If I Can't Think of a Title for This Post, How am I Gonna Think of One For My Book??? and other good stories...

I’ve been studying the market a lot recently trying to come up with a title for my book. I’m getting closer and closer to the publication date, but haven’t actually chosen a title yet. I’ve had some ideas, but have found it a little problematic when I consider them from a marketing standpoint. Plus, with the book being solely available as an e-book to begin with, the rules seem to be a little different.
The genre is paranormal romance, and of course, you have to take your audience into consideration, but you also have to consider what will sell books. What I’ve learned with the book titles and covers in this genre is that they are not scary or frightening. Usually the titles are vague, one word, and allude to things you won’t understand until you’ve read the book. Though the covers are visually interesting, they are equally vague.
I’ve been playing around with the one-word title thing, and seem to have gone down a silly path. My book takes place by the ocean, so I’ve been coming up with absurdly simple names like – "Rocks," "Seaweed," and "Starfish." Things that really have nothing to do with the book, and titles that I would probably pass over if I were the consumer.
That one word thing is harder than I thought.
On the other hand, going with a full-blown horror title and look seems like it would sell more books initially, but maybe scare away the people who should actually be reading the book.
So here’s the conundrum. Striking the right balance between horror and romance, so that both groups will know what the book's about.
But maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. The book should sell a few copies before I start worrying about alienating audiences.
I am having my cover designed by You Come Too Publishing’s graphic artist, and I’m really excited about how it’s turning out. The title… well, I'm still mulling it over.
The hours are ticking.

...Not Just Another Drop in the Ocean

So it's Sunday night. Feeling those same old familiar Sunday night shakes when I think about all the things I have to do tomorrow. Pay bills. Go to work. Obligations. And tonight, I can't stop listening to Summertime Rolls by Jane's Addiction.

Yep. It's definitely Sunday night. Dreading Monday, dreaming of quitting my job as a reporter and becoming a beach bum in Hawaii and learning how to surf. So it goes.

But hey, I've got February to look forward to. Because February is when I'm publishing my first horror book as an e-book. It's a zombie young adult paranormal romance book that I hope will make a killing (excuse the bad pun.) I'm not expecting success immediately. But I'm doing what I love, and I hope that success won't be too far behind.

I know I'm a little late to the blog game. A little late with all of that social media. I think I was close to the first wave of people who started using Facebook and Twitter. But lately, I've become disillusioned with all of it. I get sick of hearing about other people talking endlessly about their own lives -- hearing them complain constantly. It's just the nature of it, so I've taken a step back. Seeing if I can live without checking my Facebook account everyday (we'll see how that goes...)

So on that hypocritical note, I've decided to start a blog. A blog tracking the writers process. A diary of a working girl moving on up in the world. Hopefully moving on up to a a little beach side shack in Maui -- that's what I dream of. You know the movie, Islands in the Stream? You probably don't -- it's a little obscure (I spend a lot of time in the obscure.) It's an old one from the 70's that takes place in the Caribbean during World War II, starring George C. Scott (one of my very favorites) and David Hemmings and based on a Hemingway novel. The main character, Thomas Hudson, is an artist who lives on a beach in the Caribbean. He works making metal artwork, and sells in over on the mainland. My goal is to be Thomas Hudson, minus the complicated family issues and the raging war and metal sculptures. But to live on a tropical island and spend the days dedicated to writing. Maybe travel a bit. That's what I want. And that's what I'm determined to get.

So now that I've told you my dream, I hope you'll stay tuned for the journey. What I believe is that with persistence, you can live the life you always dreamed of. And I hope that I can be an example of that here.

So here I go. On the open road of the blogosphere. I hope we'll pass each other sometime. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you often!