Day 28: Favorite Title

I am taking part in the 30 Day Book Challenge.  Click the link to do it too (and add your blog to my meme)!  *could someone please tell me why my draft page reads "30 Day Book Challenge" and my actual blog page reads "96 Day Book Challenge"?  How do I fix this*

Most of the time I browse book shelves and pull out books based upon their titles.  Then I read the back (or the book jacket) for the synopsis.  If I like what I see, I might flip the book open and read a random page here and there.  If I don't like what I see then I put it back on the shelf.  A good title though--that's what initially piques my interest.  


A good title is essential to book sales.  It's so important to have a title that will grab a reader's attention and inspire curiosity.  And there are so many great titles out there!  It's hard to just pick one, but I'm going to try.

I only picked this book up because it had "Grimm" in the title.  I love Grimm's Fairy Tales.  I especially enjoy the original grisly tales.  The "Legacy" part of Polly Shulman's title insinuates a connection to those darker stories.  I glanced at the book jacket and I was hooked.  I bought it.  I read it.  I loved it.  But I don't think I ever would have even pulled it from the shelf if not for the title.

Shulman's title addressed a particular audience.  It was aimed at people like me--people who are interested in the original Grimm tales.  This title is effective because it markets to a particular audience.

If you're intrigued by the title, then read it.  It's worth it.

A Special Hello to Teen Readers!

This blog entry is dedicated to teen readers.  I think teens who love to read rock.  I'm in my twenties and I still read teen books--it's my guilty pleasure. 

I traveled to my local Borders today to conduct some research.  I wanted to know what teens were reading.  The teen section was HUGE, way bigger than it was when I was a teen.  When I was a teenager we had one shelf--no joke.

I started browsing the titles, picking up one book at a time to read the flap.  The cover art on these books was amazing--way better than the BORING crap publishers tend to put on the cover of adult fiction.  Wonder why that is? 

Anyway, I found myself overwhelmed.  There were just so many titles, so many books, so many authors!  How did I discover what was being read and what wasn't?  What books were teen readers looking at?  Why?  What authors do they like to read?  What are their favorite books?  I just didn't know.

So I decided to write this blog in hopes that teens who read it will be willing to leave me a quick comment.  What kind of books do you like?  What are some of your favorites?  Are there any books in particular you think I should totally read right away ('cause I'll read them---I swear)?  Do you have any favorite authors?  What book do you want to read--but you haven't found one like it yet?  Could you help me out here?  I want to write amazing books for teen readers.  I want to write what you want to read.

Also, don't forget to scroll down and take a peek at the contest.  There's still time for you to win a $10 giftcard to your favorite bookstore!