Title Deb Tawna’s book and win an advance copy!

We’ve been talking about social media all week at the Debutante Ball, and I’m thrilled to tell you that we’re going to put it to good use right here, right now.

Excited? Don’t pee.

It’s no secret in publishing that book titles can change for a variety of strategic reasons. Sourcebooks, Inc. is publishing my debut romantic comedy in August, and in an effort to make sure we have the title that’s most compelling for the most readers, they’re considering two options.

Here’s the cool part – you get to pick.

Call it the magic of social media. You’re reading this blog either as a regular Debutante Ball fan or because you’ve been pointed here by another blog, a tweet from my agent, a status update on Facebook, or that unfortunate message scrawled on the wall of the men’s room.

In one form or another, social media brought you here. Now you have a job to do.

See that spiffy poll below? Which of the two titles would make YOU pick up the book and squeal with joy as you run for the cash register? (You can also squeal as you download it to your e-reader. Squealing is an integral part of any book buying experience).

In case you’re new here, this is what the book is about:

When his sleazy boss kicks him to the curb and steals his pension, Alex heads to the Caribbean with a crew of corporate castoffs to intercept an illegal diamond shipment in the most dysfunctional pirate mission in history. Things heat up when Juli – who’s supposed to be dumping her dead uncle’s ashes at sea – mistakenly stows away on their boat.

After you vote, leave a comment about why you chose the title you did. We’ll draw a name from the comments on March 31 and one lucky reader will get a signed Advance Reading Copy of the book. Pretty cool, huh?

Now here are your two choices:


And don’t forget to leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did. My publisher is particularly interested in this information, and it’s your ticket to wining an advance reading copy. Thanks for playing!

27 Replies to “Title Deb Tawna’s book and win an advance copy!”

  1. Okay I voted on Don’t Pet Me also. Am I a cheater? I mean, is that cheating? I’ll say the same thing here, Making Waves sounds like making whoopie, which, since you wrote the book I assume they will be doing. It also sounds like they are making waves, or trouble in each others lives.
    Of course, no matter what the title is I’m going to buy it the day it comes out. Can’t wait!

    1. LOL, Clever Betty. You weren’t able to vote in the poll twice, right? I hope I set it up so you could only vote one time, but you’re free to leave as many comments as you want. Thanks for playing! 🙂

  2. I like Making Waves . . . uh, I mean, it works with the characters determination to take on a corporation and also their probable determination to um, rock the boat.

  3. I like making waves because the connotation associated with rocking the boat seems negative. I think my mom used to tell me to play nicely and “don’t rock the boat”. Making waves, on the other hand, makes me think of…..well, this is a family forum so I won’t go there. 😉

  4. Personally, I like MAKING WAVES — it’s playful and a little naughty at the same time.

    Most importantly, you’ve done an incredible job marketing the book as MAKING WAVES, and it seems silly from a business standpoint to throw away that branding.

    If for some reason the title must change to ROCKING THE BOAT, is it possible to tag it on Amazon and other bookseller sites so a search for MAKING WAVES brings up ROCKING THE BOAT? It seems like there will be people who forget the new title and remember the fabulously marketed old title, so having a plan in place to catch those potential book-buyers would be a smart plan.

    Either way, I can’t wait to read it!!!!

  5. I voted on your blog already, but I’ll say it again. I loved Rocking the Boat.

    It instantly made me imagine the hero and heroine locked in a cabin, gettin’ jiggy with it. Plus, it aligns nicely with the teaser you posted about Alex getting even with is sleazy boss.

    Don’t get me wrong, I think Making Waves is great, too, but Rocking the Boat sounds really HOT.

  6. What a fun question! I like MAKING WAVES because I’ve been hearing about it for so long as such, so it’s hard for me to think of it as anything else.

    Also, I’ve come to realize that in a Twitter world, shorter titles are SO much better. Even THE WEIRD SISTERS takes up a whole lot of precious characters, and when you only have 140 to work with to begin with, the shorter and snappier the better to get people talking about it.

  7. Well, if you’re sure you won’t reconsider BOOTY AND THE BEACH or THAR SHE BLOWS!, then I guess I’d have to go with MAKING WAVES. Probably because I’ve gotten used to it. It’s not like I wouldn’t grow to love ROCKING THE BOAT just as much, if that’s the one that wins. 🙂

  8. I prefer ROCKING THE BOAT, because Juli seems like the type of gal to stir up a dull group of office types. I mean really, how does she mistakenly stow away on a boat?! Alex and Juli better “rock the boat,” because I’m already getting excited to read this novel!

  9. Making Waves is perfect… it rolls off the tongue, it is descriptive of everything going on in the story, and it elicits a certain tone that feels more inviting than the other option.

  10. Thanks for all the comments, guys, keep ’em coming! I’ll refrain from responding to every single comment this time around because I don’t want to inadvertently taint the voting or express a preference one way or the other. I appreciate all the input though!

    Tawna

  11. I voted for Making Waves. It just seems simpler, easier and would catch attention. That said, what will the cover picture be?
    I do have to admit, Rocking the Boat gave me pause. It brought to mind the old 70’s song Rock the Boat but I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

  12. I like the title “Making Waves”. Maybe it’s because it’s the brutal winter we endured and this title reminds me of the beach, long days and summer romances.

  13. I like “Rocking the Boat”. From the description, someone should have told Alex’s boss not to rock the boat, because now he is getting ripped off.

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