“What’s In a Title?”

Posted April 17, 2025 by Prairie Wife -

“What’s in a title?” is a famous line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (in case you didn’t already know, I’m a big nerd). Juliet uses the line to express the idea that a person’s true character is not defined by their name or title.

But as a writer, I’m here to say that while I know the title of a book or article can’t change the essence of what’s written, it CAN 100% attract or dissuade people from reading it.

One of my favorite questions in our Prairie Wife Virtual Book Club discussions is one we ask every month…

“What other title would you choose?”

I love the challenge of coming up with a new title for a book I’ve read, and I like to think that there have been a few times when I’ve done a better job than the author, publisher, or editor.

My years of practice answering this question finally paid off a little over a year ago when I attended a hush-hush meeting with three Wyoming legends: Author Casey Rislov, Illustrator Zak Pullen, and Indie Bookstore Owner Miranda Berdhal.

They asked if I had time to meet with them about a new project, and of course, I said yes!

We met in Zak’s studio, which continues to captivate my attention every time I visit. Its walls are covered in artwork, and its bookshelves are full of some of the most beautifully illustrated books I’ve ever seen.

Zak and Casey sat me down and explained that they were working on a HUGE project and wanted me to help them with the marketing.

I pulled out my notebook and began to jot down notes as they told me about their dream of a bestselling picture book about Wyoming’s favorite bucking horse, Steamboat. I knew right away that this was going to be big. And as they talked to me and the plot of this book unfolded, I became more and more honored that they asked me to be a part of this project!

When they finished, I just had one question.

“What’s the title?”

Zak looked at me like I was an idiot (no offense was taken, and none was intended) and said, “Steamboat, of course.”

What happened next varies depending on who you ask.

I recall that I tactfully paused before explaining respectfully that those of us from Wyoming would all know who/what Steamboat was, but to the rest of the nation and world, they would instantly be picturing a large ferry boat slowly floating down the Mississippi…

Zak claims I said something more along the lines of “That’s the stupidest idea ever!”

I’m sure the truth is somewhere in the middle…

As I sat and looked at my notes, one theme stuck out to me above all the rest…family.

I thought about how Steamboat bounced around from place to place until he finally found the right fit —a place where he was loved for who he was—a true home.

After a few suggestions that definitely weren’t winners, like “The True Story of Steamboat” I suddenly looked up and said, “A Home for Steamboat.”

As an ex-first-grade teacher, I knew that a short and sweet title was a must, and “A Home for Steamboat” would make it clear to everyone that “Steamboat” was a person or animal of some kind. The painting of the cover had already been shown to me, and I knew people would quickly deduce that “Steamboat” was either the horse or the cowboy…and likely be intrigued enough to want to read the book and find out!

Casey and Zak agreed that “A Home for Steamboat” was the title, and we began forming a plan for the next year of creating, marketing, and dreaming of a book that would share the story of Wyoming’s legendary bucking horse with the world!

It’s incredible to think back to a year ago when this week seemed so far away in the future…

Here’s the official description of “A Home for Steamboat”

“A Home for Steamboat” is a story about a horse with an unbreakable spirit. Widely known as the symbol of Wyoming, the bucking bronco’s silhouette has been a symbol on the state’s license plate since 1936. He was cared for as a foal by a loving family and then later sold to a wealthy ranch owner. His cowhands tried to break the young horse, but the born bucker had a mind of his own. Steamboat could not be broken. He was sold again, this time to a man who felt a kinship with the horse’s strong will and independence. Steamboat had finally found his true home. Based on the famous horse’s life, A Home for Steamboat will inspire young cowboys and cowgirls to never give up.

For those of you who are interested in purchasing “A Home for Steamboat,” you can buy your copy from a local indie bookstore by using this link.

You can purchase “A Home for Steamboat” from Amazon by using this link.

An audiobook version can be purchased through this link.

Find our original Spotify playlist made up of 30 Wyoming artists with songs hand-picked to show off our western spirit here.