August 30, 2007Blog format and new book title feedback request
How do you like my new blog design? And do you like the byline? Can you suggest something you’d like better?
I also would like feedback on the book I’m writing now. My title is:
SpeakStrong
Say What You Mean
Mean What You Say
Don’t Be Mean When You Say It
You can see a cover mock-up here.
Someone suggested that it was too much to have it in four sentences, each of which are directives.
What do you think?
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I think for a newbie…the name is long. For a subscriber to the newsletter, it’s great!
Comment by Tina Metallo — September 4, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
I think the Speak Strong should be eliminated; the other three lines are OK and sound like a book title
Comment by Maxine Bell — September 4, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Re: the book title: I think it could work, provided the graphic artist used fonts and word placement to appropriately direct the eye. Maybe no periods, however, as if they were sentences in and of themselves.
By the way, the phrase you use on the website under your “A Power Phrase A Week” banner, feels awkward to me. How about “Words and Phrases about Things That Matter” instead?
PS: Just love your materials and have found myself continually drawn to speaking more directly to others because of them. Thanks!
Comment by Debbie Platek — September 4, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
Hi, Here’s my suggestion:
Power Speak:
Say What You Mean
Mean What You Say–
And Be Kind, too
Comment by Patricia Harrington — September 4, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Agreed - only in that using 4 separate sentences is too much. Adding an “and” and a “but” will let you keep the commands, though, and makes it much easier to understand and process.
Speak Strong: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say, But Don’t Be Mean When You Say It
Best of luck with the book - and many congratulations!!!
Laura
Comment by Laura Orsini — September 4, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Hi Meryl,
I’ve always loved your slogan and it’s a great book title. Could be a bit long, so how about having “Speak Strong” as the title, with the rest as a sub-title?
Helen
http://www.mhwcom.com
Comment by Helen Wilkie — September 4, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
Mean What You Say
But Don’t Be Mean When You Say It
This really says what you have to say. You could put a small tag line “A Speak Strong Book” if you felt the need. 4 lines is too long for most.
Comment by Jennifer — September 4, 2007 @ 12:24 pm
I like the title. “SpeakStrong” is your recognized phrase. And for those who don’t recognize it, they will later. And lines 2-4 could be in a smaller font than the first line.
Comment by Jolene Thomas — September 4, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
I think that the SpeakStrong is important because it identifies it as your product. To shorten the remainder might be good, e.g., Say What You Mean Without Being Mean.
Thank you for educating us on more functional ways of communicating.
Comment by Leslie — September 4, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
I see the title of your book being:
SpeakStrong
BE FIRM BUT GENTLE.
Comment by Julie Fleming — September 4, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
I think it is perfect - catchy, to the point, and provacative.
Comment by Susan Fenner — September 4, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
I love the new byline. The book title is also good, but it’s length could be trouble for any card catalog or internet search window. How about “SpeakStrong, saying what you mean without being mean”? (Funny, that’s not much shorter).
Comment by John Reinheimer — September 4, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
Speak Strong
Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
Without Being Mean
Comment by Robin — September 4, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
So many great suggestions so soon! Thanks!
I forgot to mention, it needs to be brief because it’s being packaged by SkillPath Seminars with
PowerPhrases and
LifeScripts
so the title needs to roll off the tongue.
Comment by merylrunion — September 4, 2007 @ 1:48 pm
Most book titles in the general press and almost all in the scholarly press have subtitles with a colon. I see SpeakStrong as your brand. I would think of a way artistically of getting it in there without being a part of the title. Such as Meryl Runion and SpeakStrong Present, Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say: But Keep the Mean Out of It. Something to that effect. I like the repetition of the word mean in two different contexts if you can capitalize on that. As far as search engines go, you put the phrase before the colon in and I have never seen a search engine not return the rest of the title. You didn’t say if this is going to a major publisher or you are self-publishing. Some publishers make it easier than others to bring in your brand name. (And now for some reason I have the diddy stuck in my head, “Do whatcha say, say whatcha do, One thing leads to another…..”)
Comment by Flo Williams — September 4, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
I think Robin may be on to something . . . combining the two middle directives somehow makes it feel shorter, even though it’s not really shorter. Four lines feels like too much.
Comment by Dayna — September 4, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
The shorter title attracts me. Speak Strong.
I can see a series of books, with each of these lines being a title! Maybe not necessarily so, but it’s a thought.
Comment by Iris — September 4, 2007 @ 2:08 pm
I think “Speak Strong” should be the title in large type, with the next three lines forming the subtitle.
Comment by Carol Traeger — September 4, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
I like Laura O’s suggestion best:
Speak Strong: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say, But Don’t Be Mean When You Say It
This rolls off the tongue nicely and presents a strong message while still allowing you to play with the word “mean”. You have built a recognizable brand in the SpeakStrong name so leading it in front of the phrase with a colon gives the entire title more presence!
Love your work!
Comment by Christine Becksted — September 4, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
Sorry, forgot to comment on the mock-up cover.
I think the SpeakStrong is actually a little too large here especially since there is a mouthful just after it. If you go with Laura O’s suggestion you can still set up the “Speak” over the “Strong” and reduce the font size somwhat and her sentence can then sit nicely below your brand name.
Comment by Christine Becksted — September 4, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
The subtitle feels wordy. How about:
Speak Strong - Learning to speak with honesty, integrity, and humility.
You might consider exchanging conviction for integrity. In any case, good luck with the new book. I have enjoyed your work, keep it up.
Comment by Tom Schones — September 4, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
How about some wordplay with Mean? … When Mean is Good.
Your title needs to sell. So I asked myself, what do people want?
* How to Change The World (One Awkward Situation at a Time)
* How to Win Without Beating Anyone!
The last marketing book I purchased had the interesting title, Waiting For Your Cat to Bark. What a point!
From practical title naming experience, I recommend a title that would sort alphabetically earlier (A to E).
Thanks for the opportunity to share input!
Comment by Susan — September 4, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
Here’s one more relevant piece of information about the book. I apologize for not putting it all out there with the initial feedback request.
The book is divided into five steps.
1. Confront the Censor
2. Say What You Mean
3. Mean What You Say
4. Don’t Be Mean When You Say It and…
5. Speak Strong.
Each section has four subsections and each subsection had 3 - 4 skills. That might make a difference in the title…
Great input folks! Thanks! Susan, what a title that book has!
Comment by merylrunion — September 4, 2007 @ 9:38 pm
This phrase is YOU. Your trademark somewhat. Your philosophy in a nutshell. It is one of the things that sets you apart from other communication advocates. I think in the current publishing world, you need more than the ordinary to grab the comsumer’s attention, and that this phrase fits the bill.
Comment by Kathleen — September 5, 2007 @ 7:59 am
I think the phrase sums it up perfectly. Each statement complements the other. Seperately the point would be incomplete.
Say what you mean - alone is to general
Mean what you say - be sure you can back it up
Don’t be mean when you say it - make your position known while keeping the other person’s perspective in mind.
How about “Speak with Confidence” for a book title? Seems like we all want that for a goal.
Your newsletter helps my success everyday. Thanks for all you do.
Comment by Patty Thomas — September 6, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
I love it. Speak Strong is the crux of it all — and I’ve always loved the next lines. They flow and “say what you mean.” The book mock-up is catchy and would catch my attention on a bookshelf. Go for it!
Comment by Kim — September 6, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
I think the title could be shorter and still get the
meaning across. Perhaps: “Speak strong pleasantly and
mean it!”
Comment by Phoebe — September 12, 2007 @ 7:57 am
If this is the first time a person has heard the phrase it is great. After three or four times it gets a bit old. Need a short title.
Here are a few title suggestions:
Speak Your Mind
Without Being Heartless
Speak from the Heart
Without Being Heartless
Solid Words–Soft Delivery
HOW TO SPEAK STRONG
Without Being Mean
Love your concept–it’s the only way to live!!!
F. Gill
Comment by Franke Gill — September 14, 2007 @ 11:47 am
I had to comment because this is one of my favorite sayings and when I use it as a signature on my emails, I always get comments. I like your book cover. People will probably call it Speak Strong anyway, because those words dominate the cover.
Comment by Barbara — September 18, 2007 @ 7:45 am
I love the 4 line saying and use it often, however I wonder if it may be too long for a book title. A couple of suggestions:
Speak strong and mean it
Without being mean!
Say and mean what you say
Without being mean!
Thank you for the wonderful very helpful books. Looking forward to the next one. Aloha
Comment by Mary DeVincent — September 19, 2007 @ 4:19 am