Jim, that definitely has some appeal! I may use it on another product. Thanks!

Dianne

I thought Rosmarie made some wonderful comments and suggestions about your title. If you go with your original you might consider extending it to “I’ll Do It Myself, Thank You!”, which might separate it a bit from the home improvement visual.

And…there’s always the possibility of drafting behind Christy Brown with “My Left Thumb”…!?

I liked your comment that your thumb was doing the happy dance — can you work with that? “Thumb Up, Thumb Down”??

If you decide to get cheeky with your podcast, then “Getting Ballsy with Cerebral Palsy” would do it.

What fun to sit in on the brainstorming here — happy good wishes to you!

Dianne
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Ms. Gutsy…I like that! Thanks Diane.

And I like what you said in your update … why not stick with “I’ll Do It Myself”?

We do try to complicate things, don’t we? Sometimes the simplist route is the best.

All the other subtitles are great fodder for further branding in other areas such as podcasts, training classes, e-books, etc.

Trust your gut on this one.

-Pam

The “I’ll do it myself” sounds too much the do-it-yourself section of the book shop to me. If you actually did knock together a set of shelves however…

The “An Autobigroaghy By…” isn’t needed? “An Autobiography” may be needed on the front cover somewhere… but is definitely needed on the back.
The title (or author name) will get the book looked at. The first thing looked after that is the description on the back (think of it as search text when it shows up on Amazon).
All those autobio, “A Triumphant Memoir” etc belong there. The front (and title) is for grabing attention. Save the description for the back.

My copy writing instincts tell me that “I’ll do it myself” isn’t a good title - the first thing that comes to mind is wallpapering, painting your house, mending your roof … that sort of stuff. And Cerebral Palsy is not exactly THAT well known by your all and sundry and not exactly a sexy title. I feel that you don’t want to cheat, but you want to intrigue and let the potential reader (and buyer) of your book find out what it’s all about when they turn to the dust jacket or the back of the paperback cover.

Wouldn’t talk about “memories”, just about an “account” - as perhaps in “one woman’s account of ALL the odds”

How about something in the direction of “Spitting against the wind”; “Don’t tell me what I can’t do”; “Don’t tell me I can’t”; “… of course I can”; “Watch me thumbing it”; “Watch me…”; “Obstacles … what’s that?”; “Heard about grit?”; “… the tough get going” (something in the back of the mind should say the beginning: “if the going gets tought …); “If it doesn’t kill you …” (supposedly finished in the head by “… it makes you stronger); “Who says I can’t do it”; Who says it’s impossible”; “Bet?”; “Wanna bet?”; “Could be worse!”

Then as subtitle perhaps something like “If you think you have problems, learn from one woman’s account of how to meet life thumb down” … and then lead to the explanation of it all either on dust jacket or back.

For what it’s worth, sent with admiration!!! Rosmarie

You don’t have that worry.

People often say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but many in the industry do - the cover design can make the difference in sales at the book store. You know how flawed an argument that is, and you can say something about how you feel about it in your title. Anyway, your book is going to sell through word of mouth and via the Internet where people read reviews, not through some B&N where the mindless drones are scooping up Harry Potter because the TV says its good.

Be bold. From what I can gather, you always have been in the past, don’t stop now.

I would consider something that your brother would suggest sounds more like you. #7 does sound better than the rest, but I’d drop the “An Autobigroaghy By…” as your name is already on the book, and the back-cover blurb should explain the autobiography bit. Just “Cerebral Palsy won’t Stop Me” is catchier. However something like “Just Try and Stop Me!” might be more your style, and let the blurb do the talking about the Cerebral Palsy.

Well done on completing your manuscript by the way. You’ve done more with your left thumb than most people have the guts to do with fully capable hands.