The BIG HOOK– before the hook.

Posted by Oct 18 2011, 12:01 am

What is the BIG hook?

Simple. A title.

Don’t believe me, read on.  A few months ago, in a reader forum, I started a discussion, asking the question ‘what first grabs your attention when searching for a book?’  My thread stayed on top for weeks as readers offered their opinions.  A great cover was the overwhelming answer with a catchy title running a close second. Behind them, they listed the back-cover blurb, the author’s name, reviews, and first pages.

When I threw shopping only in ‘the cyber-world’ into the mix, a catchy title was hands down, no-doubt-about-it number one. With like a thousand new books being introduced each month in cyber-book stores where readers tend to scroll through lists and the covers are sometimes not even displayed or seen still in black & white, your title becomes the hook that will make the buyer stop, read your blurb and check out your sample pages.

A great title also catches the eyes of agents and editors, so if you’re entering the Golden Heart, or not, you definitely want to have the most awesome title.

Most of us slap a working title on our WIP and hope we’ll have a revelation for a great one by the time we finish the book.  And then there are authors whose perfect title gets trashed by the publishing house because it doesn’t quite fit their vision.  And there are also authors whose muse takes a day off when it time to think up a title.

Every now and then (okay maybe once a month) on our private loop, one of the Ruby sisters cries title help. She shares a very short blurb—just enough to give us the gist of her book- and we bombard her with suggestions. Are we good at doing this? Look at our titles and you can be the judge.

Today only, if you’re having trouble thinking up a great title, the Rubies are willing to put on our thinking caps for you.  Post a short blurb and we’ll help you out.  Guests can offer a suggestion too. Let’s rock!

146 Comments

Comments

146 Responses to “The BIG HOOK– before the hook.”

  1. liz talley says:
    October 18, 2011 at 5:45 am

    Well, heck yeah! Guess whose editor sent her a request yesterday for titles for book three of The Boys of Bayou Bridge? Well, I’m thinking you can connect those dots and figure out it’s me. So, I’m loving this topic today.

    Here’s a small blurb:

    Louisiana biologist Renny Latioles finds more than her lost whooping crane when she heads north to Bayou Bridge -she finds the boy who broke her heart ten years before, leaving her to recover alone from a horrible car accident. Darby Dufrene is no longer that bourbon-toting, devil-may-care boy from Renny’s past. Recently separated from the Navy, he’s heading to Seattle to start a new life with a tax firm and a blonde. But first he needs a divorce…from Renny.

    Okay, that’s as short as I can make it. This series revolves around three brothers (who’ve recently found their long-lost sister) a prophecy from a mambo and their ancestral home of Beau Soleil – all situated in Cajun country on the Bayou Teche. The first book is called Waters Run Deep. Don’t know the second yet, though I really liked Under the Tiger Sky for it. Who knows what they’ll choose though.

    Okay, any ideas?

    Reply
  2. Laurie Kellogg says:
    October 18, 2011 at 9:07 am

    Great topic, Autumn! When I receive a packet of Golden Heart entries to judge, the first thing I do is scan the titles for the one that intrigues me the most.

    Reply
  3. Elisa Beatty says:
    October 18, 2011 at 9:18 am

    Great topic, Autumn! I’ve got to get my CP over here today…she’s been in title agony for awhile!!

    Reply
  4. Darynda Jones says:
    October 18, 2011 at 10:25 am

    Oh my gosh, me too!!! My editor and I talked titles yesterday and we are going with one offered to me by Jacquelyn Frank, FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET. (Thanks, Jackie!!!) I swear, I rarely come up with my own titles anymore. Other people have SUCH better ideas. LOL.

    Great topic, Autumn!!!

    Reply
  5. Eileen Emerson says:
    October 18, 2011 at 10:58 am

    Yes, yes yes! I’m in agony over titles!

    My current WIP is a straightforward “marriage of convenience” story (Regency.)

    The Earl of Moberly’s harsh and demanding father died when Dylan was very young, leaving him with an awful mother and the orphaned daughter of a family friend. Through their years growing up together, Dylan falls irrevocably in love with her, though she hates him and anything she’s sees as trying to control her. When, at age twenty, she courts a serious scandal trying to right a wrong, Dylan offers her a marriage of convenience to clear her name, and a Welsh castle she can make into a home of her own. But, when he accompanies her to Llangollen, he finds the castle almost unlivable and the townspeople acting strangely. A sudden snowstorm traps them together, and, as they work together on the plans for the castle’s restoration, they have to figure out its significance the Welsh that they’d be willing to kill any Englishman who tried to inhabit it.

    I jokingly referred to it as “Mi castle es su castle” for a long time… but… well… that won’t work.

    For now, it’s “The Unloved Earl” but I want to add an element of the heroine — something like “Falling for an Unloved Earl”… but that doesn’t sing for me either.

    Help!

    (This is part of a series. And right now, one of those books is “Tempting a Tempestuous Miss” and the other is my true problem child that I’ll post about in a moment.)

    Reply
    • Autumn Jordon says:
      October 18, 2011 at 11:08 am

      Thanks for stopping by, Eileen. I hope we can help you as much as you helped us seeing our themes during Amanda’s post.

      Here are my sorry first thoughts

      Killing An Unloved Earl With Love

      To Love An Earl, Or Not.

      Our Castle

      Reply
    • Rita Henuber says:
      October 18, 2011 at 12:04 pm

      Tell me in 10 words what this story is about. the high points. what one thing connects this story to the others in the series

      Reply
    • Vivi Andrews says:
      October 18, 2011 at 12:17 pm

      Courting Scandal
      The Earl Who Loved Me
      Extreme Makeover: Castle Edition (just kidding)

      Reply
    • Darynda Jones says:
      October 18, 2011 at 12:24 pm

      What a great premise, Eileen!

      I’m not crazy about anything with “unloved earl” in it. It makes him sound needy to me. But you could make it cuter like:

      ULOVED AND UNMATCHED
      AN EARL UNLOVED

      Or something like that.

      Reply
    • Anne Marie Becker says:
      October 18, 2011 at 12:51 pm

      Restoring the Earl

      Storming the Castle (had to throw that in! A little Princess Bride today anyone? LOL)

      Winning a Winsome Lady (trying to play off the title of the other one in the series… Hmmm…)

      Reply
      • Eileen Emerson says:
        October 18, 2011 at 1:15 pm

        Going with the flow of the title I *do* like in this series:

        Tempting a Tempestuous Miss
        Unbending an Unloved Earl… urgh.. not a fav.
        But something with “____ an ____ Earl” is where I’m headed.

        He’s rather cold and distant with people (as a reaction to his upbringing.) The heroine is a spit fire and very hot-headed. At one point he’s stuck in the snow and almost dies and she has to thaw him out. So could I play on that? (And still stay with the “___ an ___ Earl” cadence)

        Reply
    • Anna says:
      October 18, 2011 at 1:05 pm

      This is fun. Titles are so hard.

      Okay, so I have some suggestions for Eileen.

      Castle of my Heart

      Bride of Scandal (which can’t possibly be the least bit original, but I thought I’d toss it out there to see if it sparks something for someone else).

      The Earl’s Heart Laid Bare — double entendre on “laid,” but only if I spelled it correctly and didn’t get my homophones confused (again).

      Reply
      • Autumn Jordon says:
        October 18, 2011 at 1:15 pm

        Thanks for helping, Anna. I’m going to twist yours and you tell me what you think.

        Castle For my Heart

        Reply
        • Anna says:
          October 18, 2011 at 1:25 pm

          Hmm… I like my best, but I guess it depends where you are going with castle. I like “of” if you want to play with the castle representing his heart, which I really like in my original title suggestion. Even if the castle turns out to be evil, if it’s brought the hero and heroine together, it’s lead the hero to his heart. The “for” works, I think, if there is a plot point in the story where the castle becomes for the heroine, who represents the hero’s heart.

          What do you think?

          Reply
          • Autumn Jordon says:
            October 18, 2011 at 1:31 pm

            One little word holds so much meaning. Making the decision is going to have to be the author’s as she knows her story better than anyone.

            However, we can root for each other’s suggestion or our own. WINK Don’t let the other Rubies know. LOL

            This is fun, isn’t it.

          • Anna says:
            October 18, 2011 at 1:34 pm

            Oh, well, yes, of course it would be the author’s decision. It’s nice to get the title juices flowing because it’s so dashed difficult. Write a 100K MS? Sure! Bring it! Write a one to five word title? AGONY!!! Almost as hard as writing a pitch.

          • Eileen Emerson says:
            October 18, 2011 at 1:49 pm

            The Welsh townfolk think the castle holds proof of King Arthur’s existence (hidden in the walls — and it’s why they obstruct any attempts to rebuild the castle ruins until they find it.) A Welsh harp is involved in the story too.

          • Autumn Jordon says:
            October 18, 2011 at 1:57 pm

            Okay, Eileen. How much for a pre-pubbed copy? I envy your cps.

          • Gwynlyn MacKenzie says:
            October 18, 2011 at 2:10 pm

            Well, the bit about the castle does make a difference, and since I’m neck-deep in Arthurian legend, I find it intriguing. To Enthrall an Errant Earl. And the harp? Nice touch. So many elements. . .

    • Rita Henuber says:
      October 18, 2011 at 1:18 pm

      Castle in the Wind???

      Reply
    • Greta says:
      October 18, 2011 at 1:23 pm

      What does “Llangollen” mean? I know “gollen” is hazel. Can you try a title that uses the meaning of the castle’s name?

      Reply
    • Carol Burnside/Annie Rayburn says:
      October 18, 2011 at 5:00 pm

      Her Unloved Earl
      Her Unlovable Earl

      Reply
  6. Liz Selvig says:
    October 18, 2011 at 11:50 am

    Hi Rubies! Hi Autumn!!!
    My heart started leaping when I saw your topic today. I’m in the same boat as Liz T., Darynda and Eileen. My editor just asked for title ideas for my book, currently titled “Songbird” so they can start cover work. I’m HORRID with titles unless they pop out at me right off the bat. If anyone has brainstorms I’m humbly grateful to accept.

    Mini-synopis: Gray Covey is a rock superstar. Abby Stadtler is the single mom of a 15-year-old daughter, struggling on a 20-acre horse farm in southern Minnesota. When Gray tracks his runaway teenage son to Abby’s place, sparks fly everywhere–between father and son, teens and parents, Gray and his ex and, of course, in the biggest way, Abby and Gray. If they can sort out all the emotions, their story could be a dream come true except, when it comes down to it, Abby wants no part of the glamorous life Gray lives. True love has its work cut out for it.

    So–the one title suggested by my editor was “The Rancher and the Rock Star.” I have very mixed feeling about that–mostly because it a) sort of promises a western; b) promises a series-length read; c) isn’t about a rancher.

    My suggestion was “Rock and Roll Heart” (from an old Eric Clapton song) but the editor is wanting “romancy and in your face” and, I suspect, an element that will bring in the horse/ranch-loving crossover. Help! Any thoughts? Thanks Rubies–you, um, ROCK!

    Reply
  7. Leslie Karen Witwer says:
    October 18, 2011 at 12:27 pm

    Ah, you lovelies! I feel the same about titles: they have to grab you. So as I’ve busy polishing my Western Steampunk for the GH I’ve realized I loathe my title: STEEL PETTICOATS AND LEAD.

    The storyline is Cowboys and Aliens meets Bladerunner. The historical turning point is an interruption of the Civil War by invaders with their cache of gadgetry.

    Bounty hunter, Verona Bend, has been sent by the Resistance movement to the western provinces to find Jack Dugan, the only man who ever escaped the invaders experimentation, but what she isn’t armed with is the truth. Her past is fabricated. The invaders have discovered a way to implant controlling devices and use them in her to regain Dugan’s stolen gadgetry.

    Dugan was caged once. He won’t let it happen again. When Verona tracks him to a remote provincial town, he discovers her underlying purpose. To be as inhumane as the invaders is not an option he’d willingly take, but he is running out of choices. Ruthlessness fits poorly but the cage fits worse.

    Now Dugan has to overcome his misgivings in controlling a person in the same manner he was used while coming to appreciate that she is stronger than her missing identity. Verona has to trust the man who is her only hope of recovery while struggling against deeper feelings as they plot to strike against the invaders.

    Sorry for the length but I struggle with brevity as well ;)

    Reply
  8. Cynthia Justlin says:
    October 18, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    I think I’m just going to have Vivi come up with all my titles from now on! Vivi, do you want to open a title business? LOL. You could totally cash in. ;)

    Reply
  9. Autumn Jordon says:
    October 18, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    I truly hope we see some of these titles on the Golden Heart roll this coming March.

    Reply
  10. Eileen Emerson says:
    October 18, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    Okay… my “toughie” is the one that has been doing fabulously on the contest circuit since last year, despite the current title of A WHISPER TO THE WILD. It’s part of the series I spoke of earlier, and, for a Regency, has a bizarre premise:

    Anne Barrett is very good at keeping secrets. So good that not even the man who adopted her the night she survived a murder attempt knows her real name, or her aristocratic background. But her most deeply-held secret, the one that could get her sent to the madhouse, is that her dog has the astounding ability to make his thoughts known to her through mental images that give her insight into the emotional lives of the horses she works to heal.

    The hero is an impoverished baron with a grandmother who insists he reestablish her once-thriving horse farm in exchange for her fortone. One problem: a childhood trauma he does not remember has left him with a deep fear of horses.

    And… there you go.
    Help!

    Reply
  11. Autumn Jordon says:
    October 18, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    If you’re just stopping by and need help, we are here. We do not close down at five. Post your blurb and cry help.

    Reply
  12. Nancy Holland says:
    October 18, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    Don’t know if any of you are still up, but if you are, I could sure use some help. The blurb:

    Boston businessman Morgan Danby has reluctantly promised his stepmother he’ll find the grandchild her son Charlie might have left behind when he was sent to prison for murder. Morgan finally traces the woman Charlie killed to Los Angeles lawyer Hilary Walker, who is determined to protect the child she is raising as her own from Charlie’s toxic family.

    It started out as “Whose Child is This?” (too Christmas-y) and is on the contest circuit as “All the Law Allows”, but neither of those really do it for me. Any idea?

    Reply

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