Help Me Choose the BEST Title for my Next Book!

Category: Weekly Columns

What do you think is the BEST title for my forthcoming book about my cross-country trip taking my son to college?

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  • ginavalley

    As you know, I am honest to a fault.  I really don’t like any of those titles.  I wish I had a good suggestion, but I don’t know what would be better, as I wasn’t along on the trip and haven’t read the book. “How I Cured My Empty Nest Blues In 3000 Miles And 8 Days” sounds like a decent subtitle to me, but too clumsy for the eye-grabbing, sale-making title.  

    You are fun.  I’m guessing your book is fun and poignant.  You need a fun title.  

    What are some goofy things that happened on the trip? Did you drive off with your shoes on the roof? (Setting My Shoes and My Worries Free In Phoenix)   Did your son eat hamburgers for EVERY meal?  (24 Burgers To Parental Piece of Mind)  Did you see what appeared to be the same dog in three different cities? (One Magic Dog, 3000 miles, and 2 Men Laughing)   Did you feel especially tight with your son somewhere? (Setting My Son Free at Mile 273)  How  much did you spend on gas? (I Sold My Empty Nest Blues For $450 and a New of Pair Boots)  What happened at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame?  (Rocking n Rolling With My Son Chased Away My Blues)Obviously, none of these apply. Just wanted to illustrate some ideas.

    • http://www.brucesallan.com Bruce Sallan

      TY Gina – I’m still wide open to the BEST title. I like “The Long Strange Trip” as a first part of the title because it has mystery and includes something that occurred on the trip. I wish I could come up with the best, punchiest title – I’m usually good at that. But, this is my best so far and we’re publishing next month, so time IS of the essence! 

  • Steve Kolander

    How I lost the nest egg and then the nest.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_EC2MGKXJLM7XLDMDWO4AQAYE64 EagleHawk

    I didn’t like any very much, but chose How I Cured because it was the only that really hinted at what the book was about.  “The Long Strange Trip” variations suggest The Grateful Dead, so are bad choices for that reason.

    • http://www.brucesallan.com Bruce Sallan

      We visited the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame and I took a photo of my son in front of a sign that said “The Long Strange Trip” because there was a Grateful Dead special exhibit showing then! I like the mystery of it, but need the right subtitle? Maybe, “The Long Strange Trip: Losing my Empty Nest Blues on the Road?”

  • http://twitter.com/BarryBirkett Barry Birkett

    I like “The Long Strange Trip: Curing Empty Nest…” because it is so descriptive and really two titles.  You can talk about it as “Long Strange Trip” but that doesn’t give any indication what it’s about, but the rest does that part.  Yes, it’s a lot of words, but better than too few that don’t say enough to grab people.

    • http://www.brucesallan.com Bruce Sallan

      Thx Barry, I appreciate your opinion!

  • manvdadhood

    I can understand why “The Empty-Nest Road Trip Blues” has the most votes… It’s shorter and easier to remember.  However, #2 may be a better title because it has a memorable title, with a descriptive subtitle.   So I can talk about a book I’m reading to my friends called “The Long Strange Trip.” 

    My 2 cents. 

    • http://www.brucesallan.com Bruce Sallan

      That’s why I’m so torn! I love “The Long Strange Trip” but is it enough? So, then I’m looking at a subtitle which tells what it is about? Some combination MAY be the end choice!