One of the most challenging aspects of writing a book is choosing the title.

When I began this whole writing-to-publish journey, one thing I was told again and again is don’t fall in love with the title of your books. More often than not, the publisher will change it.

Self-publishing is a whole different ballgame. Sure, you’re free to fall in love with the title, but at the same time, you have to ask: Will my audience love it too? Will it both pique their interest as well as give a clue as to what the book is about?

After all, you wouldn’t want a title to imply your book is about chickens when it’s really about hearty mountain grasses.

Now for a little history about my book.

A fellow author and member of my writer’s group recently published a book of her best blog essays titled “Grace Like Snow.” I soon thought, what a great idea! Why can’t I do the same?

So over the last nine months or so, I went through my many entries. And they were aplenty, because I’ve been writing blogs beginning in 2006. Yes, you read that right. I did the math (because I’m a mathy kind of person), I averaged about 200 entries/year and after 17 years, that’s 3,400 blog entries. Fear not, I didn’t pick nearly that many for the book!

After choosing 52 from 2017-2023 (and one from 2006), I considered a title. I ended up choosing the title of one of my blogs: “Catching Idle Butterflies.”

Part of the reason behind it (among others) is as a writer, sometimes coming up with a subject to write about is like trying to catch a butterfly.

Coming up: What’s inside.