by Derek Armstrong, author of, let's see MADicine (one word), The Game (two), The Last Troubadour (three)…(and climbing?)

Novel titles are like clothes. They follow trends and fashions and they get longer and shorter, reveal more, then less. As a marketing professional who has "led" in new ideas in publishing and book marketing since 1988 (for various large publishing companies), I've always preached the almightiest of all marketing rules: Thou Shalt Have a GREAT Title. Without a great title, years of work can be wasted.

Short Thrilling Titles Gone?
For the last few years, the bestsellers lists have been dominated by thrilling, short titles that said little but seemed to promise crisp pace and excitement. Perhaps the over saturation of titles in a 1.2 million-titles-in-print, will change all that.

One word titles are so “out” now, perhaps because an online search nets too many identical hits, or perhaps because they are out of fashion. Stephen King brought it on with IT and Dreamcatcher and other thriller authors dove in with Rabid and Jaws and James Patterson’s snippy titles such as Sail and Jester. Of course there were the classics such as Lolita and Ulysses. (Now, you've got to give credit to a blogger who dares put Lolita and Ulysses in one sentence!)

Growth Hormones in Titles?
Lately, perhaps because of issues of similarity, the titles have grown back up to two and three word bites, with the bestseller lists dominated by plays such as: The Quickie and Simple Genius and of course all of Janet Evanovich’s eternally two word titles, such as Fearless Fourteen.

But The Classics Probably Had it Right!
Classically (and in fashion, classics always return, right?) we favored longer titles. Titles such as A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Memory Keeper’s Daughter seem to indicate the fashion trend is moving back to classic. After all, they're hugely memorable. Who can forget:

* Gone With the Wind
* Up the Down Staircase
* From Here to Eternity
* Splendor in the Grass
* For Whom the Bell Tolls
* The Lord of the Rings
* A Dance with Dragons
* War of the Worlds
* The Pillars of the Earth
* To Kill a Mockingbird

Even Longer? You Asked For It...
Many hot titles are much longer than four words or five, and have caused reader rants and complaints in some cases, but there is little doubt the trend is going long again. And who can argue with the success of A FareWell to Arms or The Sun Also Rises? Ernest Hemmingway was the king of four word titles, and with good reason. Did any other author command such recall from such poetically perfect titles?

Longer Titles Back in Fashion?
So, what’s with the new bevy of longer and longer titles. Do they work? I’d like to invite your comments on these new trends. Here are some popular titles that are inevitably pulling us towards longer and longer titles. In some ways, they sound hip, cool, even catchy. But can anyone remember them?

Quite a Mouthful
In Sloan Crosley’s cool “Quite a Mouthful” blog he cited: "Lucinda Rosenfeld's wonderful What She Saw in Roger Mancuso, Günter Hopstock, Jason Barry Gold, Spitty Clark, Jack Geezo, Humphrey Fung, Claude Duvet, Bruce Bledstone, Kevin McFeeley, Arnold Allen, Pablo Miles, Anonymous 1-4, Nobody 5-8, Neil Schmertz, and Bo Pierce. A title that can be absorbed for the bargain count of…36 words.  Is it any wonder that recent major fiction debuts have been called And Then We Came to the End and Special Topics in Calamity Physics?”

Other hot examples of long titles cited by Sloane:

* Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?
* Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight
* I Love You More Than You Know
* You Don't Love Me Yet
*I Love You, Beth Cooper.

My own titles go with the fashions. My earliest, The Game, was two short words, but nearly impossible to find against sports titles on Amazon. Then, MADicine, easier to find, but one word. The Last Quest and The Last Troubadour are three words each. Other Kunati Titles range from one word, such as Callous, to a lengthy Mothering Mother, A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir. Putting aside nonfiction, and long subtitles, Kunati titles run the full spread, all very memorable, but trending longer:

• bang BANG
• Bathtub Admirals
• Belly of the Whale
• Courage in Patience
• A Decent Ransom
• Heart of Diamonds
• Hunting the King
• Janeology
• The Last Troubadour
• The Last Quest
• The Master Planets
• Miracle Myx
• Nuclear Winter Wonderland
• On Ice
• Recycling Jimmy
• The Secret Ever Keeps
• Shadow of Innocence
• Toonamint of Champions
• Truth or Bare
• Unholy Domain
• Whale Song
• Women of Magdalene

Our 2009 titles seem to be pushing into the five to seven word range.

What Do YOU Think?
I’d love to hear comments from readers, authors, agents, librarians and booksellers. What do you think of longer titles? What’s hip right now? What’s just right?


Posted by: Derek Armstrong

During my career as author, I've had four agents, two publishers and many, many "please sends." It was a long, long journey to success, and patience is really called for, but I'll share what I've learned as an author.

My master plan as author, back in 1993 was to pitch a NONFICTION project that no one could resist. Get published. Then use my credential to get an agent. Up until then, I had good success with "please sends" from agents but I'd get variations on "loved your book, but not for us." (Those were the polite ones).

Thank goodness I had a background in marketing, and my living was established, because as a writer (other than as an ad copywriter - my day job) I'd be starving. Plus, I parlayed my marketing expertise into my non-fiction project.

I learned five lessons from my fifteen year journey:

LESSON ONE: Unsolicited Proposals to publishers work! Yipee!

1. I received FIVE please sends from publishers, and a SIMON & SCHUSTER editor PHONED ME (I remember that day... I was in the Apple Store buying my first Mac laptop... a big, happy day all around). While I was fishing for my credit card, she phoned and made me a pre-emptive offer with a $65,000 advance.
2. Of course I didn't think about it. I probably should have, because I did get two other offers.
3. So, here's the lesson I learned: NO agents responded to my query, even months later. FIVE publishers gave please sends. Simon & Schuster bought by phone with a big advance.

So, to me, this meant: agents aren't necessary to get published, even with the big five. That lesson stuck with me. I think my advance was probably as high as any agent would have secured.

I did parlay my nonfiction project into many "please sends" for my fiction projects, which resulted in ten years of with agents who couldn't close my novels. I assumed I needed an agent because every book and expert gave variations on: "Fiction writers must have an agent or they will never be published."

So I locked myself up with agent after agent.

LESSON TWO:
Top agents can be closed by authors, but do you want to? They all gave variations on "love this book, this will sell."

But, as it turned out, (and I'm generalizing a bit) these top agents seemed only interested in the top five publishers. Now, once one of these agents pitches and loses to these top five, the next big agent has no chance. It's been pitched already. It's dead.

So, agent after agent I fired. I found new ones. Similar stories. Finally, all the top agents were gone. The big lesson... they don't pitch to the indy's and they only want the big deal.

SO. That suggests smaller agent right? NOT REALLY.

LESSON THREE:
Smaller agents have no great chance of getting you read than YOU DO. I've learned that, too. That's lesson three. Most indie publishers will read without agented sumissions.

Finally, I peeled off and represented myself. I started submitting to INDIES (like Kunati, but, of course, back then Kunati didn't exist... small publishers with vision, though. I had many please sends from indy's. So, who cares if it's not Simon & Schuster.

LESSON FOUR:
Publishers expect authors to market themselves, even the big publishers. Smaller publishers tend to partner with authors (with a better possible outcome, if the author is a hard-working promoter).

So, I came to believe, with near religious zeal, that Indy's are the way to go for DEBUT authors. The advances are small but you save a lot of time by submitting WITHOUT an agent, and if they sign you, you've built a direct pipeline to the publisher, editor-in-chief, marketing people... it's wonderful.

LESSON FIVE:
The only secret is to "take control of your own destiny." If you sign with an agent, make it short term and control the relationship. if you are debut, I'd suggest you try the indy's first -- and built your brand and author name. Larger publishers will remember your first book when considering your second. Learn the lessons on your debut novel with a publisher who will support, nurture and work with you and help you:
- do events
- speaking engagements (this is why I got the big advance above)
- blog
- arrange  signings
- radio publicity
- press releases.

You'll never be disspointed if you research, plan and take charge of your own careers. Agents can't do that. Neither can publishers. But, most of my author friends seem to believe agents and publishers make or break authors. It has never been so. You make or break your career.

Posted by: Derek Armstrong

What could be cooler than opening my overflowing mail box, answering a few authors, and sharing my responses with the world? Of course, names are not included, but I think these authors won’t mind sharing their important questions.

For the most part, I believe my answers reflect a typical indie publisher’s response—if they have time to respond at all. We do try to always respond quickly to inquiries and as fast as we can on queries. So, let’s have some fun:

Reader Question: “Which is more important, reader reviews and opinions or professional reviews?”

My Answer: “I’ll have to hedge my bets on this one. Trade reviews from ForeWord, Publishers Weekly and Booklist are vital in launching a title, but we find that ultimately reader buzz and online reader reviews carry the most weight in the shelf-life and ultimate sales of our titles. Even customers who buy in bricks and mortar stores will research online reader reviews at online stores. We find readers—based on informal anecdotal evidence—will happily read through 80 reader reviews before making a decision.

Author Query: “Dear Agent, I am seeking representation….”

Ummm… bite your tongue, Derek, bite your sarcastic tongue! I’m sure my replies were quite civil (I hope!) but this is really not the way to invite a “please send” when querying a publisher. We get this one a lot. Please take the time to research my name, or at least write “Dear Editor or Dear Publisher…”

Fan Query: “Why did you decide to publish The Last Troubadour novels as three books set one year apart in release dates? I'm telling everyone to read, but I’m a little annoyed that you’re making me wait a year. What happened to Ramon Troubadour?”

My Answer: “Annoying is my middle name. Sorry. As publisher, we felt a 1400 page book might be a little bit too heavy for the average weight-lifting reader. Never fear. Fall is not long off. Thank you for the compliment, but I’ll never tell, on pain of death, what happened to Ramon Troubadour….”

Author Question: "Is there something you’d like to see submitted that hasn’t yet dropped into your lap?"

"I have to tell you…I love your strategy and insight…What I’d really like to know…Is there anything in particular (subject-wise) that you haven’t yet found ? Is there something you’d like to see submitted that hasn’t yet dropped into your lap?...Here’s my problem—I’d like to know what genre is selling right now, and what isn’t. What type of fiction can actually cause a “buzz”? Or…is it only nonfiction that is on the publisher’s mind at this time?"

My Answer: “At Kunati, we haven't yet felt the urge to assign, since we're riding a tsunami of submissions as it is right now. I suppose if we did assignments, it would inevitably be in nonfiction, which is the area most publishers count on to "pay the bills." Fiction is more a passion and love, and the nonfiction helps pay for our addiction to good fiction.

“Because fiction is about passion and love, we really can't assign. It has to be driven by the author's passion, heart, interest or experience (a lot of publishers actually phone prospective authors to probe them on their life experiences—it's that important to credibility in a novel—and this is ALWAYS done in Hollywood for scriptwriters). I couldn't in conscience direct you to a genre or subject for fiction. You have to navigate your own passions.

“Buzz in fiction is always historical. Just when you think you know what's hot right now, suddenly everyone's buzzing something else. And since publishing is always months behind the market, due to editing and printing, trade reviews and distribution, you'll never be ahead of the buzz. By the time the "me toos" come out, as we saw with The Da Vinci Code, it's already too late. So I can only advise you to follow your passion, blend in a good dollop of life experience, and have fun with it. That will show, and it will, in the end, find a home.

Agent Question: “As an agent, I represent several top authors. Can I expect Kunati to review my manuscripts as a priority over unagented submissions? Do you accept simultaneous submissions?”

My Answer: “Not the answer you’ll want to hear, but we give no priority to agented submissions. We do respect the professionalism and selection process and rigor you deploy, and we expect quality. The review, once started, might be slightly faster simply because you probably researched carefully our preferences and the market comparables. But we do not read agented submissions ahead of unagented. They are read in the order they are received. Yes, we accept simultaneous provided you mention this in the cover.”

Author Question: "How long does it usually take to get a response?"

"I submitted two queries to you, the bold and provocative press, thinking you were looking for real controversial stuff. Haven't heard from you either on…How long does it usually take to get a response? Let me know, because I like your press a lot."

My Answer: “Since we don't require agents, we have to read thousands of submissions (literally), so lately it's been months rather than weeks. You can politely follow up a month or two after submission if you haven't heard, but be cautioned that you must provide the DATE (exact) of your original query PLUS your original email (if you use multiple emails, and you give us the wrong one, we will not find your submission on a search)…”

Posted by: Derek Armstrong

A guest blog by Kunati's editor in chief, James McKinnon

Playing the role of acquisitions editor in a small publishing house can be very rewarding. I get to read submissions from authors all around the world on every imaginable subject, fiction and non. For someone who loves to read, it's a dream job.

Well, perhaps I should clarify. Not all submissions are created equal. There are rather more submissions that end up rejected than accepted. Being rejected doesn't necessarily mean the submission isn't of high quality, of course. Years ago there was a television show called The Waltons. On it, John-boy Walton was an aspiring author. In one episode he received a rejection letter from a publisher and he was dejected. His wise old grandmother said wisely, when I go shopping for gingham, I don't buy lace, no matter how pretty it is. This has stayed with me ever since. Authors who are rejected by a particular publisher should keep it in mind. You might have been rejected because you submitted lace when what they wanted was gingham.

Which brings me to the topic at hand. Here, in no particular order, are a few ways you can improve your chances of getting your work published.

Be professional.
The more professional you look the more willing the editor will be to give you his much-sought-after time. In the case of my publishing house, Kunati, we accept submissions from unpublished, unrepresented authors and we accept them by email. This is almost unheard of in the industry. It gives writers unprecedented access to a publisher. But it does not give writers the right to toss off a poorly written, badly spelled, incomplete query that shows a total lack of respect for the person reading it. Me.

Instead, compose your query carefully with emphasis on the book, not on yourself. State simply and clearly what it is about, what it is called, how long it is, why you think it should be published and why you think it should be published by the particular publisher you have queried. On this latter point you need to have done a little research so that you do not send lace to a gingham buyer. As obvious as it may seem, be sure that you send your query about an illustrated book of garden flowers to a publisher who publishes that type of book. Failing to follow this simple rule will guarantee a rejection. And who needs rejection?

Be sure that your query and other materisls have been checked for spelling, grammar and punctuation. You are a writer. Demonstrate as much in everything you write. Do you think an editor will be impressed by a query full of errors? Or do you think the editor will say to himself, if I take on this "writer," I will be making more work for myself, correcting all his errors?

Follow submission guidelines
Every publisher and literary agency has its own guidelines. Read them before you send anything. Don't send a complete manuscript if the guidelines stipulate three chapters. Don't send hard copy if the publisher (Kunati) prefers electronic. If the submission guidelines request a synopsis, include one. And here's a little secret: nobody likes to read a synopsis. They are almost invariably boring and badly written, but they're necessary, sort of. Speaking entirely personally here, I hardly read them. I skim to look for main plot points, main characters, a sense of beginning, middle and end. And this is important: include the ending of your novel in the synopsis. Don't be coy and think that you're going to tease the editor into asking for your manuscript. Tell me how your story ends so I'll know that you know how to tell a story with a reasonable, logical conclusion. And keep it short. If you send me a ten-page synopsis I guarantee you will put me in a bad mood. Is this what you want from your potential best friend?

Be careful when you "follow up"
This point pertains particularly to my work at Kunati, but I'm sure there are equivalents in other author-editor relationships. Because we accept email submissions, we get a lot. Really. A lot. I keep them in folders with labels such as November Queries, Active Consideration, Non-Fiction and so on. If you have queried Kunati and wish to do a follow-up because you haven't heard from us in "six months," be sure to send your follow-up from the same address as your original query came from, and be sure to include the exact date of the original query. This is important because when an author emails me a follow-up, it makes me feel guilty. When I feel guilty, I must make the guilt go away by whatever means. So I will search for that original query until I find it, and then respond. If I cannot find the original query, I will feel even more guilty, thinking that I might have deleted it, or somehow lost it. At this point I will respond to the author doing the follow-up and apologize for not being able to find the original query. If the follow-up author then replies— "Oh, did I say March? I meant July. And by the way, I've got a different email address now. Could that have something to do with it?"--which emotion do you think will replace the aforementioned guilt?

Posted by: Derek Armstrong