Tag: marketing

How Storytelling Applies to Other Types of Writing

Quan

If you have been reading my blog regularly, you know that my main focus has been on improving as a storyteller. But also if you’ve read my author interviews, you would see that many of the authors I have interviewed wrote nonfiction books. There is much more to writing than just writing fiction. There are nonfiction writers, marketing writers, journalists, technical writers, essayists, and a plethora of other forms of writing that people engage in.

But I maintain that storytelling can be, and often is, a crucial aspect in all forms of writing, above and beyond just fiction.

Storytelling makes any writing more engaging

Anyone that has read a textbook for class or research knows that a lot of writing can be dry and uninteresting. It is a reason why a lot of people dread reading. A good story takes the reader on a journey where they follow how everything progresses over time. The way you write your piece can take your readers on that journey. The reader in now invested in the narrative you are presenting, and wondering how, or even if, the subject you are presenting can solve the problem you have created. Now your reader wants to know more about the subject you are writing about. They want to know the details because each detail you present could be part of the solution to the problem, or even present more problems that need to be resolved. It’s human nature: if you witness something begin that catches your attention, you will naturally want to see it through to its completion. You can use that to your advantage.

Benefits of adding a storytelling element to your writing

Making your writing piece into a story helps make your point more digestible. Your writing is no longer just a stream of facts statistics and ideas. There is a definitive, driving point to what you have written, and all of your supporting information now has a clear direction it is pointing in. If you are marketing, or writing to sell something, telling a story help the reader envision themselves in the situation where your product or service would be beneficial. That way they can better visualize the benefit your service or product will bring to them.

Creating a narrative.

The classic 3-act structure can be used in any setting. Simply, put, act one presents a problem, act two is the process of trying to solve the problem, and act there is the resolution of the problem. So now the question becomes how to compile your writings to fit this structure. Here is a simple, three-step way to do hat.

1. Find The Problem

Whatever you are writing about, whether it be advice you are giving, a product or service you are trying to promote, a theory you are trying to explain, or an explanation of how something works, it is in response to something that created a need for what you are writing about. Start by pinpointing where exactly that need was generated. This is the beginning of your story.

2. Find The Solution

Whatever conclusion you were going o write about, whether it actually solves your problem or not, is your solution in this context. It is the end of your story and the resolution for what you are setting up.

3. Find The Process

Now you have to figure out how to get from the genesis of your problem to its resolution. This is where all of your data, or historical references, or your selling points come into play. You actually have some creative liberty here with how you present the details, you can show how each of your points responds to different aspects of the problem. You could show how your solution initially responds to the problem, how the problem reacts (or present counter-arguments to your solutions), and how the solution responds to those responses, or a number of other ways of presenting the information. The most important thing is to show a progression where the problem you have pinpointed is resolved over time. This is the journey that you are taking you reader on.

If you can mold your non-creative writing project into a story narrative, you will make your writing more engaging and appealing to the reader, and they will be much more comfortable with reading what you wrote completely from beginning to end. Give it a try and see what you come up with.

The Hidden Costs of Self-Publishing Your Book

Quan

I pay my bills as a freelance graphic & web designer, and many of my clients are authors looking to self-publish and promote their work. There is a lot of merit in that, especially if you are having a hard time finding an agent or publisher that will take an interest in your book. It is simpler and more cost-effective to self-publish than it ever has been before, and you have the advantage of not having to share any of your profits with a publisher or agent.
There is also a lot of work that goes into self-publishing. You’re responsible for literally everything, starting with the actual editing of your story. You’re going to have to get beta readers or hire a content editor to help you finetune your story into something publishable, and you will need a line editor to make sure your spelling and grammar are correct. And the work ramps up after you get your book to where you think you can publish it.

This was advice I gave to a client that was looking to make an illustrated Children’s book. so I’ve also added some of my rates (in case some of you might be interested in hiring me like she did…)
Okay. So you want to factor in how much it will cost to publish your book. Kindle direct can do it for free but they take their printing cost out of your sales. If you’re working on a children’s book, you need to factor in how many illustrations you need and whether they need to be in color or not. My base for an illustration is $100 per (My rates are pretty low compared to most of the industry).
Also you want to factor in actually formatting your book for publication, which I personally charge $200 for (with an additional $100 for creating your book cover).
And finally there is marketing and promotion, which scales depending on how much of it you want to do. You’re looking at creating websites, marketing collateral (flyers, posters, postcards, bookmarks, etc), merchandise (cafepress is a good free way to handle that), signage (for book signings and tradeshows), and digital marketing via email, social media and web advertising. You might want to look up the costs of those venues. Start with Google ads, Twitter ads, Facebook ads, Amazon ads, and mailchimp. or you could hire somebody to do all of that for you, which means you’ll have to get some rate quotes from marketing specialists.
You’re going to want to do some research into the type of markets that will actually buy your book, and depending on which resources you use, that might have a cost, too. And if you really want to do it big, You might need to look into how much it will cost to hire a publicist to officially spread the word about your book.
After you have a gist of how much that costs, then you have to look at how much capital you actually have to work with. How much can you actually, realistically allocate for all of this stuff? and will it be enough?

The good news is that once you have your budget, you can use crowd funding to raise the money you need to do what you want to do. I’d look up similar campaigns on kickstarter and indiegogo to see how others did it. If you have enough supporters (I didn’t for my crowdfunding campaign and it failed miserably), you can easily get the funds you need to make it happen. One of the many keys to having a successful crowdfunding campaign is having enticing enough rewards for your investors, and depending on what perks you offer, those can incur a cost, too.

Even with those costs, if you can generate enough support for your story, your book can still be profitable, especially if you can get a lot of good word of mouth about how good your book is. Check out the work of Renee Scattergood here. She is a successful self-publisher and an expert on book marketing.

Interview with Renee Scattergood

Quan

I owe much of the success of my sci-fi/horror book Godmode to book marketing guru Renee Scattergood. She offered a series of promotional programs that really allowed me to get some exposure for the book. But in addition to that, she is also a writer in her own right, with many dark fantasy books to her credit. Check out more about her at www.reneescattergood.com.

What inspires your writing?

I have a very overactive imagination. I get so many ideas for stories that I really don’t need any more inspiration! 

What is your process of developing characters?

I have a step by step process for developing the characters as well as the entire story. It’s 30 steps in all and the character development is Steps 1, 2, 4, and 10 (and there is a reason for breaking it up, but there’s too much detail to go into here). Basically it’s a process of answering specific questions that help develop the stories while developing the characters.

Did you start with a story outline or did you make it up as you went along?

I always plan and outline my stories.

How much research did you need for our story?

My story didn’t need much in the way of research, though I did use generators to help with names for characters, places, creatures, and objects.

Did you draw on personal experience?

The magic in the world is (loosely) based on shamanism. I studied shamanism for several years, so I used that experience to create the magic that exists in this world.

How did you publish?

I self-published.

Why did you do it that way?

I’ve always wanted to be self-published. I have an entrepreneurial spirit, so it was a natural step for me. I enjoy being in charge of all aspects of publishing my work.

Who did your cover and marketing?

My cover was done by Katie Jenkins at Magical Designs. I do my own marketing (marketing is my second love).

Did you use beta readers? How did you secure them?

Yes, I do use beta readers. For Shadow Stalker, I found most of my beta readers on Facebook. Now most of them come from readers of my newsletter.

What is your process for worldbuilding and developing backstory for your fantasy and sci-fi settings?

Most of the world-building takes place in step 21 of my writing process. I do the world-building after the first draft has been written by going back through the story and making notes about things that I need to expand on to bring the world to life. Then I add those things to my world-building files. World-building is generally an ongoing process for me, however, because I will keep adding stuff to my files as needed.

The backstory comes during the character development stage. The backstory is mainly based on the characters’ backgrounds and what was going on in the world around them. I only add or include a backstory if it’s central to the story.

How many revisions did it take to get a publishable book?

With Shadow Stalker, it took many revisions because I didn’t have my current writing process to fall back on. With my new writing process, I cut out a lot of the revisions by working out the kinks before I start writing.

What are some cost-effective strategies for cash-strapped authors to promote their books?

There are a lot of free options out there. I think the best things authors can do is have a presence on social media (for connecting to readers, not selling to them); a blog to build a presence on the internet; doing interviews (like this one), guest posts, and podcasts can also help increase your visibility; and most importantly, you need to have a mailing list so you can promote your new releases to your readers.

What are you writing now?

I’m working on several projects at the moment. I’m writing a novel series called, A God’s Deception. I’m also starting a new serial called Emergence (it’s a prequel to my Shadow Stalker serial), and I’m also working on a fantasy romance novel series under the pen name, Kahlan Richards. 

What is your advice to other writers?

There’s really so much advice and info out there for authors, but when it comes down to it not everything will work for you. Everyone is different, so focus on what works for you and don’t worry about the rest. And don’t be afraid to experiment with new ideas. Use your readers as a sounding board. They love feeling included in your process!

Be sure to check out one of her books here!

Interview with Todd Sullivan

Quan

I am always looking for new authors to interview. I enjoy picking their brain and gaining their insights into the processes of writing, publishing and marketing stories. Horror writer Todd Sullivan was one of the first to reach out to me about a possible interview. Check him out here.

What inspires your writing?

I’m inspired by the world around me. Most of my influences, I have direct contact with. I wrote about Korea because that’s where I lived for ten years. I’ll write about Taiwan as I continue to meet people and experience the culture of the country. If a reader was so inclined, they could read my fiction over the years and follow the progress of where I’ve lived over my lifespan. It’s all there, in the words, like a map.

What is your process of developing characters?

As my mastery of fiction craft has developed, my style of developing characters has changed. Like my inspiration, generally my main characters are based upon people I’ve met. But real life people are only the jumping off part. The characters themselves are not reflections of these individuals in the least.
In the past, I would write very short stories about characters as I was developing them. I picked up this technique from a university professor I met twenty years ago. It’s very useful and very effective, but lately, I’ve found that I don’t have to do that anymore. And when I say lately, I mean in the last year or so. I see fiction narratives in my head quite clearly now. Practicing the craft for my lifetime, I suppose, has given me this ability, as well as the ability to edit more in my head before I even put it on the page.

Did you start with a story outline or did you make it up as you went along?

I don’t outline, and I don’t ask any one I teach writing to to do so with their fiction. Just write the story. People can get caught up with outlining and never finish a story. Plus, that’s what editing is for, to give greater shape to the first pile of words you put down on the page.
One thing I would advise, and have done, if I feel like I’m getting stuck in a story, is to go ahead and write the ending. That way, you now have something to aim for, even if that ending changes as you get closer to it.

What researching methods did you use?

Part of the reason why I developed the practice of writing from direct experiences is because I hated researching when I was young. I didn’t have patience for it. Things have changed now, though. You can research a subject that you want to put in story by simply using the internet. Between google and YouTube, you can get a lot of good information on almost any topic known to man. Because of this, I’ve taken to researching quite a bit, which gives me a greater breadth of what I can include in my fiction.

Did you draw on personal experience?

I draw on my personal experiences, as well as the experiences of people I meet.

How did you publish?

BUTCHERS was published by Nightmare Press, and my fantasy novella, HOLLOW MEN, will be published by Mocha Memoirs Press.

Why did you do it that way?

For business ventures, I simply think it’s better to work as a group. Self-publishing limits your influence to only the people you meet. Publishing with a publisher, at the very least, doubles the reach of your writing.

How long did it take you to land representation?

I’m not represented by an agent.

Who did your cover and marketing?

Holly Wholahan did the cover for BUTCHERS, and Nightmare Press is doing a fantastic job of marketing.

What are some of the methods you have used to generate interest in your book?

Social media events, future book signings, interviews, book reviews.

How did you find a unique approach to familiar subjects like Vampires and the Occult?

BUTCHERS fuses the western vampire mythology to Korea culture to create a unique blend. I feel confident that I’ve written a unique spin on an undying narrative.

What aspect of the book writing process did you find the most challenging?

Finding time to write is challenging. I write every day, usually in the morning as soon as I wake up. I do feel that this is when my conscious mind most easily enters different realms. But usually, I only write about an hour a day, and that means my pace isn’t very fast for completing projects. Sometimes, however, when I suddenly have a lot of time on my hands, I finish projects at a much more heightened speed. I would love to get to a point where I can enter into a new reality for six months, then do nothing but write three months, then enter into another reality in search of new material for another half a year. That would probably be an ideal writer’s life for me.

Did you use beta readers? How did you secure them?

I’m very big on beta readers, and I pray that I never get to the point where I can’t have a variety of regular people reading my writing and giving me honest feedback. Granted, I would like to have a growing audience, but I still hope that I can always get regular readers to give their thoughts. It’s so much better than professionals only, who I feel can lose touch with what a general reader actually wants in their fiction.

How many revisions did it take to get a publishable book?

I wrote BUTCHERS over four months, but the idea started about five years previously. And I wrote my first vampire story as a child, of which BUTCHERS is its far distant descendant. Basically, I’ve been working on this vampire narrative for my lifetime, and BUTCHERS is only the first of many more to come.

What are you writing now?

I’m writing a fantasy novella tentatively titled DEARTH. It has a long road ahead of it until completion.

What is your advice to other writers?

Master the technique of writing a great first line.

Download your copy of Todd’s Novella BUTCHERS now!

Interview with Lisa Robbin

Quan

Lisa Robbin is one of many multi-talented classmates I had the pleasure of working with during my formative years. She is an accomplished singer, actress and author, and now works as a marketing coach for creative-types. One of these days I’d like to hire her myself to help me sell more books and get more people to read this blog. In the meantime, here are her thoughts on writing her two most recent books.

What inspired your book?

I have two books. This first (a business parable) was inspired by an encounter on an airplane. A woman told me I was going to write a book called “The Secret Watch” and by the end of the flight, I had the entire book outlined. My second book was the direct result of 20 years of working with creative entrepreneurs. It outlines my approach for helping creatives make good money doing what they love.

Did you start with an outline or did you make it up as you went along?

Both books started with an outline, though the second book had a much richer outline.

What researching methods did you use?

Google is my friend. For terms, definitions, and fact checking, I looked to the Internet for confirmation. For my second book, I also used personal interviews with experts and case studies from my clients.

Did you draw on personal experience?

My first book is less autobiographical, though it does draw on some personal situations that are more universal in appeal. The second book draws heavily on my own personal experiences as a business coach for creative entrepreneurs.

How did your publish?

I opted to self-publish both books. My brand is about not waiting to be picked, and the lead time for a high-quality, traditionally published book is easily a year or more. I didn’t want to wait that long to get my content to market, plus, I wanted to actually make some money on the book. New authors rarely get a large advance, and the royalty checks are a fraction of the cover price. Self-publishing gave me complete control over the entire process – and a larger share of the revenue.

Who did your cover and marketing?

I hired cover designers for both books, but when it comes to interior, I didn’t know what I didn’t know on the first book. I highly recommend Tracy Lay at DigivisualDesign.com for book cover (and interior layout). I did my own interior on the first book and it shows. My second book is SO much better because I hired a designer that does great work on the cover and the guts.

Because I am in the marketing business, I’ve done my own marketing, which has its pros and cons. Being so close to the work, it can be a challenge to promote the books frequently enough with my audience. And doing it myself means less reach. I built a street team to help me launch both books, but all ongoing marketing efforts are my own. And that’s something pretty common in publishing these days. IF you can get a publisher to pick up your book, they’re still going to expect you to help do some of the outreach and marketing.

How many revisions did it take to get a publishable book?

My first book had about 13 revisions, because I worked with a professional editor. My second book had 4 revisions before we went to press. Even still, I managed to find a couple of things to fix after publishing.

What is the ratio of time you spent researching to time you spent writing?

I write first (a LOT) and then research the points I’m making, so maybe 1 hour of research for every 10-12 hours of writing. But my books aren’t research-driven. I would expect a technical or historical book to require much more research time.

 How did you make time to write?

I have a saying: if it’s not scheduled, it’s stressful. I allotted twice as much time as I figured I’d need to write the books and put it in my calendar as writing time. If I don’t put it in my calendar, it simply doesn’t get done.

How does your published book enhance your other ventures?

My books are the foundation of my speaking and training platforms. I sell them at conferences and events, and use them as content for my courses. My first book also became the foundation for a new coaching card deck (merch) that I created.

What methods did you use to research for your book?

Interviews and google. I also developed an assessment that has been taken by thousands of people over the past 3 years. 

Who are the people that would benefit the most from reading your book, and how did you determine that?

My audience is creative entrepreneurs. Each book serves a different segment of that audience. The Secret Watch is more inspirational in nature, while Creative Freedom is a step-by-step how to for people serious about growing their creative career in a way that works for them.

How did you decide what order to present your topics in?

Narrative non-fiction lends itself to a classic storytelling flow, so for The Secret Watch I started with the conflict and unravelled the story to the resolution at the end. Creative Freedom, being a how-to book needed to start with some context before jumping into the nitty gritty. Then, it was a matter of taking readers through the same process I use with my clients.

How did you ensure that your advice, memories, and recollections were accurate?

Fact checking, looking back over recorded conversations, transcripts, and verifying the results of my clients for the past 20 years.

What would you like your readers to gain from reading your book?

All my books are written to inspire and encourage creatives to do what they most love and stay the course on their dreams… and hopefully make some good money in the process.

What are you writing now?

I’m currently working on the follow-up book to Creative Freedom which focuses on taking a creative from profitability into a six or seven figure career doing what they love.

What is your advice to other writers?

Write because you can’t NOT do it. Don’t write for the money. The money doesn’t usually come straight away…. at least, not from the book. It comes from the following you create and the Raving Fans that you develop as you write. Build relationships as you write, and don’t stop writing. Even when things seem hard or weird, make sure you take time to get at least a few word down. Those words add up to big ideas over time. 

And don’t try to do everything yourself. Don’t write in a vacuum. Talk to people you trust. Hire an editor or a designer. Pass off all the stuff that takes you out of your zone of genius as soon as practical. You may not be able to hire out everything, but do what you can to take the pressure off yourself to do everything to bring the book to market. Don’t be afraid to start smaller than you’d like, either. Most of us aren’t ready to win the Pulitzer Prize with our first book. That’s okay. Keep writing. Don’t stop writing.

Be sure to get your copy of Lisa’s book “Creative Freedom: How to Own Your Dreams Without Selling Your Soul: A guide to personal and financial success as a creative entrepreneur”now!

Spaceballs and the Power of Branding

Quan

I just picked up a few DVDs of classic movies I grew up on. I’ve been making an effort to grab these films, mostly for my own personal enjoyment, but also to share with my nieces and nephews. I’ve learned that a) many of these films are definitely not as tame and family-friendly as I remembered them to be – even with a PG rating, and b) lessons I learned from these movies shaped a lot of my life views and lifestyle. That’s a pretty powerful thing when you think about it.

For instance, I let some of the teenage boys at my old dayjob check out the classic space spoof SPACEBALLS, by Mel Brooks. The movie is still as fun and funny to watch today as it was when it was made back in 1987.  But one of the running jokes stuck with me in ways that only now do I understand its effect. Spaceballs had a subtle subtheme criticizing the voracious consumerism of moviegoers and sci-fi fans. Everything from the strategic name brand and product placement (we call it “Mr. Coffee,” sir) to the advent technology (We’re looking at NOW, now, sir) to even scenes of Rick Moranis’s Lord Dark Helmet playing with his official SPACEBALLS action figures spoke to fans of franchises like STAR WARS and STAR TREK and their incessant need to own a piece of the franchises they adore. One of the children at my job was an unrepentant Trekkie and Harry Potter fanatic, who jumped at every opportunity to add memorabilia and merchandise to his already massive collection or books, games, toys, movies, and random knick-knacks that tie into these franchises.

The point was driven home quite blatantly when Mel Brooks’s Yogurt character went on a diatribe explaining the power of merchandising, hocking everything from SPACEBALLS plates to SPACEBALLS talking dolls and everything in between. He even mentioned the possibility of a sequel (fittingly called SPACEBALLS: The Search For More Money). Once he opens your eyes to that aspect of the film, then you can’t not see all of the SPACEBALLS merchandise they have strewn about the movie. There’s even an official SPACEBALLS placemat in a random space diner towards the end of the film!  

So what affect did this have on me personally?

Isn’t it obvious?

While many high-falluting, artsy-fartsy creative folk talk badly of this as a form of “selling out,” I am firmly entrenched in the opposite camp. Once you attach a price tag to your object of creative expression, you step out of the realm of being a creator and you become a business person / entrepreneur.

And what is the ultimate goal of being in business?

Three words: Get. That. Money.

Some people may look at Bill Watterson’s refusal to license Calvin & Hobbes as a noble attempt to maintain the integrity of his creation. I look at is as a HUGE missed opportunity. The C&H product would have been enhanced, not diluted, by proper merchandising. Think about it: Peanuts and Garfield are still beloved franchises despite having their own TV shows, movies, and endorsement deals. The Heathcliff and Dennis The Menace cartoons and movies added dimensions to the central characters that were only hinted at in the comic strips. The Boondocks TV show still offers the same biting criticism of Black America and America in general, but is now exposed to a MUCH wider audience that doesn’t necessarily read newspapers. Meanwhile, the only people who give a hot darn about how “brilliant” Pogo and Doonesbury was are comic strip snobs. Watterson would have only added to the legacy of his characters by giving people more access to them than just the comic strips.

And to my earlier point, if he valued his artistic integrity so much, then why sell the strip at all? Give it away for free if making money isn’t that important. By distributing your strip through the newspaper syndicates you were already subjecting yourself and your product to dilution and censorship by the editors and bigwigs in the syndicates. Just ask Aaron McGruder or Berke Breathed how much creative and editorial freedom you REALLY have when dealing with those guys. Since you’re basically whoring out your product anyway, why not get the most for it, from as many consumers as possible, in as many markets as possible?

This is the life lesson I picked up from SPACEBALLS, and I follow it religiously now. There is no way I’m going to bother making a creation that lacks cross marketing potential. All of my novels have been written with a potential movie, video game or TV show in mind, and they can all easily be franchised into book series if they had been successful enough to warrant that. And you especially saw it on my GODMODE website: In addition to the book, I’m showing you the book’s soundtrack, and as much merchandise from book-related images as CafePress will allow. The hidden gem of this is that the cross-promotion, merchandising and licensing goes both ways. If people find a GODMODE T-shirt interesting enough to buy, that person becomes a walking advertisement for the source material, especially since I make sure this site’s URL is on every piece of merchandise. 

I make no apologies for wanting to get the most out of my creations, and for exploring every opportunity and option to do so. If I can increase awareness of my product and profit from it in a new way, I’m open to exploring it. This is the process of branding, and all successful companies (and individuals, for that matter) do this.

So if you like my products, buy them! And check out all of the related merchandise to see if it also appeals to you.

And since I’m talking so effusively about SPACEBALLS, then why dontcha check the movie out again to see what I’m talking about?

Writing is the New Running

Quan

One of the more intriguing things to me about pop culture is the portraying of “running” as a person. The first I had heard of this was in the Mel Gibson movie “What Women Want,” where the hit ad campaign concocted by Mel and Helen’s characters features a Nike shoe campaign aimed at female runners.

 “You don’t stand in front of a mirror before a run…
and wonder what the road will think of your outfit.
You don’t have to listen to its jokes and pretend they’re funny.
It would not be easier to run if you dressed sexier.
The road doesn’t notice if you’re not wearing lipstick.
It does not care how old you are.
You do not feel uncomfortable… because you make more money than the road.
And you can call on the road whenever you feel like it,
whether it’s been a day… or a couple of hours since your last date.
The only thing the road cares about…
is that you pay it a visit once in a while.”

Since then, I’ve seen a number of ads promoting “running” as this anthropomorphic person all runners have an intimate relationship with. This person even wrote a blog about it (http://www.irunfar.com/2014/09/my-relationship-with-running.html) Even recently I heard a commercial saying “Running does not like the shoes you bought for it,” as if Running is going to dump you for another runner with better shoes. I personally think the metaphor has been taken to a ludicrous extreme, but that is the nature of advertising. I’m actually impressed that the idea lasted as long as it did.

But that got me to thinking. Why should Running have all the fun? What about those of us who might not have had relations with Running, but have instead courted someone else? Someone, like, maybe…Writing? Pretty much everything you can associate with the amount of discipline, dedication and passion it takes to be a serious runner you can also apply to being a writer. Writing can be every bit as fickle a mistress as running; every bit as time and life-consuming, every bit as painful (although in different ways) and mentally taxing, with just as much chance of ostracizing you from so-called “normal” people. Non-runners will never understand why runners run. Non-writers will never understand why writers write.

So let’s change the metaphor a little bit. Let’s take all of those cool sayings and catchphrases for running, take the word “running” out and replace with the word “writing.” The road is now the page. Your trusty pair of running shoes is now your favorite writing pen (or your laptop) What would a Nike commercial for “Writing” be?

“There are clubs you can’t belong to.
Neighborhoods you can’t live in.
Schools you can’t get into.
But the page is always open. Write.”

“Write happy. Write grumpy. Write speedy. Write slow. Just write.”

“The biggest mistake a writer can make is to be afraid of making one.”

“If you want to become the best writer you can be, start now. Don’t spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it.”

See how easy that is? So why are you still reading this? You’ve got writing to do, so…uh...Just Do It.

Oh, and if you’re interested in that campaign I was referring to, watch it for yourself in the movie What Women Want.

The Secret of a Good Title

Quan

For me, one of the more challenging aspects of writing has surprisingly been coming up with good titles for my stories. It’s not as easy as it would seem. You have to remember that whatever title you give to your work will be the label that work is known under for its entire shelf life, and will be one of the first things people think of when they think of your book title.

With that in mind, you want to have the right title, and it is something you need to put some thought into.

So what are the elements that make a story title the right one?

1. Resonance. First and foremost, the title has to “sound” right. Titles within themselves have cadences and rhythms to them, and it shows when you speak them out loud. That’s why many iconic titles have three syllables or less. A shorter title just flows better.

2. Relevance. The right title will have a direct relation to the story it describes. Ideally you will be able to get a good idea of what the story is about just in the title. This isn’t a hard and fast rule (none of these are. You can find more than enough exceptions), but as a rule of thumb if someone reads your story, they should be able to get a good idea of where you got the title from. It doesn’t have to be a literal representation of the story, but it can be an allusion to a major plot point, character, setting, or some other aspect of the story that is worthy of making a title. Sometimes you can take an actual word, title, name or passage in the story and use that as the title. Sometimes the subject matter of the book, if unique enough, will suffice. For instance, “The Leopard Man” was my title for that book from the start because there was a literal man that changed into a leopard mentioned within the story. But the idea of a “Leopard Man” was unique and guaranteed to stand out. The title of “Godmode” came about because the book was originally going to be a literal written video game, and Godmode is a popular term in gaming.

3. Catchiness. This is hard to quantify, but it is nonetheless very important to the marketing of your story. How sticky is the title? Does it have some aspect that makes it stay in the reader’s mind? There are lots of ways to give a title that extra “it.” Some titles are clever plays on words. One of my favorite books is Terry Pratchett’s “Going Postal.” The title has a double meaning which ties directly into the story, but the fact it is also a quirky cliché makes an interesting juxtaposition against the established world the story is set in. A title like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” has a grand, adventurous tone to it that feels like a dangerous quest which sounds like a fun story to get into. In this instance, word choice becomes very important, as different words have different psychological and emotional attachments to them that help craft the reader’s attitude towards what to expect from your story.

There is always a possibility that the right title comes right to mind immediately, or may even be the starting basis of your story. A potential reader turned off by your title might not give your book a chance. No pressure, right?

So if you’re having a hard time coming up with a title, first ask yourself a few things:

1. What is my story about? This is where coming up with your vaunted 30-second pitch will come in handy. If you can describe the essence of your story in a couple of sentences, you can possibly find a word or phrase to encapsulate that summary.

2. Who are my central characters? Lots of stories are simply named after one or two of the principal characters. Are your characters strong and engaging enough to where you can name the entire story after them? Or does a character have a unique enough name to where that can stand out?

3. What are some key details and moments of my story? You can name your book after an aspect of  the book that is crucial to understanding what is going on. “A Song of Fire and Ice” works because of the two big details of the Game of Thrones world: the fact that “winter is coming” and the looming presence of fire-breathing dragons. On top of that, the “Fire and Ice” cliché is known and relevant and evocative, which makes it catchy.

4. What are some of the more memorable quotes of my story? Do your characters or your narrator say something profound or memorable in the story? Many of James Bond’s best titles come from something that one of the characters said during the story.

5. Is there something outside of my story that can refer to something in my story? This is a clever way of entitling a story that might require a little more work. Basically, you are taking a word or phrase that really has nothing directly to do with your story, and finding something in your story that it can reference.  It could be a song title or lyric, or a quirky, unique word, or a catchphrase, or something that has more meaning to the pop zeitgeist than to your story, but can be used to refer to some aspect of your story. Once again, Godmode was a simple video game term to refer to the player having the ability to play the game without any of the normal challenges of the game. When in Godmode, you are invincible, or you have unlimited ammunition, or you can jump higher, or some other hack that makes the game a lot easier for you to play. Conversely, in my book, my protag gets to experience his own twisted “Godmode” whenever he is consumed by rage. He becomes stronger, faster and much more dangerous…but this only happens in short, infrequent bursts. For most of the book, he is running for his life, running out of ammo, overmatched and out of his depth…which makes calling the book “Godmode” rather ironic.

Aside from Godmode and the Leopard Man, titles were something I struggled with for some of my books. Double Entry was a story I wrote because I wanted to write a semi-romantic drama set in a corporate entrepreneurial environment (something I hadn’t seen a lot of before, especially with African-American characters), but it was hard coming up with a title that referenced that. I chose Double Entry because it is a literal Accounting term and the protag is a CPA. In hindsight, I should have realized that the phrase can have entirely different connotations, especially when applied to a romance novel. I’ve had my share of disappointed readers due to that.

That was an issue I tried to avoid with The Hand You’re Dealt. The book was originally going to be called “Spades” because a lot of the story involves people playing the card game of Spades. It was a simple and catchy title that would have been perfect…had there not been so many negative racial undertones attached to the word “spade.” And the fact I was using it for a book written about primarily African American characters. So I had to come up with something else, and I had a really hard time doing it. I tried “Queen of Hearts, King of Spades” to tie in to my two protags’ relationship, but Spades continued to be a toxic word. So I just used Queen of Hearts, but that implied the book was entirely about the female protag, when she was the focus for only half the story. I found my solution in my thirty second pitch for the book that I wanted to use in my query letters: “it was a book about finding love, keeping love during tough times, and playing the hand one is dealt.” The book’s theme is perseverance and adapting to whatever life throws at you, which plays perfectly with a card playing cliché that ties in to the many card games that are played throughout the story.

Currently I am working hard on deciding titles for two manuscripts that I just finished, with the added challenge of them both being the first books in planned series. So I have to come up with a title for the series as well as for the individual book. This presents an added challenge of coming up with a catchy series title that can encapsulate everything that happens over the course of the saga. I also like titles of individual books being consistent throughout the series, which makes them more memorable, like Sue Grafton’s letter-themed Kelsey Milbourne book titles, or The Early Alex Cross Novels from James Patterson that referenced nursery rhymes. So I wanted book titles that were like that. So far, I’ve settled on entitling my urban fantasy thriller “Needle of the Southside,” with the follow-up book being “Jewels of the Eastside.” The overall theme of the title is the name of the big macguffin that the book centers around, with the dangerous area that the macguffin is hidden in. The title of the planned series as of this post is either “American Artifacts” or “The Reliquary.” I haven’t decided yet.

For the other book, my working title of the series is “Aftermath Saga,” because the saga is literally a sequel to an untold story. But to me it’s not quite catchy enough. It doesn’t have that “it” factor to me like a “Lord of the Rings” or “Books of Swords” or “Song of Fire and Ice.” Problem is, I can’t think of anything better. The titles for the three books came easier, though. I wanted each title to get shorter, while describing a key element or moment that drives the story. The first book is called “Return of the Tyrant.” The second book, which I am developing now, will be called “The Queen’s Betrayal,” while the finale will simply be called “Extinction.” Hopefully a better series title will come to mind before I’m done writing all three books.

So my advice to you is to be very cognizant of your story’s title and put a good amount of thought into what it will be. It might be the difference between your story being forgettable and being a classic.