[Elly Stornebrink]

Hello Holliworks,

First of all congratulations on all those milestones with achieving what you did considering your accident! Secondly, in writing a book about it!  🙂

I’m not an expert in this; however, if I’m not mistaken, I think the subtitle needs to be more detailed/accurate so-to-speak in portraying the story of your book. Thus, I tend to like the more specific subtitles and ones that are also more general, i.e., in appealing to a wider audience. For example, I don’t ever want to run a marathon!  😉

Thus, the ones that I tend to lean towards are the following though you might wish to add the word ‘memoir’ in there somewhere:

A journey from accident to athlete –> A memoir of my journey from accident to athlete
From accident to athlete –> A memoir from an accident to an athlete
From crash to comeback –>A memoir from a crash to a comeback (I think I like this one least though)

However, I have to admit I am not crazy about your title ‘Get Out the Door’ as I don’t think it reflects your story/journey though I could be wrong, cause after all, I haven’t read it! On the other hand, it could be that the title is more vague. I suggest checking whether a title should be vague and a subtitle specific or vice versa or …something else. All the best with that and let me know when you find out – [email protected] – as I have writer’s block in writing my memoir.

[holliworks]

I’m trying to come up with a subtitle for my book. Editing and interior design is done, and we’re working on the cover/jacket blurbs, etc…..but I still haven’t decided on a subtitle.

The book is about my journey from a motorcycle accident where If fractured my spine, and was told that I might not walk again. Over a 10-year period, I went from learning to stand and walk again, to:

• Running up the Empire State Building
• Finishing the Assault on Mt. Mitchell 100-mile bike ride
• Completing 2 triathlons
• Finishing the Marine Corps Marathon.

The story focuses on the ups and downs along the way, and what I learned, more than the achievements, and ends with challenging the reader to get started on their own journey. The title is – “Get Out the Door!” and the the message is – “Get out the door – once you do, the rest is easy.”

BUT…I need some feedback on a subtitle. Here’s the list I’ve brainstormed so far, and would like feedback on what would work to help the reader want to open the book:

 

‘m trying to come up with a good subtitle for my book. It’s a memoir about going from a motorcycle accident that fractured my spine, and having to learn to stand and walk again. Over a 10-year period, I went from being in a wheelchair to:

Running up the Empire State Building
Completing the 102 mile Assault on Mt. Mitchell bike ride
Finishing two triathlons
Completing the Marine Corps Marathon

….all in one year.

The book is more about the journey and lessons learned along the way than it is about the achievements, and I want the subtitle to reflect that.

The title of the book is “Get Out the Door!” In the book, the lesson is, that once you get out the door, the rest is easy. That would be the obvious subtitle, but I don’t know if that’s a good one to ‘give away the ending’, and I’d love some suggestions for a better one that helps the reader want to open the book.

Here’s the initial list o’ subtitles I came up with – Let me know what you think would be the best direction:

Subtitles:
Once you do, the rest is easy!
The Rest is Easy!
A story about getting started
A memoir about getting started
A book about getting started
Finishing…by getting started
From setback to comeback
A journey from accident to athlete
From accident to athlete
From injury to inspiration
From crash to comeback
From first steps to the finish line
Revelations on the road to recovery
A decade’s journey from broken to breakthrough
Getting to the finish line – starting from where you are
Reaching the finish line, starting from where you are
Getting where you want to go, starting where you are
Getting to the finish line – by taking the first step
The hardest part of any journey begins with the first step
Getting back up when you get knocked down
Getting back up after getting knocked down
Revelations from a Real-Life (Non-Athletic) Marathoner
Life Lessons from an Unintentional Marathoner
From Couch Potato to Marathoner: Life Lessons

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