Choosing the title: Everyone Pays

 

Alternate Title Ideas for EVERYONE PAYS

(and the full story on how this title came about)

 
First, the possibles:
Love of a Preacher Man
Blood of a John
Sacrifice of Sin
Silver Tongue
For the Love of a Preacher Man
Priest’s Blood
Forgive Our Trespasses
Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Trespasses
Original Sins
Killer Priest
Killing Spree
 
If any of these stuck out to you as particularly interesting, let me know in the comments below.
For the bulk of the time I was writing this I thought of the Dusty Springfield song “Son of a Preacher Man” and really liked the title Love of a Preacher Man or For the Love of a Preacher Man because of the way these would set off the song in reader’s heads, make it a memorable pneumonic for the book, and get in people’s heads so they would remember it. I also think it’s a really cool song and like the connection to Pulp Fiction.
In case you don’t remember it, here’s a video:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp4339EbVn8] Though I’m sure you know the song. Right? Right.
But the publisher didn’t like it. Despite whatever I could tell them about oxytocin and its merits when associated with a book they thought the reference was too obscure. I’m not sure how/why. We floated a bunch of titles back and forth (Blood of a John was too dark) and settled on Forgive Our Trespasses for a while. Then the love for that faded and excellent editor Gracie Doyle of Thomas & Mercer Books hit on Everyone Pays from the line when Father Michael says, “Everyone Paid.”

The sinners chose their sins, the path toward faith presenting itself daily and lying untaken. Everyone had free will upon His Earth.

Everyone paid.

From there we settled on the title pretty fast. And  it stuck!

What do you think? Do you have a favorite title from the above? Do you like “Everyone Pays”? Let us know.