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I've already created a cover for my book that isn't even written yet. So, I guess you could say I've given it a little thought. Overall, it's just an idea, though, and I'm not opposed to a complete change.

Great answer. The small publisher I'm an intern for does have a small art department who handles most covers. However, if the author has an artist who can meet the standards required by the publisher, then they may be used instead.

I do tend to think heavily on titles because it really bothers me to at least not have a working title. I've accepted that the title may be changed in the future, but it really helps if during the time of writing I have something that I like. It was really difficult in March when I was writing a novel I had called Hero because I didn't like it as the title but couldn't think of anything better. Now, it has a different title and I'm much happier as I prepare it for potential submission.

On the other hand, even though I've studied art in college, I rarely think too much on covers. It was fun to have a mock cover for this year's nanowrimo but it's not a serious must have type of cover. In the end I'll wait till a publisher picks a book cover and not worry too much over it.

I hate coming up with titles. I would imagine the majority of the time the publisher's suggestions would be better than mine.

I once heard a published author speak on the title the publisher wanted (it was terrible), and the one she wanted. She pushed for her title and they finally agreed (and the book is much better off).

I give a generous amount of thought to titles and have never even imagined a cover to one of my novels. I would love to have some say in both, but if it's out of my hands I'll trust the powers that be.

I'd be totally willing to change my title if an agent/editor (or even a friend) suggested a title that I liked even more than my current one.

I'm also up for pretty much anything with the cover--I tend to like a lot of different looks and would be happy with something really stylistic and thematic (like THE HUNGER GAMES) or something more character-oriented.

There are a few covers I've seen at the bookstore that kind of make me cringe, though. They're few and far between, but I would be crushed if my cover turned out looking like one of those.

I'm like Shayda - very flexible about title, and not all that bothered about my cover. I would be disappointed if a cover blatantly misrepresented my novel's genre - I'd hate to have it look like a light teen romance.

I'm a graphic designer in my real job. I have a pretty solid idea for the cover of the novel I'm working on now. Do you think my expertise as a designer would lend me any sway in presenting my cover ideas?

Boy, it would be nice to have the problem of a publisher not liking my title...

Anyway, I really like my current title because it seems like it took me forever to settle on any title at all, but I understand that I shouldn't get to attached to it.

As far as book covers, I know that there are some really talented artists and graphic designers out there who design covers for a living, know what they're doing and are good at it. So while I might have an opinion on the concept, I think I'd mostly leave it to the professionals and cross my fingers that the designer's tastes meshes well the content and tone of my book.

I always have a working title. The book I’ve been working on the most recently started out with the title Cowtown Homecoming, but I changed the story significantly in the last few weeks and I considered other titles. I considered The Wrong Mother, but that title was used by someone a couple of years ago, so I thought, The Unwanted Mother, which led to Mother Unwanted before I settled on Mother Not Wanted.

I don’t spend much time on the cover until the story is written. There’s just too much that can change, but one of the joys of my publishing choices is that I get to design the cover. I think there’s a good argument for the author to be very involved with the cover design, whether the author has the skills to do it or not. The author knows the story better than anyone else. He knows what these characters look like. He knows the mood that should be conveyed by the cover. We may not want to just turn the author loose with Photoshop, but I believe the author’s input is very important.

I have no idea what my covers will look like someday. It's super fun to think about! As far as titles...it takes me forever to come up with a title I'm happy with. I have to remind myself not to get attached to them.

Giving the publisher ideas for my book cover was fun! I'm can't wait to see the cover and to know whether or not they followed my suggestions.

This is spooky. I've been talking about this a lot lately, but I'm not the one who asked this question... You mean there are other Melanies out there?

Great post!

I know a published author who demanded a different cover because the one sent to her did not match the story. The protag was a girl self-conscious about her big red hair. The cover had a girl with sleek blond hair.

How could such a wrong cover happen?

I'm a visual person, so covers have always been important to me. I realize of course that great cover art does not necessarily indicate a great book, but for me, an eye-catching cover along with an intriguing title makes me stop for a second look. So yes, I hope my book will have a great looking cover. And I do get attached to my titles. Of course, I'm always open to change if the publisher suggests a different one.

I'm horrible at coming up with titles, so I always ask for my publisher's/editor's/agent's input. I began to suspect my ineptitude when I began calling one of my books by an acronym, which was "GUS-GUM." Luckily my editor came up with "Song of the River"!

I stalled at hot property, had a robust laugh and then kept reading.

Good post.

I thoroughly enjoy brainstorming my titles and I have a blast imagining my covers. That said, I’m flexible. I’ve read enough to know how much input goes into a book before it’s published. I know I’ll value solid communication throughout the process.

~ Wendy

My publisher went with the title I came up with although they did have some back-and-forth on it. As far as the cover, I had given it some thought, but the cover they came up with FAR exceeded my expectations. I loved it!! They actually hired a really cool artist to work with their design team to draw it and then draw illustrations throughout my book. It was really fun to see. A few weeks after I saw my cover, the artist contacted me through my blog and sent me a blog article she had written about the thought process/design process she went through on my cover. It was REALLY cool to see what she did. If you want to see that, it's here: http://www.blupenny.com/blog/2010/9/27/sketchbook-stories-monica-lee.html

I'd never thought about covers for my books until a good friend designed one for me. As for titles--well, I tend to get titles pretty early on in the story, and most of them I really like. So I'll probably be ticked at the publisher once or twice if they want to change the title.

I think Cover and Title are EXTREMELY important. As a lifelong reader of all types of fiction, I still browse bookstores by title/cover. I recently put a novel on Kindle (The Summoner by Layton Green), and am very curious to know how the title/cover appears to observers (whether it "matches" the book). I suppose I'll know by the sales...

I'm not a visual person at all. I haven't the foggiest notion of what kind of cover I want for my book that's been completed for over a year and is with an editor right now.

I usually do fine with titles. Nothing life-changing, but there's usually a simple phrase or word that I pick up somewhere in the prose that works for me as a title. But with he same completed book I have a title that I could live with if necessary, but I'd love it if someone else could get me past the title-block I have on this one and suggest something better.

I'm definitely looking forward to having the support of artists and professionals in the industry to handle all that other stuff that goes into publishing a book beyond the writing.

I haven't really thought about the cover at all, of either of my WIPs - really don't care as long as it's not atrocious. Title is another issue. I LOVE my NF working title, but I wouldn't fight hard for it (maybe a BIT - but not hard). Fiction I'd be fine with a change. Great question, and post!

Cover design is huge. It plays an important part in my book selection and many others who I know. I have to like it.

The people at Abingdon have cooperated fully with me and with my agent when it comes to titles and cover art. Two of my four titles have been mine, the other two theirs. The covers they designed were great, although it took three passes to get the first one just right.
But the important lesson in all this, and one I'm glad you emphasized, is that it's not a good idea to fall in love with a title or a cover design. These folks are professionals, and this is their business. As I'm fond of saying, "You don't buy a dog and then bark yourself." Listen to the experts.

I'd be open to changing my title if the publisher came up with something better. I've always known that the cover typically doesn't get designed by the author so I haven't given my cover much thought. I hope that I'm given the opportunity to voice my opinion because I've heard of authors getting upset because they feel their cover doesn't match their book.

Covers matter to me---a lot!! If I see a wonderful book cover I look to see who the publisher is.

I have seen some book covers that kept me from reading the book, even ones that I had promised to influence. Then when I finally read them I loved the story. I think one of my reviews has the title "Don't judge this book by its cover."

So to me this is all the more reason to want an agent to represent me. Those who think the agent is a waste of money are foolish.

I hold titles and cover ideas loosely. On that glorious someday when I have a contracted book, I know the publisher's marketing and design teams will do all they can to ensure its success, so I'll give them the information they request from me and eagerly await the fruit of their creative efforts.

I'm not firmly affixed to anything, except one detail--I write historical fiction, and my PET PEEVE is when well-researched HF novels have wrong-wrong-wrong covers. Clothes that just aren't correct to the period. Cute layered haircuts with bangs on the cover models--and it's supposed to be 1750 or whatever. It kills me. So--I secretly hope I someday can have veto power for authenticity purposes only on the cover. Because I would die of shame if it was my cover that had some chick wearing an ill-fitting polyester costume and a ridiculously modern hairstyle. I see that as a part of marketing--HF readers trust writers to be authentic, and the cover can really put one off.

Miles: Since you're a designer, the publisher may give more weight to your ideas, but it completely depends on the publisher. Some publishers would even be willing to have you go ahead and design it, and then submit to them. Keep in mind that there's a difference between having a good eye for design and knowing specific principles of strong book cover design, and the publisher won't know how good you are until you show them your work. I do have friends who've had tremendous input into their covers; one of my friends is an artist and her paintings have been the primary art on the cover of each of her novels.

Missy: There is no reason to "demand a different cover" because the artist got the hair wrong. In that case, you simply tell the publisher the hair is wrong and ask them to fix it, which they can easily do either with a different model or the magic of Photoshop.

Keep in mind that, while the protag's hair color may seem like a huge issue for the author, and of course it's important to get it right on the cover, it's not the primary issue a designer is thinking about then they're putting together the cover image. They're looking at so many other things - trying to capture a certain feel, a certain facial expression, or a particular arrangement of the cover elements. Sometimes they find a stock image of a model who is positioned perfectly (say, a 3/4 profile with a certain look on her face) and so they forget about hair color.

Then there are always those cases where the designer has been given the important elements of the book -- who the character is, what she's like, what happens to her in the story -- but nobody ever told the designer that "sleek blond hair" was an important feature.

In any case, the wrong hair color certainly doesn't indicate "such a wrong cover" and doesn't merit an overreaction, but it does require the author make sure the publisher get it right.

I've seen cases, however, where the hair color of the cover model didn't match the story - but the author liked the cover image so much, they changed the hair color in the story.

Great post!

I think about my title a LOT, but if an editor wants to change it, that would be fine with me. They know how to market a book better than me, right?

As for cover art, I have no knowledge whatsoever of graphic design or anything like that, so I put absolutely no thought into what the cover of my book might look like, other than that I am sure my book will have a cover. Obviously, I would expect that if there is something glaringly wrong - like an Asian MC on the cover when the main character is supposed to be of African descent - I can politely ask the publisher to fix it. But this is their job, and I expect them to know a lot more about it than I do, and therefore be able to do a much better job of designing a cover than I can.

Oh boy...The title for my WIP came first. It's what inspired me. But I guess I don't have to worry about how the book looks until I finish writing it.

One of my hobbies is graphic design, so I have covers for all my books already. I'm not so attached to them that I would freak out if a publisher didn't want the covers I made (I would likely be so excited over the contract itself that I'd be in a fog until the release date anyway). I have them so there SOMETHING visual to go with my pitch/blurbs on my website. Something that might give a better idea of the content than my crap titles (see below).

Titles are another matter. My historical romances are all based on constellations, and I've recently changed the names to sound more "romance-y" but I'll probably always think of them by their constellation. I'm terrible at coming up with names, so I've borrowed old Frank Sinatra songs and reworded a few of them to be astronomy related (Stars in the Night, for example). But like with the covers, I'm not too attached to the titles because to me, the books are Gemini, Libra, Andromeda, etc. Oh, and because I'm crap at coming up with titles. *grin*

I have some stand-alone books I'm working on that are also connected to each other (but not a series) and I've thought about titles lately.

As I'm working, I call the book what it is instead of by a "title" (for example, "the waiting book"), knowing the title isn't important at this point.

I do have ideas for a few titles, but I'm not committed to any of them. And since I'm still writing, I see "book covers" as the first pages of my manuscripts!

I've (almost) accepted the fact that I'll have no control over my cover. But the title is important to me - it's something I think I'm good at. Hopefully the publisher will agree!

I used to think about my cover art allot but realized I was obsessing about it too much. I wanted to make part of the contract that we (whatever agent I attain and I) would have last say. Although now I am seeing that there we as writers have much less control over things like this then originally thought. When everything is said and done this is all about respect, if an agency respects the writer they will give them the some leeway and take their creative ideas seriously. But that is also a two way street, the writer must respect the publisher and let them do their job without much hassle..

There are so many things that go into cover design- now with the increase of ebooks more publishers are considering how will this cover image look shrunk down to a thumbnail size as the person may never see it in a bookstore. If you have multiple books out there is consideration of branding (that is do your covers have a similar feel).

The cover designer for my publisher has been a dream to work with and I've learned a lot as we worked through three covers together. It's an entirely different art form

One thing I really like about Nanowrimo is that for this event, writers are encouraged to make their own book covers and post them to their site. It's really fun to see what each writer comes up with, and I think it spurs them on to finish the 50k. They are proud of their good efforts, and I say, "Good for them!" James Scott Bell even suggests making a cover after you finish the rough draft and before you begin your revisions, with hopes that it will inspire you on the next leg of the writing journey. However, judging from the Nano efforts, there is no doubt that most writers lack the knowledge to make a well-designed cover.

In addition to this, most writers have very little idea of how little control they have once they sign the contract with the publisher. It's no longer just about them. There are plenty of people whose paychecks also depend on the success of the book, and each of these people have expertise which they contribute in an effort to secure the success of the published product.

So when it comes to covers and titles, the publisher won't always be infallible, but they definitely have more experience. At some point you have to give it up and trust them. Also, remember that it's not you against them. You're all working together as a team to make your book the best it can be. I believe the best thing an author can do is to relax and enjoy the professional creativity that he isn't responsible for that will enhance his book when it appears on the shelves. How fun is that!

I was fortunate that the team at Strang/Realms accepted my title for my series, The Ravensmoore Chronicles and for Book One, Secrets of the Heart. We'll see what happens with Book Two. :) No cover art yet.

As others have said, I wouldn't get overly attached to title or art work. Keep the attitude of flexibility.

Should my urban fantasy novel be published, I only have one thing I care about regarding the cover. The urban fantasy genre holds hands rather tightly with paranormal romance. Some novels I've read recently have been little more than soft-core porn.

My main character is NOT a sex kitten in leather, and portraying her on the cover as a very sexy maiden would make promises to the consumer that would not be fulfilled.

It varies a lot from book to book for me. With the adult novel I'm pitching right now, the title came to me in a flash of inspiration early on, and I am totally attached to it. It's generally agreed to be a great title, so I hope I'll get to keep it. I have ideas for the cover, but nothing I would hold onto if the publisher proposed something better. What I DON'T want is the trend (which seems to be on the wane now, thank God) of featuring non-facial parts of a young woman's body. To me that's dehumanizing, and I hate it.

With the MG fantasy I'm revising, I have a working title, but I'm not particularly happy with it and would be grateful to anyone who could come up with a better one. I have absolutely no ideas about the cover except that it needs a custom illustration (which would be standard for fantasy anyway).

My title itself isn't really that important. I actually have a couple in mind, I just settled for the one I liked the best.

Love Beth's James Scott Bell hint of creating a cover to spur you on to the next level-- which is exactly where I am. First draft waits in a drawer until Jan. 4 when I pull it out for fresh review.

I am fond of my working title, but as a marketing person, I know these things are a process. Maybe I'll get to collaborate and maybe not. Not a big deal.

My publisher has been really great about this, and like Rachelle said, even as a first-time author they let me see different covers they were working on (they had about five different concepts they were considering) and weigh in with my favorite. There were a few I didn't like at all, and I was really pleased when they chose my favorite. It was pretty clear, however, that I was giving input and they were making a decision.

Right now we're in process of debating whether the title for my second book needs to be changed. I'm really attached to the current title (Night of the Living Dead Christians) but we're throwing around some other possibilities and doing some focus groups about it. At this point a lot of trust has built up between all of us, so I'm not really worried about it... I know they're trying to make sure my book gets the widest possible audience and that they'll at least take my thoughts into consideration in the process.

I will say that seeing the cover concepts is one of my favorite moments in the process... it feels like the book is almost "real" at that point!

Thanks for the informative post! For most of my YA novels I write, since I'm also an artist, I really enjoy mocking up a cover for them. Some of them I'm more attached to than others, but I could let go. For the most part, I would expect a professional designer working for a publisher to come up with a more striking cover than I would!

I've always been curious, do the people who design the covers read the book?

Ohhhh, this is a good post.

I just recently changed the title of my manuscript, the result of some gentle prodding. I was pretty wedded to my original title -- it's even the name of my blog -- so I had a really hard time coming up with something new. In my head I still think of it under the original title, but if it ever gets published, I am more than happy to go with something snazzier.

I left the blog title as is, so now they don't match, which is challenging for my OCD tendencies.

Very interesting, Rachelle. Thanks for sharing! My latest wip is on its 3rd title, the first two tossed away based on advice from industry professionals. So I say if the marketing department has a better title that will get the book in more people's hands, I'll go for it. :)

As far as the cover, I'll leave it in the professionals' hands too, unless of course they try to put UFOs inside an Amish buggy.

I do give thought to my titles. Even if they change later coming up with a decent title can be a good marketing tool in the finding an agent and publisher phases. That said, I can't imagine hanging on tightly to my title if a publisher wanted to change it later. I mean they know the business and it's in their best interest to only make a change that improves the chances of success for my book.

As for cover art I used to think about it, but now realize it'll probably be out of my hands and other people are more talented at design than me. If something was designed that I was really against I would hope to be able to calmly articulate what objections I might have with my agent and go from there.

Great post! I'm fairly attached to my title but that's about it. I certainly wouldn't be completely opposed to changing it either. Thanks for the information.
Lisa ~ YA Literature Lover

I've never thought about covers, but I often use working titles while writing first drafts as a way of reminding myself what the central theme or problem of the story is and keeping on track.

Great question! I seem to get a title first before I ever have a story.And my stories seem to evolve from the title. That is just my process I suppose. It would be hard not to see the original title on the cover of my book.
Cover art is beyond me and that would be an area of great flexibility. I have no clue, what it should be, but I think I would know instinctively what I would not want the cover to look like

Aamba: Sometimes the designers read the books, but not always. They're given a detailed rundown of important elements of the book - tone, theme, protag, plot elements, environmental elements, etc.

I have ideas in my head of what I would like to see as my cover, but ultimately I think I'd love whatever the publisher could come up with- better than I could do! As far as title, I had that in mind before I wrote the book so that would be harder to change. But again, I would feel like the publisher probably knows best in these situations and what would sell best.

Another great topic.

I always have a working title, even if it's just the name of the lead character.

Sometimes the first glimmer of an idea for a story is a title. I have a list of potential titles, as a matter of fact.

As an artist, I've also worked freelance on book cover design. I had the extreme good fortune to be involved not only with the publisher but with the author on cover design.

The Writer's Market has a section for artists, too. At least the edition I have lists publishers who accept freelance design work. I was quite surprised by that.

I have some covers worked up for my novels already, mostly because I figure it's so hard to get published today that I might have to self-publish first. I have a title for every novel I've written so far, and as far as the two I'm working on right now... I like the titles but I'm not particularly attached. I think they make a lot of sense and they're not too long or cheesy.

BUT. Should I get a contract and the publisher come up with better ideas than I have, by all means, I'll let them. :P But I would hope to have a say in it.

What the f... do I care what they call my story or what artwork they put on the cover of the book. Their job is to sell the damn thing. Mine is to write the story.

...As if anyone is actually publishing first time authors these days, anyway.

Generally, I trust the publishing house to know what they're doing with regard to title and book cover. Of course I daydream, but ultimately, I have no illusions about the author's influence over the cover.

That said, I think the one thing I'd raise heck over would be the whitewashing of a character of color.

I adore book covers! I think it's a great art form that is often under appreciated. The recent releases of 1984 and Animal Farm or gorgeous, as are the line of Cormac McCarthy books. All perfect examples of what to expect on the pages.

I've done a series of mock ups for various projects, I find it helps me think of it as an actual book. I posted a series of them on my blog a little while ago ( http://www.lyndoncr.com/blog/2010/11/24/evolution-of-a-cover.html ).

That said, I would have no issues if any publisher wanted to change it.

My current manuscript has gone through several working titles - I hope I get to keep the current one because knowing my genre I think it works on a marketing level, but I wouldn't throw a tantrum if the publisher insisted on changing it to something even better :)

As for covers, I know my own limits as a designer, so as long as it's reasonably classy and not hopelessly inaccurate I really don't mind what they put on it. I've seen some hideous SF&F covers in the past (mostly on US editions, I have to say), with badly-proportioned, even anatomically-impossible people on them, so I'd be a bit upset if I got landed with one of those - but UK publishers are usually better than that. The past decade has seen some gorgeous covers (e.g. any of Joe Abercrombie's books) so I'm not too worried.

This is good information.

Elements of my manuscript had been floating around in my mind, but when a title came to me that I liked, it set the rest of the manuscript on course. Having a working title, even if it's not the one that stays in the end, has helped me to sustain a tighter focus throughout the manuscript.

I've gone so far as to make mock covers for one of my novels. Just in case I ever do have a say, I'll be able to show, not tell. :)

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, 3AM: God awoke me from sleep, and for over 5½ hours spoke about America's future. His voice was stern, yet also sad. Finally He said, “TODAY will change America; turn on your TV right now.” I ran. When it came on, a news flash cut in instantly; it showed smoke billowing from one of the World Trade Center towers.
Based on the above, it was easy to title my book America's 3AM Call.

In my current WIP, I knew I wanted the main character named Araceli since I knew someone by that name and liked it. In Spanish, this name translates "Altar of Heaven" which just so happens to be a really cool book name.

One additional note which I think is important in selecting a book title, Google it to make sure it has not been taken already. I doubt a publisher will use your title if another book (with any measure of success) already has it.

I find that not only in my own writing , but in my favorite books, the title comes from a pivotal line in the book.

As to if I am in love with my title, YES! I don't think that any other title would work, but I know that publishers are more experienced than I am. I will be open to their ideas when the time comes.

What a great post. I love how you broke it down and gave such specific advice. Thanks!

I'd add one further caveat. Don't use Latin!

I gave one novel a Latin title. It made total sense for the novel and it was alliterative too. Then I found out that a major reason why it was being rejected by agents was because it had a Latin title. The only trouble is, every other title I come up with is nowhere near as appropriate as that Latin one.

I went through a similar process to figure out the title for my book. Recently I've had my doubts about my title, but since reading this I'm pretty confident about it now. Thank you!

Thank you so much! I'm struggling with the title for my book at the moment so I really appreciate this advice!!

I also couldn't help thinking how many good but by now completely forgotten novels I read in the past had totally inappropriate titles that probably robbed the books of success they deserved.

I have a process for outlining, for writing a rough draft, for revising....but I've never (until now) had a process for picking a title. Usually it just sort of comes to me, like character names. Sadly, my titles tend to get taken. The only title I'm super attached to, which I know I need to get over in case I can't use it, is Wishing on Willows. I think it sounds cool and it goes really well with the book.

I'm interested to see what I'll have to change my 4th book title to.

Thanks for the great advice! I've been trying to think of a better title for my current work-in-progress. Your thoughtful strategies are a much better approach than trying to pull one out of the air.

Oh no!!! Hahaaa! I was going to post about this on Friday!! Still will, but now I have a helpful link to include.
I'm coming back to read this since I'm one of those whose title doesn't match the genre. LOL

Titles are hard! They're especially hard if the book relates to your profession. Then sometimes - to you and only you- the title sounds interesting.

For my first contemporary, legal romance/thriller, my original title was Criminal Sexual Communication. What was the feedback? "It sounds like a textbook." I thought it sounded snappy.

Ended up using the title E-mail Enticement but I'm not sure how much better that is really. My new one is Griffin's Law, named for one of the characters and his personal "law." It's intended to be in the spirit of Grey's Anatomy.

I thought of naming my hero in the new one "West" and then calling the book West's Law, which would have been much more similar to the feeling of the Grey's title.

But I do legal research for a living and hero's last name or not, the title would have reminded me of work everytime I saw it. Again, I may have been wrong.

Maybe titles wouldn't be so hard if I wasn't wrong so much!!

I believe the best titles reflect the central conflict, as in "Kramer vs Kramer." Since the central conflict also provides the theme of the work, the title will then fit the work perfectly. "The Great Escape" is another good title. But this isn't necessarily true. I've always liked the title "I, Robot..." which reflects character. "Animal Dreams" is another one I like, and it doesn't reflect conflict. Finding a good title is an art, just like writing the book.

This was really helpful Rachelle...thank you!!
Blessings,
Cherie

A very successful author, winner of giant prizes, was giving a lecture to a writing class and stated he chose his own title, it had a specific meaning to him, and he would not permit it to be changed. He had no answer to the questioner who asked, "Why does the German edition have a totally different title?"
There seems to be a conundrum here. Some agents report being turned off by a banal title or intrigued by a mysterious one, which is the first step to getting one's foot through the door. Then everyone seems to agree, the author loses control of his book and anyone in the chain can alter the title. Authors of little consequence to the publisher should not fall blindly in love with their own choice.

My novel has had a long list of titles -- I've liked each one but didn't mind changing it when the better one hit me. But strangely, I must have a title. I can't work on something without one! So even if I start something new (which I have) I just name it. As I write, titles come to me and I change it on the Word Doc and in my head. I think for me, a title makes it "real."

I've done the brainstorming/free association thing too -- and it really does work!

I LOVE great titles.

Trying again, my post disappeared. I was saying that I guess I do things backwards because I will usually come up with the title at the same time as a story idea, sometimes even before. I'll think of a cool title and play around with some story ideas to see what happens. I guess we all create differently, but that's my method. I don't ever feel stuck to a title and sometimes I do change them if the story has veered in a different direction and the title just doesn't fit anymore, but usually I'm pretty good at nailing it. I probably wouldn't pitch a fit if a publisher wanted to change a title - I'd probably let them call my book whatever they wanted if they were willing to publish it!
I like to use the method you describe for coming up with taglines. Those are harder for me. Now what's your quick and easy foolproof method for writing a synopsis??!

For non-fiction, I think the best way to title a book is to pick a search phrase that people will use when searching for information about the topic online, thus the title Church Website Design. If we tried that with novels, we would have titles like A Romance With an Alpha Male and a Librarian. Or in my case, A Story About a Man Winning His Family to the Lord or The Story of a Girl Finding a Step-mother Through an Online Dating Service. It’s not very catchy, but it would be truth in advertising.

The premise usually yields a title before I start writing. I don’t spend much time brainstorming a title because ideas pop up while I’m writing the book. Working titles tend to go by the wayside as the story takes shape because I discover that what I thought the story was about isn’t accurate, but by the time I finish the first draft, I usually have a title that I’m fairly attached to.

I have a dreadful time choosing titles. For me it's something like trying on new clothes: what I like best isn't always what fits/looks/flatters most, and it's so difficult to judge objectively.

When I pass a manuscript off to beta readers I offer homemade brownies if they can come up with a better title LOL

I read through the post..and at one point, I thought the advice said "take a nap"...which is probably not a bad idea. Sleeping on it, letting it rest, marinate, process, whatever, can be helpful.

Great thought too to picture it on the bookstore shelf: will it convey enough to have someone want to slide it out and read more?

Trying to hold my current WIP title loosely, after reading this post! Great stuff!

I played with many ideas for my historical novel set on a Caribbean sugar plantation called Eden, but the name "Eden" felt too romance-y. I made many lists--including Paradise Lost (hey, there's no copyright on a title, right?) but settled on a line from a poem of a dying slave that I'd placed at the beginning of the book. The slave implored God to "Receive Me Falling" into heaven--not as a stainless being, but as a sinner rescued from his earthly hell. That seemed to capture the themes of the book and the historical setting.

Great post!

Just for fun, I like to run my title possibilities through Lulu's "Titlescorer". They've come up with a program that analyzes the titles of NYT bestselling books back to 1955.

You plug in your title, and the program will compare it to the qualitites of the bestseller titles. It spits out a percentage of your title's chances of success. Take it with a grain of salt, however, since some titles (like The DaVinci Code) scored low, but hit the big time.

http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/

In addition to everything you mentioned, I also do an Amazon.com search of a potential title. Do you really want to be one of a dozen books out there with the same title?

Great post! I usually just do the brainstorming thing then throw it out to my crit partners. We hash it around then come up with something fun.

I'm not married to the titles I pick, because I've heard they are changed more often than not by the publisher.

:-)

Choosing titles for me is usually tough. While I may start with a 'working title', a lot of time I don't. My current WIP that I'm polishing went through about 3 or 4 titles before I finally landed on the one that's stuck for the last couple years. While I'm happy with the title, and I hope an agent/publisher will be too, I know it may go.

Fortunately, I've done a scan for the same title on Amazon.com and have found only one book (likely in my genre) with the same title! Of course, that one book is by Orson Scott Card.... Hmmm...

I don't like coming up with titles. I save that part for last. I write the whole thing, edit, write a synopsis, do everything else first then make up a title. I usually go through several but I am never dead set on one. I am open to the possibility of it changing.

For my current WIP, I was really influenced by old Greek titles such as The Odyssey or The Aeneid, as well as J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillian. I love the sensations that those titles invoke, so I came up with Aurumenas. Meaning the Search for the Child of Auru in my book, the story centers around a young girl and her discovery of who she really is and El's purpose for her.

I would probably give it up if an editor was adamant, though. In the end, you have to submit to someone's particular expertise.

Long titles work best: "Disraeli, Zombie Prime Minister and the Artisan's and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act of 1875."

That has a "Harry Potter" sort of feel. I'll be shopping it soon.

My first two titles for ROOMS were awful. (No, I'm not telling.)

After I'd boiled the story down to it's essence--a man inherits a home that turns out to be a physical manifestation of his soul--the title was easy.

Yeah, it's only one word and Jim Bell makes a good point above, but I still think my title works.

Ha! This is my 3rd try at a comment. More coffee please!

Nice one, Mr. Bell. ^ I think you're on to something.

Great post, Rachelle. I love brainstorming titles and do it in my journal all the time.

Looking forward to tomorrow! :)

Great post! This is some advice I needed to hear. I usually don't bother titling projects until I'm finished with them, because I'm absolutely terrible about coming up with titles. I usually call my document "[MC's NAME] Story" until I can think of something better. I always figured until I started submitting a project it wasn't a big deal, and even then if it wasn't perfect that would be okay. But it's nice having a plan, now. :)

I'll be honest the titles of my novels I really like came from poetry (not my own) and the ones I'm so-so about, I thought up. I'd rather be better at writing the novel than the title. I could always use a little help in that area. Great tips. Thanx Rachelle.

I'm probably in the minority here in saying that I'm mostly glad that titles are out of my hands. I can never think of anything that sounds like it captures the feeling of my work, or is catchy enough, or whatever.

The thought of having an editor, someone who is enthusiastic enough about what's behind the title to spend lots of money making it available to others, come up with something that strikes him or her as a phrase that will intrigue bookstore browsers is appealing.

Great post. I'm struggling with this now, and am glad I now have a plan of attack.

Thanks, Rachelle! This is very helpful, especially the tips about making sure the title reflects the genre.

Rachelle asked if we had a title we were emotionally attached to.

I do.

I'm writing YA fantasy and part of the premise is the antagonist who captures and eats fairies to eliminate them. My title is "Fairyeater." I can't imagine a better title and I'm hoping an editor will feel the same way.

The ms I am currently sending out began with a title identical to the all-time best-selling album in Ireland. I decided to change it, but was never happy about the change.

Titles are interesting things.

Like puzzles, they provide clues or hints.
Like the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, they lure us.
Like a burst of fireworks against a night sky, they grab our attention.
The problem with liking a title I have chosen is that, while the words may do all of the above to me, the same words may do none of them to anyone else.

That's why titles are such interesting things.

Be blessed,

Lynnda

Titling usually comes late for me anyway. It usually feels right, but it's comforting to think that my story isn't picked up (or is) simply based on the title. I like the idea of finding a different one if I have to.

So far, I haven't been asked to change any titles, but I'm sure the day is coming.

I love alliteration in titles, and I love clever titles. I also love the unexpected. If the title surprises me, I figure the book should too.

Great suggestions!!! Picking a title is probably one of my least favorite chores, ha!

What I usually do is pick a stupid working title just so I have something to call it at the beginning. My first book I called, "Out of the blue" because I was hoping the title would come to me... you guessed it, out of the blue:-) Of course, eventually I picked a regular title that came to me as I wrote the book.

Oh, wow, this is great because I struggle with titles.

But I bascially go to amazon, too and look at titles that have been used recently in my genre. I get a feel what publishers like or usually go with and I make sure I'm not repeating one. It's a starting point, anyway. :)

Some great ideas, Rachelle.

Anyone interested in pushing these ideas even further might want to check out Sam Horn's book Pop! Between this post and Sam’s ideas, one can have two geniuses helping them out.

One of two things happens for me in regard to titles: Either I have one from the beginning that I love (typically the case w/ my women's fiction) or I write the whole book and still can't find one I like (more often the case with my fantasy.)

I am attached to the two women's fiction titles I have (one book in revision, the other to be written next) because they have spunk, which works with my character's voices, but of course I'd be willing to change them.

I try to come up with a list of a dozen or so. Most of the time though it changes as I'm writing. My one WiP has gone through three title changes and now I've found one that I think may actually stick :P

My other WiP I came up with the title almost immediately and it's been the best one thus far. This is very rare though, as most of the time it takes a lot of brainstorming for me to come up with one.

I'm like Catherine West - titles often come to me first. Not always, but often. Some phrase, thought or idea hits me and I conceptualize it as a title. Then I write the piece to embody the concept in the title.

I also agree that titles are very important - especially in bookstores. If someone is browsing, a title can determine if they pull the book of the shelf or not.

With Amazon's recommendation and review system, the title may be less important, although I do think a bad title can really handicap a book.

Very interesting post and topic, Rachelle, thanks!

The title for my last book came from Acts 16:31. Actually, the whole story started from there, but I wanted to look at a situation in which a man has recently accepted Christ, but his house wasn’t as ready to accept Christ as the family of the jailer in Acts 16 appears to be. I suppose his family heard Paul and Silas preaching and their hearts were prepared, but I wondered about a man who has taught his children that God and church are things to be ignored. What happens when he realizes the truth, but his children are too old to be taught? So, as a title, And Thy House becomes quite weighted because it isn’t clear that he can do anything and in the B-story it seems that Kelly can’t do anything to reach her mother either.

I decided on my two titles because I stumbled onto strong words that delivered the right amount of emotional impact.

Great advice Rachelle. One case in point: titles can't be copyrighted. I've read books with the same title by different publishers. Sudden Death is one, both used by Allison Brennan and Michael Balkind. For my titles, these are how I came up with mine, (Nano titles alone.) The 24-Hour Chain Reaction (the show 24 plus the Fox show Drive, which was canceled, since my book takes place in 24 hours (it's part psychological thriller/police prodecural.) Venom, my first eco-thriller deals with snakes and anti-venom (already taken by Joan Brady), Double Exposure my 2nd eco-thriller (photography and chemicals), Specimen my third eco-thriller (seashells), Web of Deceit my romantic suspense (spiders and betrayal, a pawn in a game)-this title have been used twice, according to Amazon. For my two newest eco-thrillers I'll be writing this year, Cave-in (not used, deals with stalagmites and caves) and Killer Wipeout (Wipeout was used a few times, and took the Killer from previous title ideas for it, since this deals with water and whales, Seaworld tragedy last week.)

Omg I suck at titles! This is actually really helpful, even though I do about 75% of it already. Some of those things I didn't think of. I have a horrible time with titles. Only one of my novels has a title that stands out and probably will never change, but the others change all the time and I'm never happy with them. I think about a title the whole time I'm writing the book, so that by the end, I have something tolerable to call it. I'm actually having some difficulty with the one I'm writing now, so I'll definitely sit down and do all of your suggestions.

These are excellent suggestions. Thanks Rachelle!

Great advice, particularly for my WIP which is 200 pages of Untitled at the moment.

For my YA Dirty Little Secrets, that was a last-minute-out-the-door suggestion that I tossed to my agent right before she sent it out. We'd been using Hoarding Normal which was sort of "eh". Recently, on a Hoarder's episode, one of the participants said that hoarding was her "dirty little secret" and I knew that we'd gotten it right.

Yes, I'm attached to my title since it describes my novel without telling too much--good for a mystery/suspense novel. Is it a good idea to add the title to the header of queries to make it stand out? One agent suggested I change my title but I think it's very appropos. What do you think of adding titles to query headers?

It's perfectly fine to put your title or just your genre along with the word "query" in your subject line.

Thanks for the suggestions. These are great.

The idea for my novel came from the title itself, so I'm quite attached. It's certainly not in its most marketable state right now, so I'll have to be flexible :-)

Right now, if my book finds a publisher, I'm pretty sure the title will be my brand: God's Absolute Love--Perfect, Complete, and Real (TM). That's the title of my blog, so it makes sense that my book would be the same title (especially since I'm writing it on my blog).

After obsssssessssing over my title for the first book and changing it umpteem million times, the publishers came up with something completely different from what I expected. I didn't really like it at first, but, everyone else responded to it so positively, I had to concede they do in fact know what they are doing and I don't! *laughing*

Now my novels in these VK books will be called "The Graces" which sounds lovely.

They also just changed the title of another novel I'd had titled and put in a drawer for a few years from four words to one word. I think it's probably wise.

So no, I'm not attached since I am not good at titles, or covers...as they pertain to sales and attention.

I usually "hear" my title or first sentence before anything else. It's like the spark that creates the story. I think I get pretty attached, if I'm honest... because it's the trigger for the whole book and feels like a part of the story.

Sometimes as a reader, though, I sort of gloss over the title. They kind of blend together...it's the cover art and back cover copy that really seem to draw me in! :)

I rarely have a title to begin with and to avoid becoming 'attached' I name the WIP after the main character. Sometimes the titles are easy, other times it takes quite a bit of brainstorming to come up with one that I like.

Thanks for this post, very helpful, I'm definitely going to try it.

I have about 8 titles for my current WIP, and my favorite changes from week to week and from one person's advice to another.

I think the title will reflect the audience. Since I'm writing sequel versions directed at teens and children, those titles will use language appropriate to that age group.

I write fiction, mostly in the fantasy genre, and I think titling a fantasy novel is often easier than most other genres.

I'm not keen on the idea of writing trilogies, just for the sake of it, but my latest work in progress has expanded into being more readable split between two books. In addition, an original idea I had led to the possiblity of a sequel of sorts.

The working titles I'm using are "The Bloodlines of the Magi" for the first book, "The Heirs of the Magi" for the second and "The Rebirth of the Magi" for the third.

I think the 'of the Magi' theme that runs throughout the series holds up especially well for fantasy. 'the heirs of' is telegraphing that it's a continuation of an earlier book, and 'the rebirth of' just cries out that it's a sequel.

As a reader, I've always found these 'micro-synopses' very attractive in fantasy series. So I'm hoping that my working titles will eventually become published titles; I think they'll encourage sales to new readers and returning readers alike.

What do you think?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post! I know the title I've slapped on my current wip is not right at all. It sounds way too serious for the light tone of my M/S, so I'm going to work through this process and find something that fits better.

I'm definitely not committed to my title. Especially after my thought process around a recent book purchase. I was drawn to the book because of the title. It made me want to find out what the book was about and turns out, it was something I'd definitely like to read. I read. I loved it. LOVED. Will read it over and over again.

Then I find out the book was originally sold under a different title. And while the original title was relevant, I never would have pursued it.

This makes perfect sense, Rachelle, but how can we convey in a query letter to an agent that we're more than willing to market our books? Agent blogs say it's premature to discuss sales & marketing plans in a query. If so, how can we convey our willingness and ability to market ourselves and our books *before* we get an offer? Is it OK to mention a PR/marketing background in a query or when is it appropriate? Please advise--thanks.

Please excuse if this is just bothersome. But this post brought it to mind: I have not informed a publisher nor an agent of this, but I have asked blog questions telling partial details; and I was amazed at the answers I recieved. I'm anon; so I'll be blunt.

Parts of my writing have made the rounds. A president in the Southern Bapt. Con. read some and required all his subordiates to read it. On TV he made a public 180 turn because of my writing. A vice president of CBN read some and offered to put me on the 700 club tv show about my book. He called repeatedly. A director of a world wide facet of CBN and his wife read some and came to my house repeatedly; speading news of my forthcoming book to influencial people. A high positioned man in Campus Crusade for Christ called my book THE BOOK for today in America, and called me repeatedly about it. Several reputable people in aspects of publishing, with no alterior motives, said my book should sell a million easily. My list could go on. I am amazed if info like that would not be compelling to agents or publishers when I do approach them. I know agents want to see a good work...but doesn't that kind of info indicate a book is easily promotable? Actually, I'm only curious because of an answer I recieved before from someone.

Thanks Rachelle, yet another practical and informative blog.

That's an eye-opener!!!

Thanks so much for this, Rachelle. It really clarifies the massive investment publishers make in their products. No wonder it's a cut-throat business. Each book is essentially a huge gamble and the publisher needs to hedge their bets. Helps me see things from the publisher's point of view. I certainly want to be one of those authors they can count on to help with marketing etc. And I have a new appreciation for those with best-sellers. :)

If they are investing this type of money into what is sitting on the shelves today, then I have second thoughts about whether the industry should die.

All the more reason to strive to right a killer book! Each and every time. Wow. Insane how much money is involved in the process!

I'm hit with a momentary flash of how completely ARROGANT we are as writers, asking our publishers to make that kind of investment in us. But then it passes ... and I am giddy knowing that someone (anyone, really) has made that kind of leap of faith with me! So much to be grateful for this morning, Rachelle! Thank you for the reminder.

"If the cover price is $25.00 and the net price is $11.25, then the breakeven point is around copies."

How many?

I calculate 8,000.

Anon - you probably no longer have first publisher rights to sell, that makes it less interesting for publishers.

As always, a great and very informative post for those of us just getting started. Here is my question: how many publishers expect you to use your advance to pay for your own marketing, PR and/or book tours?

I have heard various people on the internet talk about how much publishers are looking for authors to self-finance and self-promote. In your experience, how much of that is true?

That's a chunk of money! I guess I can't sit here and say, "I'm totally worth 50 grand..." but then we all work at jobs where we get paid that plus or minus for a year of work... and sometimes I scratch my head and say, "Wow, am I really worth THAT?" so it's not a whole lot different.

So I think just as I put my whole heart into my day job to "earn my keep" I'd do the same with writing. IF they're willing to invest in me, then I'm willing to put my heart into it and do my very best too.

Wow, thanks for sharing these numbers. It made me sit up straighter this morning and realize how much responsibility I have in the process.

Good morning, Harsh Reality- happy Wednesday.

Incidentally, I have no way of knowing if my book is worth 50-90K. Perhaps I could throw in a Sham-Wow or a Snuggie to make everything worth while.

Sincerely,
Hopes and Dreams

Oh, man. My book comes out next year, and I thought I was nervous before.....Now I know why writers drink ;-) This is actually really helpful information, though, because it's instructive to get a sense of what kind of sales our publishers are anticipating - as well as the immense burden on us to make sure it happens.

Thanks for this info, Rachelle. I didn't realise that the investment was so high. Yes, it does make complete sense that publishers would be extremely choosey. It makes me want to give even more in my stories as perhaps the writer's who give the most to reader have the greatest success. Tolkien, for example, gave a world completely realised and a plot that was rich and complex.

Sorry to keep making fantasy references on a blog where fantasy isn't a genre of interest. I'm here for the Christian aspect, but I love fantasy as well.

Great post, Rachelle. I think it is very easy for us, as writers, to slip into a world of "me me me." This is MY story, MY characters, MY hard work, the most important thing in MY life. But there are so many other people involved and we all need to work on taking ourselves out of the equation sometimes so that our work is worthy and can stand on its own.

Do you have a reference as to how these amounts change when one is looking at publishing in an ebook format? How much of an investment is it to put an author out there electronically? Thanks!

what I don't get is why publishers pay advances. It doesn't make sense to me. No where else do you get paid up front (unless you're a classy lawyer).

I have an "opinion" answer on the "why pay advances" thing. I mean, I know there's a ton of reasons, but for perspective, think of a, um, manufacturer (I know there will be holes in this analogy so bear with me!)

They have to buy the materials to make the product. They also have to invest time/money in development, research, quality testing, and a ton of other things before they even begin making the product.

I see authors as the "development, research, and the initial quality testing" of the product. We research and develop it (write the book)... and are guaranteed a payment for our time. AKA the advance. Our "pay" is based on how much the company thinks our work is worth (aka how many books they think they can sell.)

The big difference is... if we end up being worth MORE than that... we get a chunk of the profits (aka royalty after you earn out the advance)

And that, my friends, is profit-sharing.

I've never really thought of an advance as upfront. They're paying you for time you've already put into writing the book as well as time you're spending on the edits they want. It's a paycheck like any other, at least as far as I'm concerned. Of course that might just be my way of preemptively justifying for when I don't get a huge one. :P

Anon, no matter how much good word you have on your book prior to submitting, that still doesn't guarantee the book will sell. Plenty of "sure things" have bombed for a variety of reasons. The point is, you can never know until a book does well, if it actually will.

I recall reading somewhere that the average number of sales across all published books (don't think this includes ebooks) is somewhere between 5 and 6 thousand copies. So, on average publishers aren't even hitting break even. And we wonder why the count so heavily on the big sellers.

Super-informative, Rachelle. Thank you! One thing that shocked me a couple years ago was how much advertising costs the publisher. One of my books was in some catalog once, and the ad spot cost the publisher THOUSANDS of dollars. EEK!

What I've noticed from reading this blog for a while, is that it seems writers have a similar chance of being published as do athletes making pro status. It makes me sad to see some writers working so hard for so long chasing a dream. That said, it seems to me those writers should make bigger efforts to realize a smaller dream first, like submitting numerous magazine articles, etcccc. That could help them in many ways; either from success or lack thereof.
So my opinion is that we should all OBEY the Bible by DOING what it commands. Then God will see your good works...and HE may choose to help you toward your writing dreams.

Wow, I guess I hadn't ever really thought about the investment of the publisher before.

It always seem like authors are whining about how they aren't appreciated enough, how hard it is to break into the industry etc. but looking at it from this standpoint... it's simply not surprising.

Love your blog!

Thanks for the information, Rachelle. I hadn't realized quite how much it costs the publisher per book. Definitely a good reason to write the best book possible and do what you can to get the word out about it.

Wow. This was an eye opener. I had never thought of it as asking a for an investment of a large amount of money. That is a great perspective to have when querying. Everyone should read this!

I've got a question. Many professionals in the industry have said the majority of their published books DON'T earn out their advances, and, as you pointed out, their big writers pay the way for their "little" writers. My question is this: doesn't that suggest the books the pros select either are niche market books (nothing wrong with that in my opinion)or that possibly they aren't the books people want to read? Or maybe the marketing schemes aren't effective?

I'd love the opportunity to become a marketing machine for my book. That's part of the process I'm looking forward to. I'm highly competitive by nature and I say bring it. I'll comply with whatever marketing the publisher provides but I plan on eclipsing whatever that may be. They shall know my velocity ;)

I so appreciate the cost breakdown. So eye-opening! I never realized what a gamble the publisher is actually taking on first time writers. Thanks for another point of view.

I'm surprised publishers admit they fail businesswise with the majority of the books. I would think they would have learned more how to choose books that do sell great: after 50 publishers rejected it.
It is apparent there is a lot of arrogance with many in publishing; i guess it's because of the hoards of writers chasing them continuously. Yet it's good to see some in high positions that are humble.

"Are you committed to participating in marketing so that your book has a better chance of selling?"
I'm committed to participating in marketing, but I am not a naturally aggressive or competitive person, nor am I really a "marketer" at heart.

I've got a good quality novel that resonates with people in my target demographic (or at least that is what my online critique group says). I am trying to build my platform (through Facebook and my blog). I've worked hard at my craft and am actively submitting short stories to literary journals (one has been accepted).

But I have become discouraged over the marketing aspect because my personality isn't a "get out there and sell, sell, sell" type, and I have limited energy due to chronic fatigue syndrome. Are publishers willing to work with someone like me?

JDuncan,
You are sooo right: "sure things" can be a flop. However, Astounding things also happen. I was golfing with a friend, and we were both 150 yards from the hole. One of us told the other, "we WILL both shoot a hole-in-one right now. Both balls, although not GOOD shots, went flying and into the hole. The odds were probably 500 million to 1. I have seen God do astounding things with odds of billions to one.
So writers: Do things God's way; and put total trust in Him. HE will be aware of your obedience. And He will be there for you.

Yet another way publishers try to devalue an author and their work. Writers are just as valuable (if not more so) than a "classy lawyer." We're creating, developing and executing an idea, then marketing it ourselves. Geeez, we've all worked at regular and/or professional jobs before--why *shouldn't* we get paid well for doing a good job? We deliver a product they desperately need, and we're supposed to feel grateful and not ask for an advance? This is a business, not volunteer work.

I've never seen it put in these terms, although I had some low-level consciousness about this.

Fantastic post. Thanks, Rachelle.

Thanks for the great input! I had a friend's daughter interview me about writing and publishing today, and on one of her questions, I referred her to yesterday's post. I hope she sees today's post too!

Having my debut novel published by a small press, I have learned a lot about the publishing and bookseller business -- and in learning these things (asking questions, paying attention, visiting blogs such as this who post about publishing/agents/etc)....I feel honored to have been published . . . not that I felt entitled before because I did not, but, knowing how things work makes me feel 'lucky' (or maybe another word is better) indeed to have been picked up.

The small press's costs are lower, but relatively speaking it is the same risks because they are small!

thank you for a great post.

Terrific post! Thanks for breaking it down for us.

Thanks for sharing the numbers in this and the previous post. I'm curious what the numbers are like for mass-market paperbacks in the fiction area, and why in these times of cost-cutting and lower discretionary income for readers, the mass-market format hasn't been tried more in CBA fiction. Is it because of lower profit margins requiring a massive number of sales to break even?

I honestly never thought about how much it cost publishers to publish a book. I knew they had to put out money and that's why they were hesitant to sign just anyone. However, seeing the numbers and knowing the typical investment makes me want to produce quality work so that when the time comes, I can feel good about having a publisher invest that much money in me and my work. And yes, I am more than willing to help sell my book.

Thank you for this insightful post.

Jen

I knew they spent a lot but never had an idea of how much!

I do wonder the same thing as Sarah Templeton did above: how much would this amount change for publishing eBooks?

Great post...I'm wondering who doesn't know that the publishing industry revolves around money. I guess it's the same group of people who put glitter in their query letters.

Writing is wonderful. But be honest... Everyone who writes (if they look deep into their hearts) wants to be successful/published/read by many. When companies invest money into their employees they want/hope for/expect a return on their investment. Publishing is no different than any other industry. You have to get past the interview. You have to be good at your job. You have to work hard and want to be successful.

One other thing I think you must be is...informed. Learn as much as you can.

Here's my disclaimer: I am a "retired" teacher. I have been published once (so far) and do NOT send glitter in my queries. I work at my craft most days. I want everyone to be successful, but just like sports we won't all make it to the NBA.

Rachelle, I'm not trying to be insensitive. Buisness is buisness. Good investments = good pay offs for all.

If its worth having, its worth going the extra mile or so to get it.One must believe in themself to become successful in life,"If your mind can concieve it, you can achieve it."

To become a successful published writer,whether it's published by a major publisher or self-published,p.o.d., the first thing the writer must become aware of is that their job description takes on a meaning of its own.
You are now the author, composer, writer,editor,printer,typesetter,financier,promoter,advertiser,warehouser,shipper,publisher,accoutant,business manager,decision maker, public relations,legal consultant,and whatever other leg work is required, etc, this is just to name a few hat that are 2b worn to become successful in the world of books.

You provide a lot of good points to someone that walks into this type of business with open eyes.

Thank you for you insight, To be aware of the steps you must take, will help the road you take be that much smoother. 'C' "If you don't know what you are up against, you can't know what to do about it." I will bookmark this,and pass it on to others seeking this type of knowledge, I know it helps me.

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Rachelle, I just found your blog yesterday (November 11, 2009) through Michael Hyatt's retweet of this story. I am a developmental editor with Strang Book Group and I found your article very good. This is something I think all new authors should be made aware of. It takes hard work and team work on both ends to make a book successful. Thank you for sharing this valuable information.