People often ask me about titles. The assumption seems to be that it's something I choose all by myself, and sometimes people don't think they fit well.
Um... very few of my books make it to print with the title I started with. In fact, almost none. A lot of people are involved in the process, from editors to salespeople. I don't know all the factors that go into the process. I just get the e-mail that says "We need a different title."
Sometimes I get suggestions to use a particular word, sometimes the editors offer ideas, and sometimes I get little guidance at all. It varies.
But it is absolutely my least favorite thing. Coming up with a title is hard at the beginning of the process. It becomes even harder later, and often winds up leaving me a tad confused about which book is which.
The thing I hate most is when the title is changed before a book is finished. The title, to me, sets the tone of the story. To have it changed in midstream is like a huge creative yank, and it affects the rest of the writing. At least after the book is done I don't feel that way anymore.
In fact, a few times, in order to avoid that yank in midstream of having a title changed, I've simply used "Untitled" in a proposal, or at the beginning of a book. After all, the chances are about 98% that it's going to have to change anyway, so why sweat it before typing that first sentence?
I can spend days trying to come up with a title. If I have to come up with a group of them for people to choose among for a particular book, it's downright agonizing.
Titling is hard, hard work for me. Often harder than writing the entire book. Go figure!
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