 year public relations veteran-- and more!
Truly,
Caroline
Caroline Bock is the author of the critically-acclaimed young adult novel, LIE, from St. Martin’s Press (September 2011). She is also an adjunct lecturer at The City College of New York in the English and Mass Communications department. Prior to teaching, she led the marketing and public relations departments at Bravo and The Independent Film Channel cable networks. And she had great fortune of studying creative writing with Raymond Carver at Syracuse University. More at www.carolinebock.com.
I've read that Roger Corman came up with the titles first, and then tried to make one of his weird movies to match them. I guess there is a certain kind of sense to that. With books on the shelves in a bookstore, all you see at first is the title, and sometimes the author. So you can't help but grab the book that says, "Having Sex with Bugs," or "You're Going to Die Before You Get Out of this Store."
I come up with titles all the time. Often it's an unusual phrase or sentence that someone says under circumstances that rarely occur. (When I heard myself calmly telling my dog "Don't eat the lizards' I just had to turn it into a short story title). I have a whole list of titles - they're the first place I go for inspiration when brainstorming a new story.
L.I.E.- I immediately got it. But then again I grew up off of exit 52.
I found it easy to write the titles (actually, headlines) for my newspaper columns but the title of a book is so much more daunting. It's like naming a child. One of my sons wasn't named for 2 days after his birth (and that involved a family vote). I have a title in mind for my memoir but it will surely change.
Laura -- hi! I had some experience producing trailers and commercials from my former career as head of marketing at The Independent Film Channel -- but I have a complicated novel -- LIE is a young adult work about a hate crime. Once I figured out that it should in the "voice" of my main protaganist - Skylar Thompson- (my novel has 10 distinct first person points of view) the concept came pretty quickly. The trailer script, which I wrote, become Skylar's conflict expressed in the trailer. Also, my audience/readership is most likely to be female so Skylar's voice made a lot of sense. In order to make it feel "real" and because the novel lends itself to an indie film sensibility -- and because it's cheap -- the director was able to shoot it with one camera, including the photo montage images, and edit it on her Apple computer! I think the challenge with trailers for books is breaking your story down into one conflict/one voice, or at least, that was mine. And I love being the first in your group!! FYI -- for anyone reading this my trailer is posted on you tube. Best, Caroline
Thank you for talking about titles. I have a difficult time coming up with good titles whether in my fiction or articles I write. I just stick with my working title until I either get inspired or an editor helps me. Maybe it's something I can ask readers to help with in future. Titles do matter in a bookshop, though if I have a favorite author & she comes out with a new book, I'd buy it even without a title!
A title is the torch that lights the way to see my fingers on the keyboard. The title of my novel, published last month, was not a real word until I coined it ten years ago. (Yes, it took that long to write the story.)
There are many reasons that Vagilantes – Pedophiles, be afraid. Very afraid. – is a perfect title. One reason is that it speaks to the fact that our society has not made great progress in stopping child sexual abuse. We need a new vision to solve this hideous problem. A new word/title catches attention, and hopefully will cause readers to explore the book and then talk about the issue.
I love my working title and hope that my agent and publisher, when I acquire them, love it too. My WIP memoir is titled, "Tell Me What He Did". The title has a double meaning, sort of like your LIE. It is a memoir of healing from abuse. When my father sexually abused me, my mom asked me each morning after a visit, "I heard him in your room last night, tell me what he did." I'd have to tell her the details. She wrote them in notebooks, filled up two. As I journey toward healing, exploring many spiritual paths (witchcraft, voodoo, ESP, and other occult groups), I end up in counseling with a wonderful pastor who introduces me to the healing of Jesus - so the title still fits - Tell me what He (Jesus) did.
How serendipitous (did I spell that correctly?) I'm working on a title for an anthology and have asked for help from writer friends. My personal favorite title of my own is Images in Scarlet, but I liked In The Mist with Confederate Soldiers by James Lee Burke, one of my favorite authors. His titles resonate with me, though most are long. He probably has enough pull to get to keep his titles. Mine were almost always changed, though I did get to keep a few.
Good blog, enjoyed it. Lived on Long Island for 8 years so immediately saw the Long Island Expressway when you wrote L.I.E. even before I read any farther.
I'm so glad your brought up the lack of control first-time authors have over the title and cover of their book. Most writers see the title as such an integral part of their work, that the idea it could be changed at the whim of marketing is a serious affront. But it's true. The marketing department wants the book to sell, and a strong title is a big part of that. I've seen many authors get a bad reputation because they insist on their original title.
The key to getting the title you want is not to convince the editor that your title is more relevant to the story, but to convince them that your title will sell more books. That's the bottom line. The publisher where I worked scoffed when the young author wanted to change the title of The Unauthorized Harry Potter Fan Book, until they heard that his suggestion was Harry Potter Should Have Died. It was a title marketing couldn't resist.
The title of my novel-in-progress is Dreaming of Eve. The book is about an artist who is obsessed with her recurring dreams about the garden of Eden. The lead character's name is Lyn and *SPOILERS* at some point she figures out that the dreams are two-way, i.e. that Eve dreams of her. The title is a clue, in that the Eve character goes by a different name, while Lyn is a shortened version of Evelyn. So I'm pretty attached to the title, because it is a big clue as to what comes later, in addition to describing the content.
@Virginia -- I love your blog! The recent post on shepherding "The Mothers' Group" to publication is wonderful. Thanks for sharing the post about titles. I want to read "500 Acres and No Place to Hide" now...
Well, I don't have a book. For now, I blog, which means I have to come up with a title to make people click every five days! Being of the creative humorous vein, it's usually not too hard for me. What's hard is brevity, because I am long-winded.
I do have a book in mind for the future. I've already started writing it and have the title and even the cover photograph idea done unless something drastic happens to change my mind. The book is about a period of time when I was doing a great deal of spiritual exploration and as a fairly new Christian, was intrigued by fasting. Food wasn't my problem, however. Pride in my appearance was. I fasted from wearing make-up and curling my hair for 40 days and actually made it all 40 days. The book will be called, "40 Days Without a Face." It will focus on how we perceive beauty, my difficult journey, the reactions to what I did, and the difficulty of understanding ourselves and our true inner beauty and accepting ourselves for who we really are. And of course I am a humor writer at heart, so it will involve humor.
Titles are so important! I get notifications for tons of blog postings every day. Unless I treasure the sender and know their work already, it's the title that makes me click or file thirteen.
I must confess I am attached to my working titles, however, I am more committted to getting my work into the hands of readers and will gratefully defer to more expereinced guides.
I enjoy coming up with titles and I have helped others brainstorm for something appropriate for their work. I prefer shorter titles, usually something one to three words. I've never had a publisher ask me to change a title (but I'm sure it could happen in future). My current WIP, a paranormal thriller, is called "Intangible".
Hi Caroline, thanks for sharing this excellent example of the challenges of getting the title right. It's a relief you didn't need to make a complete change to your great title. In my own work-in-progress the changing titles have reflected my own (mis)understanding of what my second book is all about. My first book's title came to me as a lightning flash. From my perspective as an editor and agent, I have some thoughts on titles - and subtitles - in memoir that I wrote in an older post on my blog: http:/
I had a title long before I had a book, or even a proposal -- Fast Times in Palestine. I like the way it resonates, the way it's an unexpected combination of a war zone and whimsical American pop culture, and the way that after you read the book, you understand why it was "fast times" -- the action, the learning curves, the adventure, the star-crossed romance, the danger, the head-spinning paradoxes and contradictions... it never let up during my entire year and a half in Palestine and Israel.
I self-published a year ago, had some good success, and just this month got a "real" publisher -- excited to take this to the next level, inshallah!
Great article. Thank you. (And dang them pesky little brothers, anyhow) I have recently finished or polished three novels. One is a thriller based on religious extremists, rich corporate heads, and violent racists taking over the country. Religious / political leaders plan to bring on the apocalypse only to find out they're on the wrong side. I call this one "The Soul of Hatred." - I have a reincarnation romance where in a couple has a long tragic history of him dying early and leaving her in grief. This time when he dies, she tries to follow him. From the other side, he must stop her. I call this one, "The Mourning After." I also have my memoirs based on a career in art and massage, wherein people (including celebrities) bare not just their bodies, but their souls. I call this one, "Entertaining Naked People."
Kristen... I agree with Laura... I wouldn't worry yet. If you an agent (or that may be your first stop) and if he or she is good at what they do -- they'll give you advice on the title. However, it could be an eye-catching title -- what's a "Muqin" will become part of the story behind the book. Stay with it!!
And Laura! I love THAT THING YOU DO!! I just hope I'm not a one-hit wonder!!
@Caroline: LOL! It reminds me of the movie, "That Thing You Do," where the band's name was the Oneders (as a play on Wonders), *no one* gets the joke and Tom Hanks is like, yeah, no, sorry. Tee-hee. I think you came up with a great solution.
@Kristen: I wouldn't worry yet. Keep the title you love, and then have a frank conversation with your publisher. My mom used to say, "Don't borrow trouble." It's always going to be something you don't expect that glitches anyway. For all you know, they might love the title and change your name! (J.K. Rowling, Toni Morrison...) :)