Here's my second try. As these short ebooks are all interviews with Jackie's friends, I thought of using E. M. Forster's line "Only connect." Our only responsibility in life is to connect emotionally with other human beings. My stories are interviews with Jackie's connections. I have just had a friend tell me "no way!" on the title, but I like the image. It's by Toni Frissell in 1957. TF did Jackie's wedding pictures and Jackie brought out a book on TF when she was an editor. What do you think?
Searching for Jackie
Need Advice on Titles & Covers 2
February 17, 2021
8 Comments
Comments
Feb 17, 2021 2:21 PM EST
I love this picture, I've never seen it. You have two separate things to consider, the title and the design.
For the title, I'm not clear on how this will translate to the various people in her life you will be writing about. Will it be "Jackie Only + Nancy Tuckerman" with "connect" somehow in that? For your title yesterday, the more I think about it, what you were doing in the past was "searching," by interviewing and knowing Nancy and others. Now, later, it seems you are more in a process of "understanding," sorting out all that you researched and reevaluating it in this new context. So there's that....
For the cover design: I do think this full-bleed portrait format image makes for a stronger cover. In developing a theme for your series, I guess you have to determine if all the various chapters in this series have portrait format images that will work within that, or if you need to develop a design concept that will facilitate both portrait and landscape format photos. And from there, come up with a color palette and consistent way of handling the title, etc.
- Steven Keylon
Feb 17, 2021 3:05 PM EST
Thank you. Mulling over all that wise counsel.
- Bill
Feb 17, 2021 3:26 PM EST
I like the way "Understanding Jackie" feels as a companion to "Reading Jackie." What about "Knowing Jackie," since your subjects knew her, and by understanding those relationships, we as readers will "know" Jackie a little better?
- Steven Keylon
Feb 17, 2021 4:07 PM EST
Like that: Knowing Jackie
- Bill
Feb 17, 2021 5:28 PM EST
I think that that's your picture! I love the mechanics of the reader watching Jackie watching something outside of the picture. While I think that your core readers will understand the Forester reference a lot of the"Jackie brought grace and style to the White House" fans won't get it. I prefer the title that Steven suggested "Knowing Jackie" since your are writing about people that knew a side of Jackie or knew Jackie in a particular context.
- John Postol
Feb 17, 2021 5:32 PM EST
John, I love the picture too and I’m also struck by Steven’s suggestion for title. I want to sleep on it.
- Bill
Feb 18, 2021 11:08 AM EST
I love this picture! But dislike the "only connect!" I do like someone's suggestion of Knowing Jackie very much.
- Deborah Doucette
Feb 18, 2021 11:21 AM EST
Thank you Deborah!
- Bill