Candy and I, we need your input. Please. Pretty please with man titty on top. Over the past two days we’ve been having the most zippy reply-all email conversation with Powerful People In Publishing about our title. Not our Smart Bitch Title™, our Book Title.
We have four options for our book title, and we can’t narrow it down. Our problem? We’re somewhat, ok, a LOT used to the phrase “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books” because we look at it every day. Some folks think that “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books” is the eye catching element we need as the primary title, and other folks think that it should be the subtitle.
So, we figured, we’ll ask you. You guys, judging from your l33t Help-a-Bitch-Out skillz, know just about damn near everything. So, would you give us your vote on our title? Which one do you think is eye-catching, or at least interesting enough that you’d be curious to find out more?
As a thank you, here’s a teaser for our cover art, which is phall-bulous. We’re still cracking up.
ETA: Thanks for your opinions! Here’s hoping we’ll get our choice from The Publishing Folks. The final results of the poll are available here.
I like the title Laura came up with:
You are the Smart Bitches and, as the book is alive because of the website, the full title should transfer. My vote is #1. Though #4 is fan-freaking-tastic!!!!! I just don’t think it would garner the sales you deserve.
Can I also say, er… what book? (I’m fairly sure I’ll buy it, whatever the heck it is, if you gals wrote it!)
Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches Guide To Romance Novels.
Heaving Bosoms catches the eye as quickly as SB—and the book is about what’s beyond the heaving bosoms, not about the SB—as much as we love you. I’d lead with the content of the book, and the tone it sets for moving beyond the cliche.
I picked the first one. Smart Bitches should come first, IMO.
I can’t wait for the book! When does it come out? It sounds so sassy and fun. Can’t wait.
I’m going to ditto La Nora. The “the” does nothing. Get to the point quicker. And I think “Beyond Heaving Bosoms” gets the point of the book across quicker. “Smart Bitches” doesn’t give enough information up front.
Looking forward to it, even though I don’t know the focus yet.
Don’t know if anyone has made this point (sorry, too lazy to read previous posts today due to one or more of the following facts: lack of money, lack of wine, lack air conditioning, perimenopause.
Smart Bitches Trashy Books is your brand. You know, like Charmin or Bounty or Palmolive (hello Madge). The Book is simply one interpretation of that brand. When you do SBTB The Fragrance and SBTB The Clothing Line and SBTB Record Label and SBTB THE MOVIE, Smart Bitches Trashy Books should dominate the bottle, label, CD and marquee.
SMART BITCHES TRASHY BOOKS FOREVER!! Then the colon and whatever else.
Love, peace and chicken grease.
shaunee
Just my $.02, but I prefer “beyond” to “behind.” Behind the heaving bosoms is the chest cavity, which is not sexy. Beyond implies moving past a set concept—more appopriate and less like anatomy class.
The thing is, anyone who is a fan of the site is going to be aware of the book. Those people are as good as sold. The title in the bookstore or online needs to catch the eye without people knowing who the Smart Bitches are.
What caught my eye, was the title of this blog – Smart Bitches. I clicked and never went back.
That’s not something you see every day. I’d go with what’s worked for you thus far.
I voted to stack SBTB second because while it’s got good zing, the book’s not about the website.
Bonnie: Well, there’s that.
That’s not how I got here, but clearly it’s worked for other people.
I don’t like the convention of calling women “bitches,” even though I know the Smart Bitches are reclaiming the term. But that would make me avoid the book, whereas “Beyond Heaving Bosoms” asks a questions. “What lies beyond heaving bosoms?”
I chose #3 because the heaving bosoms and throbbing members caught my eye—they go so well together!
I am in a toss up between the first two. I like them both, although I do like the Smart Bitches Guide line.
Both work well in catching the eye and the imagination. Skinny Bitch in the cooking section sells very well. Mostly to skinny bitches though.
I prefer Laura’s suggestion, keeping the SB name up front and holding the heaving bosoms back.
And I know you’re not interested in other titles but I just can’t resist –
Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels: Ripping the Veil Off the Bodice of Love
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: I’m In Ur Head, Deconstructing Ur Romance
LOLcrit of Love: the Smart Bitches Guide to Romance
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: the Hermeneutics of Luurveâ„¢
The Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels: Romping Through the Fields of the Most Popular, Lucrative Genre EVAH to be Dissed and Ignored by Literary Critics!
I’d have preferred something like Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: A Guide to Romance Novels. I personally think Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: A Guide is shorter and more eye catching, but that’s just me.
Whatever the title, this tome will surely set the blogoshpere ablaze as anti-mean girls everywhere flame away at the SBs. That will be entertainment.
I went with #2. That one seemed to fit the best.
You can call it Lovers of Man-Titty Unite and I’ll still buy the book. Can’t wait!
I like the idea of The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels: Beyond the Heaving Bosoms. Definitely “Beyond” not “Behind” and I think it’s important to have “Smart Bitches’ Guide” because that’s what it is. It’s not about you and your website. It’s about you guiding readers around RomanceLandia.
Note to self: asking the smart people for opinions means you get a lot of really good opinions. They might not all agree, however.
For those who aren’t familiar, our book is with Touchstone/Fireside, and it’s a guide to the genre for those who love romance novels and are tired of taking shit for their love of the genre.
Awesome! Nora agrees with me. (She just doesn’t know it… Or for that matter care). Hehe.
Out of the options, IMO, this one “reads” the best:
Beyond the Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels
🙂
I agree. I’ve seen Smart Bitch used elsewhere so if you don’t open with the full SBTB lead I wouldn’t assume it was you and so wouldn’t know the wonderful snark that awaited me inside.
However, judging by the tiny tiny chunk of lushly pink cover, I’d probably pick it up even if it was called Sweet Sweet Man-Titty.
In full disclosure, I guess I’d pick up it up BECAUSE it was called Sweet Sweet Man-Titty.
Putting ‘Smart Bitches’ upfront makes the most sense since that is your ‘brand’…..everything that comes after that is just the icing on the cake.
Loved options one, two and three. Voted for two because I think it’s the one that grabs and I want the SBs to make mucho dinero. And to lure the primo man titty, well that takes money honey.
Now, option four, I KNOW you just put up to eff with me and to make me spit my tea out. Well played darlings.
I picked option one because I was imagining how I would abbreviate the title one message boards and in emails. (Please forgive me if I am repeating anyone else’s comments.)
Smart Bitches,Trashy Books: Behind the Heaving Bosoms of Romance Novels could be shortened to just the Smart Bitches book. Name branding, memorable and easy to search on Amazon.
Beyond the Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels could also be called the Smart Bitches book, but is just as likely to end up something like BtHB or BHB.
Behind the Heaving Bosoms and Throbbing Members: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels is the same as above but now becomes BtHBaTM or BHBTM. While I love a throbbing member as much as the next gal, even the abbreviation is cumbersome.
Parsing the Inter-Textuality of Ejaculative Emissions: an Examination of the Immanent . . . is too perfect to shorten effectively.
IMHO
Best of luck!
Whatever title you end up with, it’s going to be called “the Smart Bitches” book, regardless. And those of us who recognize the web site will recognize it wherever it appears in the title. I still think the bosoms should lead (as they do in real life, honey), and I like “beyond” because if you have behind, you need a throbbing member for balance, and then it’s just too dang long (I should probably rephrase that for clarity, but I won’t, ‘cause it made me snigger).
The cover!!! There’s pink fluff on the cover?! *biting nails*
I think that “Smart Bitches Trashy Books: Behind the Heaving Bosoms of Romance Novels” sounds both redundant and slightly insulting. I would remove “Trashy Books”. Also, I feel that having “The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels” coming second is best, because the entry title should always catch your attention, with the subtitle further explaining it. (1 am is not conducive to my sentence structure.) the “Throbbing Members” is too long and obvious, and finally, though the last suggesting is funny, I can’t imagine it is a serious suggestion. I’m not sure many people would understand the title, nor would they be drawn to it.
Now most importantly: Is this really going to be a book? a tangible thing I can put on my shelf and read on the bus and (hopefully not) chuck at the wall? how are you going about this? is it a general guide with general info on what to look out for and what to avoid? Will it teach us to be smart bitches just like you two? or is it a collection of your favourite and most interesting reviews? you will write it the same way you speak on the website right? it wouldn’t be nearly as fun otherwise.
BTW: I think you should include a Glossary in the book. You know, some terms you use that may be unfamiliar to those who haven’t seen the website or are new to it. For example: TSTL. when I first read that on the website I had to search the archives to figure out what it meant by examining the contexts in which it was used.
How about Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: Baring the Heaving Bosoms and Unsheathing the Throbbing Members of the Romance World!
I voted for No.1
I think using “Guide” in the title might be a bit limiting – guides are usually a general survey that lists existing content rather than creating new content, and they tend to go out of date, so perhaps not entirely appropriate to a seminal feminist work on an important literary genre.
I agree SBTB should come first, and I prefer “beyond” to “behind”, but my best preference would be –
“Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: Parsing the Inter-Textuality of Ejaculative Emissions” Exactly the right combination of intellectuality (is that a word these days?) and subversive humour.
i second the proposal for “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books: Parsing the Inter-Textuality of Ejaculative Emissions†– that is brilliant.
I voted for the first one, but I agree with what others have said, I like the word “Beyond” rather than “Behind” for it.
Smart Bitches,Trashy Books: Beyond the Heaving Bosoms of Romance Novels
Ditto. 🙂 Just about word for word my thoughts.
I voted for #2, because sometimes shorter is better.
used54—how appropriate for my age and status.
Beyond the Heaving Bosoms and Throbbing Members: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels
I went with #3 – just for the heck of holding a book with this title in full public view.
You write it and I’ll read it, no matter the title or amount of pink fluff on the cover.
Like the fluttering hand in your teaser for your cover art but wanted to see some man-titty. I voted for the HB first since it will catch people’s eye. I do have a hard on for the Parsing title but thought you should have gotten “textural analysis” into it somehow. Good luck with the book.
Seriously, they didn’t give you the option of Beyond Waxed Man Titty? So unfair.
Voted the same as Nora. Content first, because communications studies show we remember what’s last most. SB is what you want them to remember, going Beyond is why they pick it up.
Of course this changes depending on if you’re planning on expanding the branding to include a whole SB line of books, rather like the Dummies guides. Personally I think it would be brilliant. Can you imagine a SB guide to drinks? An SB guide to Blogging? An SB guide to dating…good God I could go on and on…
been44 – not yet, but there are days I feel like it…
Oh, and I just want to know. Are they planning on having a ripped bodice with that pink fluff on the cover?
I couldn’t vote for any of them because, practically speaking, I think they’re all too long for a book cover. I can’t imagine a graphic design that will show off that title and a cover in a way that will grab the attention and interest of book buyers.
Remember, you need to reach out to people who aren’t in on the inside scoop of Smart Bitchery.
That said, I’m also yearning for a clever pun—like Busting Beyond Heaving Bosoms. No. That’s still too long.
Whatever you decide, the Bosoms comment comes first, with SB as a sub-title.
Several months ago, Jenny Crusie wrote some truly excellent blog posts on the design elements that make a successful cover. I can’t quote verbatim but it has to do with catching the eye across the room, reflecting the content, etc. I’m sure you can find them in her Argh Ink archives.