Titles

I'm happy to say that my latest project is almost ready to send off to agents. Yay!
This book is nothing like I've done before. It's not fantasy, it's not YA Horror, and it's not MG. It's a YA with a taste of supernatural and a lot of thrills. There's love, murder, high school tension, and a villain I love to hate.
About a year into the project, I decided on the perfect title and went with it. I loved that title. It matched the tone of the book perfectly until...
Until someone critiquing the book asked me if I was against changing the title.
What? I was floored.
Although I told the person I wasn't against changing the title, in my mind I fought the question. No way. No how. This was my baby and changing the title was impossible. Finally, after a few more rounds of edits, I came to realize that the title was holding back the book. Yep, the title was the problem.
So I changed the title and it completely changed the book and potentially the series. It allowed me to massage little details into the manuscript that added depth and character to certain scenes. Changing the title helped me to better understand the main character's motivation and define what he was fighting for.
I loved the old title, but adore the new one. Can't wait to share it.

Happy Reading

~ Jamie