In Aesop’s famous fable, the plodding tortoise beats the speedy hare in a race when the hare puts his feet up just before the finish line and the tortoise overtakes him.

When it comes to my new book, I feel just like the tortoise.

I’ve been plodding along, slowly but surely, one foot after the other.

But for some reason, in the last couple of weeks I’ve turned into the hare. Just as the finish line comes into view, I’ve put my feet up and now I’m kicking back with a carrot stick.

Thing is, the book is so nearly ready. 

The writing is 99.9% written and Kathy, my copyeditor, has done a fabulous job of translating my scribbles into actual English (hi Kathy by the way! I owe you an email)

There’s still a bunch of formatting and Kindle stuff to work through. There’s also a cover to be designed. 

None of this is difficult. They just need to be done.

But I’ve realised the main thing which has prompted me to put my paws up is that I’m not totally happy with the book’s title:

21 Ways To Find Fun And Flow At Work (Without Changing Career Or Quitting Your Job)

I don’t think it’s a terrible title mind you.

Here’s what I like about it:

*** It tells you what you’re getting. I’ve never understood why some self-help authors go with poetic titles like “Swimming Through Velvet” or “The Elephant’s Breakfast”

The best self-help books have titles which are clear about the outcome. Think Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends And Influence People, Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or Wayne Dyer’s 10 Secrets For Success And Inner Peace 

*** The “21 Ways”. I know a title with a list could feel a bit blog-posty. But then again, I’ve not exactly written The Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve written a short, sharp, punchy book – so I might as well tell it how it is

*** I like the subtitle “without changing career or quitting your job”. I want to let potential readers know what the book is NOT about, as well as what it is about

Interestingly, that’s just prompted the idea that I could turn the subtitle into the main title and call the book You Don’t Need To Change Your Job. Hmm. I quite like that

Here’s what I don’t like about the title:

*** The word “fun”. I’m not sure 9-to-5ers actually want to have fun at work (even though they could if they knew how). I think most 9-to-5ers just want work to be a bit less shit. I guess How To Have A Less Shit Time At Work could do the trick too…

*** The word “flow”. I wonder if “finding flow at work” is too abstract

*** The length of the title. A long book title can absolutely work. See daily email maestro John Bejakovic’s new book as the perfect example (I won’t reprint the title here – doing my bit to save the rainforest). But my title is too much of a mouthful. It doesn’t roll off the tongue with a zip and a bounce

I got a bunch of great title suggestions from my beta-readers too:

Joy After Burnout

The Happy Employee

Serious Work, Fun Mindset

Change Your Mind, Not Your Job

Escape The Grind By Finding Joy At Work

Work Rewired: 21 Ways To Find Flow At Work

I appreciated all these suggestions. But I still think there’s room for improvement.

This is why I’m sending this email today.

If you’re not a beta-reader, you won’t have read my book. But if you read my newsletter, you know how and what I write. My musings above should give you plenty to go on too.

So if anything springs to mind (title ideas, reactions to what I’ve shared, anything else), please hit reply and let me know.

I'd be grateful. 

And if your idea ends up on the front cover, I’ll send you a gift to say thanks.