Get it while you can AND a contest, maybe

Here's your chance to play editor!
Give that book a title.
Test your skills as a editorial and/or marketing peon.

your questions, answered:

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, KATE?
Because I've tested my skills and they suck.**

WHY #2?

I'm going to buy a new cover for The Ratcatcher. Mostly because I love Kimberly Killion's business. And I'm fond of this book.

This means the final product is going cost me money. Which, in turn, means I'm going to stop giving it away for free. Of course there are a gazillion free copies of the thing floating around, and this is a useless exercise, but why not? Hey? Well?

WHY #3?

I'm more likely to sell more copies if I give the book a new title because the title Ratcatcher actually sucks, according to everyone who knows these things. There are no rats, there is no ratcatcher (which disappointed a number of people) and the title is as romantic as Pesticide.


WHY #4?

This seemed like fun at the time. So far, I'm the only one who thinks that. If no one enters, I'll give myself that gift certificate and buy some ebooks. Carla Kelly has new one out I want. (And I might even give my book a new title on my own. Sigh.)


WHY SHOULD I BOTHER?

You want a gift certificate? Some free ebooks? It's easy! Just enter the contest and you'll be as likely to win as anyone.

HOW DO I PLAY?

Give me a new title. Post it below or email me at katerothwell at gmail.com

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, KATE?

Something fun and catchy and historical and romantic and . . . . Gawd, I hate this part of the process.

Generic Historical is out as a title, thanks anyway. Somebody [Something-or-another] might be okay since the story is very vaguely related to those books I wrote all those years ago, Somebody Wonderful and Somebody to Love.

Somebody Clueless would be good, because the heroine was raised in a vacuum, except that is neither historical nor romantic. Too bad Brave New World has been taken because she's as boggled as Miranda.

WHAT DO I GET?

Like I hinted above, if someone actually enters this kinda contest, I'll give you (at least one of you) 3 of my ebooks. If more than a five people enter, I'll give away a gift certificate, too. I'll be randomly picking a name of a winner. So really, enter any damn title and you're entered to win. I may not use any of the titles I get. I might have with a stroke of genius and find my own title. I doubt that one.

We'll say one grand prize winner will get $20 from Amazon, ok? Let's also say we have until January 5, which is when Kimberly will probably get antsy for a title.

That amount of time and that prize is more than most editorial interns'll get, let me tell you.

Yes. Okay. And this is obviously just for fun, not real promo, since I'm not trying to get you to purchase a book that'll make me money--at least not until it has a title and cover. Time is running out on these offers.

* * * *

Oh, right! If you're going to play editorial and/or marketing department, you might want some props to work with. You can read the book (available for free in PDF) or you can read the book sheet below.

My sheet is based on the dozen or so different types of art/cover copy sheets I’ve filled out over the years. I left off the synopsis (that always describes the story from start to finish) The art/marketing departments usually want an abbreviated version of that. I've added my very lame tag-line thingy. Feel free to improve that, while you're at it.

GENERIC EDITORIAL SHEET

Physical descriptions for hero and heroine go here, along with their GMC.
Unfortunately, it's been so long since I've read the book, I'll have to fill this in later.
Hero: Cutter. Um. A guy.
Heroine: Callie. She was raised by a reclusive, eccentric grandmother and has zero skills for survival.
Secondary characters, if they will relate to the cover or possible title: No, not really.

Tone of book (eg sensual? dark?): Sensual, sort of, though there is no actual sex, there is a lot of tension. It's a fluffy historical.

Cheesy description (called the "blurb"*** by ebook editorial types and "cover copy" by NYC types): (btw, feel free to make this more appealing. Try for catchy, okay? Good. And I'll take a coffee, cream no sugar, while you're up.)

A gaslight historical romance set in 1884 New York City. Innocent Callie Scott lived a sheltered life until she is trapped in a raid on a house of ill-repute. That's only the start of her run of bad-luck. Two days later, she must turn to help from the same detective who has already witnessed her at her worst: tipsy and behaving like a fool.

Officer Cutter doesn't need the complication of a well-bred innocent in his life, but he still finds himself offering her a job. He discovers he must now act as protector to the same young lady he desires--and who wants him.

* * * *

Yay! Thanks! Now, do my job for me!

If I can, I'll post the title-less cover here and that might help inspire you. Ass-backwards, as far I can figure out (title first, cover later), but that's fine.

_____________________

**I'm fine with other people's books, just incapable of titling/describing my own.

***Blurbs in NYC circles are actually those "Omigod I can't put it down!" quotes by Famous People or reviews.