How long does it take to find the perfect title for a book that you’ve written twice and spent nearly three years thinking about?
Ages, is the answer. Aaaaages. How do you sum up a book that is a coming-of-age teenage birthday summer holiday story with a bit of time-travel, two main characters who are really the same person, a pretty eyelinery boy named Merlin, and a family story which is funny, and sad, and sometimes both at once?
My lovely editor Marion Lloyd, her assistant Anna Solemani (who is also lovely, but ‘lovely assistant’ sounds quite wrong) and I sat in her office a few weeks ago, armed with our shortlist of the very best ideas, planning to pluck the solution from the pile before a nice bit of lunch. FOUR AND A HALF HOURS LATER, we still had nothing. Nowt. Nada. We had tried every dodgy pun; every timey-wimey birthday-wishy beachy-but-not-too-beachy summertime phrase. I had, it appeared, written an untitleable book.
It was nearly two more weeks before we got there. And inevitably, now we have, it seems impossible that it was ever called anything else. The perfect title.
You want to know the title? OK, bear with me a sec.
Because, of course, now we had the perfect title, we also had a squeaky-tight schedule, and designers at work on the next big decision: the cover. I was a teensy bit worried. Covers are as hard to get right as titles. We did not have three years of thinking time. IT COULD STILL ALL GO HORRIBLY WRONG.
Only, here’s the thing. You know those designer people? They’re really clever. Properly, remarkably clever. The super-talented Jamie managed somehow to take all that madly disparate stuff, and produce a cover that’s fresh and bright and utterly apt. The perfect cover.
And even though it isn’t out until August 2012 -I know! Aaaages! – the (lovely, so lovely) people at Marion Lloyd Books and Scholastic UK said I could share it.
…
…
…
Look at my girls! Bluebell – aka Blue – is on the left. Red – who is actually Bluebell, too, but from one year in the future (did I mention this book was complicated?) – she’s on the right. Obviously. And I want to hug them both, lots. I hope you will too.
*
PS: For those following at home who are now going ‘eh? I thought your next book was about peas and mermaids’ – yes, the first of the Pea’s Book series is coming out summer 2012 too. Other magical designer-people are still tweaking the cover into ultimate perfection, but what I’ve seen already is every bit as perfectly suited to that story – in a completely different way. Will share as soon as I can…!
*
ah susie it looks awesome – I am all a’tingle!
Thank you! I get the most daft smile on my face whenever I look at it.
New Blog: Title and Cover Reveal! (aka the one where Susie thinks the whole world is lovely) http://t.co/0BTCfMOW
New Blog: Title and Cover Reveal! (aka the one where Susie thinks the whole world is lovely) http://t.co/0BTCfMOW
RT @mssusieday: Title and Cover Reveal! (aka the one where Susie thinks the whole world is lovely) http://t.co/ynzG1r44 => ooh, it's FAB!
It’s so pretty dude!! And the title is fabulous!
Thanks Iffath! It is great title. (I’m allowed to say that, because I didn’t think of it.
)
Looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait. RT @mssusieday: Project Bluebell: Title and Cover Reveal! http://t.co/2VPUuQA6
It gave me butterflies. So gorgeous.
So glad it’s not just me. Those silhouettes are so spookily perfectly them – feels like they’re real people now. As in, to someone other than me…
Looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous. Can't wait. RT @mssusieday: Project Bluebell: Title and Cover Reveal! http://t.co/2VPUuQA6
New Blog: Title and Cover Reveal! (aka the one where Susie thinks the whole world is lovely) http://t.co/0BTCfMOW
Love the title, and that cover is just gorgeous. Also loving the sound of the book, you had me at “a pretty eyelinery boy named Merlin”!
Thanks, Jenni! I had fun writing Merlin…:)
Yay! I can’t wait to read it!
I can’t wait for it to be out – August seems so far away. (Though I bet it wouldn’t if it were a deadline…)
Absolutely GORGEOUS cover, Susie.
CAN’T WAIT for publication day!
Thank you Ruth! Looking forward to celebrating it.
I absolutely LOVE the cover, it is perfect … and the title is perfect too
Yay! Extra pleased you like it, wjat with you having read it.
Oooooh! It’s a proper BOOK with a proper COVER and everything! OOOh OOOH! *dances you*
That Merlin dude had better not start being played by David Tennant in my dreams like Patchworkboy. He turned up again a couple of months ago, helping me get my donkey out of the sand dunes.
Thank you!
I cannot be held responsible for other people’s mental casting (though how weird – my agent said she pictured David Tennant as Mycroft Christie: he does get about inside people’s heads). Merlin is only 14/15 though: Mr Tennant is versatile, but not sure he’s THAT versatile…
I’m sure Patchworkboy wasn’t as old as the Tennant either, but it worked perfectly in my head.
I will let you know if my brain decides anything good.
New newsy thing: Project Bluebell: Title and Cover Reveal http://t.co/rDgzy7O9
Tis utterly gorgeous and I can’t wait to read it!
Thanks Luisa!
RT @mssusieday: New newsy thing: Project Bluebell: Title and Cover Reveal http://t.co/6m0RRTLY
Ahhhh I’m so excited! I’ve set up Book Depo to notify me when I can pre-order… plus there’s a snazzy My Invisible Boyfriend cover with a bike on it that’s for the paperback and I’m thinking I’ll order both at the same time.
Oh, hurrah for Book Depot and free international delivery!
The snazzy new MIB with the bike on it is the new UK edition (paperback, will be the US text because we all like it more, though UK spellings of course!). They do match very cheeringly.