Athletes expect to practice to sharpen and grow their gifts. Here's why writers need to adapt the same mindset.
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Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, titling your book can feel:
Easy (“I’ve known the perfect title since Day One.”)
Challenging (“There’s a working title but it doesn’t feel quite right yet.”)
SUPER HARD (“Kill me now—this is impossible.”)
For most, it falls between challenging and hands-up despair. Why do these few words create such turmoil when you’re able to otherwise craft entire books? It’s because a title is the work’s most hardworking calling card.
And while a bad cover may turn off a prospective buyer/reader, a bad title can bury your book.
No wonder it feels like a lot of pressure.
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I know it’s hard. It’s a little scary to put yourself and your words out there.
As creative people, thoughts and ideas are often pulling us in every direction…except forward. Sometimes we just need a little push.
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Read MoreCrafting the Introduction to a nonfiction book—especially for works of “prescriptive nonfiction” (e.g., how-to, self-help, anything offering advice or insight)—is often one of the hardest tasks writers face. There’s so much self-pressure to make it perfect that many a promising idea is paralyzed or abandoned before even reaching Chapter One. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating.
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