posted on February 25, 2014 by Jaycie Cash

Can a Book by Any Other Title Still Be as Funny?

mrsgoodfellerI need your advice.

I’m thinking about changing the title of my first novel. Much as I’ve always personally liked it, I have to face the facts: MRS. GOODFELLER has always had its problems.

Concern #1: People seem to have trouble remembering this title, possibly because it’s not a real word or maybe because it’s close to—but not quite—the title of a famous movie. Who knows? Not me.

Concern #2: There’s another book entitled MRS. GOODFELLOW. It’s a cookbook, not a novel, but folks suffering from Concern #1 apparently think they misunderstood their friend’s recommendation regarding a funny book and when they find this title don’t look further, so they miss MRS. GOODFELLER.

To give you a quick synopsis, my novel is the story of Elyse Smith. The Rodney Dangerfield of tiny Scissortail, Oklahoma, she never gets any respect. Until, that is, she stumbles across a photo in an old magazine and realizes her very sweet, though inept, insurance-salesman husband, Tony, looks exactly like Anthony Scarpelli, a one-time mafia hit man who went into the Witness Protection Program about the same time Tony showed up in Scissortail. Elyse decides to manipulate local gossip and convince folks that Tony is really Scarpelli, someone too dangerous not to show respect. Her plan works far too well and even Elyse comes to believe her own story. When a mob boss shows up to wreck vengeance against Scarpelli, whose testimony put him in prison, Tony and Elyse discover within the heroes they’ve always been.

New titles I’m considering (please remember this is humorous suspense) include:

  • Witness Projections
  • Wise Guise
  • Mob Jinx
  • Scarpelli’s Score

If you have a better suggestion I’d LOVE to learn it.

If someone recommends a title I end up using, I’ll email that individual a free copy of the eBook when it’s released with the new title and will also give credit to him or her under “Acknowledgements.”

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANOTHER TITLE TO SUGGEST, I’D ALSO APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME KNOW WHICH OF THE ABOVE YOU LIKE BEST.  A FREE COPY OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, MRS. GOODFELLER WILL BE RANDOMLY AWARDED TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES A COMMENT BELOW BEFORE THE NEXT WRITERSPACE BLOG IS POSTED.

jayciecash.com

2 thoughts on “Can a Book by Any Other Title Still Be as Funny?”

  1. Tracey Parker says:

    Witness Projections is my choice. Sounds like a good book!

    1. Jaycie says:

      Thanks so much for letting me know, Tracey. I appreciate it!

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