Have you ever thought something was ‘set in stone’ only to discover that the cement was far from dry? I’ve just had such an experience. The sequel to The Bark Cutters has just been renamed and will now be called, A Changing Land. The original title wasn’t deemed marketable enough for the reading public and the team at my publishing house thinks the new title is far more suitable to the books content and more lyrical. A title is supremely important. Apart from the marketing imperatives-short & catchy is the mandate for a lot of commercial fiction, while a step up the ladder sees longer ones; think, The Guernsey Literary & Potatoe Peel Pie Society (It’s so long I can never remember if I’ve got the title right. Apologies if I haven’t). Other considerations include elements such as content appropriateness and reader understanding as well as brand awareness. On average most authors apparently have at least two titles during the life of a book: A working title and then the final choice. I had three before I settled on The Bark Cutters, and for the sequel I had a two, out of a short list of four. It will take me a little while to get use to, A Changing Land. For me it’s akin to renaming your baby the day before the christening! It’s the essence of the work that matters the most of course and as I’m about to embark on the editorial stage of A Changing Land I’ll soon be reminded of what is most important.