There will always be another diet

If you watch the yearly cycle of new non-fiction books you will typically see a new round of self help/nutrition/fitness program books come out first of the year - because we are all so motivated after the end of the year food frenzy - and near summertime - because we all want to look better as we shed layers of clothes. Since there is no set time to "get healthy," because it really has never been connected to a seasonal theme or a holiday theme, releasing those books are a bit trickier.

There's also the problem of choosing a title for your more health-driven book. Go too , and you probably won't gain audience with serious book reviewers, columnist nor with the consumer seeking serious, science driven information. And yet, the books with the quirkiest and sexiest titles do very brisk sales -though sometimes what may actually propel those sales is a celebrtiy who picks up the book (think "Skinny Bitch"). On the other hand a dry title from a world recognized celebrity, or expert is pretty much going to sell like crazy. So are books that make promises you just want to believe or that seem ot offer strategies that seem a heck of a lot easier than those currently in use.

What about the books that offer really good content and honesty, even brutal honesty in their titles? I decided to call my book Fat Families Thin Families, hoping that the obesity crisis would guarantee its success. After all, people who are seriously overweight need to embrace their reality and then do something about it. After all, if anyone opened my book they would also see that the words "fat and thin" were really talking about habits and not just size of body. Well, it was a humbling lesson to learn that honesty and dollars spent on PR to make the book's availability known, and my experience in media - only sold a modest number of books.

But I've been given a second chance. My poublishers so believe in my message and content that we will release the book again, in softcover with.... a new title. Talk about agony!! NOW do I go sexy or catchy phrase or try to create a "can't pass this book up" title?? Or do I try to generate a new title, a bit less "in your face" that explains my program for lifestyle change, for the family, in a more simple approachable way? I guess this will be my stress and sleepless night initiator for the next several months. In the end, I did recently receive a wonderful book endorsement. An educator I met let me know that he was considering using my book as a textbook for a new course he was teaching. Nothing that Jennifer Aniston would shout about...but for this humble first time author, it was a really special moment.

I released a book in 2008 called Fat Families Thin Families, hoping that the ongoing burden of an obesity epidemic would fuel sales. After all, we need to recognize our girth, in order to seek programs that heal or at minimum help us.