Update on my book about Chapman

[HelenaWojtczak]

What a bummer, Helena -you have just cost me some of my (very) hard earned wages.

I clicked on your link and had to crack for 3 of your books !

They look so very interesting, to me and my family in Sussex, that I couldn't resist them. I think that your explanation of your attitude to research was a clincher.

BLIMEY!

Buy them via my website and I will personally autograph and dedicate them!

[Rubyretro]

BLIMEY!

Buy them via my website and I will personally autograph and dedicate them!

Already ordered and paid for them !

It's a shame -it would have been nice to have had them autographed..

Hang about..I just checked and I did buy them from your website. I am ' Lesley', and I asked for them to be sent to my mother's adress (Mrs King) in Cuckfield, Sussex (I know that my mother and sister will want to read them, too).

[HelenaWojtczak]

Apologies for re-posting this, I don't mean to annoy anyone but I was worried that my question will get lost buried under later posts, so here it is again:

Can you all give your opinion on another problem I have with my book?

Paul Begg says my book will reach "the world-wide Ripper-reading audience."

My problem is - how?

Mr Gordon's three books about Chapman ALL have the words "Jack the Ripper" in the title, and I am sure that is what gained him the sales he has achieved. Would he have sold any books without JtR in the title?

The problem is, unlike Mr Gordon I don't believe there is enough evidence that he was Jack the Ripper to justify putting the words Jack the Ripper in the title. But without it being in the title it will not show up on searches on Amazon and other online bookshops, or bricks-and-mortar bookshops, or libraries when people are searching for Ripper books.

I plan to call it The Southwark Poisoner: The Life and Crimes of Seweryn Klosowski alias George Chapman. But when I asked an online group of successful self publishers for their opinions, I was told two things that I simply don't know how to fix. Firstly, it sounds like a novel. Secondly, I was told, the title is "too full of difficult names" which is off putting.

Can anyone please advise me?

Helena

[Rubyretro]

Well, obviously the subject is going to appeal to anyone interested in Jack the Ripper -so you have got to reach those people searching on the internet.

So maybe you could 'turn' the title ? 'The Southwark Poisoner -the Jack the Ripper Suspect Who Never Was' sort of thing..

(I don't mean that particular title, but along those lines)

The Southwark Poisoner -Was He Jack The Ripper ?
(at least it doesn't let them down before they start reading !)

Maybe you don't need his name in the title. People who know about Chapman will understand 'The Southwark Poisoner', and if they don't know him, the name will mean nothing.

[bolo]

I think it is best to stick to just one name/alias, my pick would be George Chapman.

About a JtR reference in the title or subtitle, well, puff is part of the trade!

What about "In The Shadows Of Jack The Ripper: George Chapman, Southwark Poisoner"?

[Rubyretro]

I think it is best to stick to just one name/alias, my pick would be George Chapman.

About a JtR reference in the title or subtitle, well, puff is part of the trade!

What about "In The Shadows Of Jack The Ripper: George Chapman, Southwark Poisoner"?

Good one, Bolo !

[HelenaWojtczak]

So maybe you could 'turn' the title ? 'The Southwark Poisoner -the Jack the Ripper Suspect Who Never Was' sort of thing..

The Southwark Poisoner -Was He Jack The Ripper ?
(at least it doesn't let them down before they start reading !)

Maybe you don't need his name in the title. People who know about Chapman will understand 'The Southwark Poisoner', and if they don't know him, the name will mean nothing.

This is all good thinking, thank you!

I love "The Southwark Poisoner -Was He Jack The Ripper?" except for one tiny thing: 95% of the book tells the story of the poisonings, and only 5% -- the final chapter - - weighs up whether he was the Ripper or not. As I am always striving never to mislead or disappoint, in my books or in my titles, I am a bit worried that people might expect the whole book to be an evaluation of whether he was the Ripper or not and be irritated by having to wade through 95% of the book before getting to the bit they want, then being disappointed that it's only a small proportion of the book.

Boris: "In The Shadows Of Jack The Ripper". That sounds nice, but what does in the shadows mean?

I agree I need JtR in the title, just need to find a way of doing it without misleading or disappointing anyone.

I/we will have to brainstorm this a bit more.

Thanks, and keep the ideas coming!

[Stephen Thomas]

Helena,

As you know I'm supportive of your efforts but I must say that I think this would work better as a Hastings and area local book/booklet which I believe is your business. I don't imagine there are many people in Southwark who are remotely interested in Local History. The only way a mainstream publisher would want it would be if it were a JTR 'suspect' book and it seems that your heart would not be into creating such a thing. However, a carefully researched Local History book about an infamous character who lived where you live could be a steady seller in that area and also be a desirable internet purchase for our companions here

[HelenaWojtczak]

Hi Stephen and thank you so much for contributing to my thread!

this would work better as a Hastings and area local book/booklet which I believe is your business.


Well, the book DID start out as a local history booklet.

I don't imagine there are many people in Southwark who are remotely interested in Local History.


I'm intrigued to know why you think Southwark people won't be remotely interested in murders that took place in Southwark, but Hastings people will be interested although he didn't kill anyone here.

Helena

[Rubyretro]

.

I don't imagine there are many people in Southwark who are remotely interested in Local History

.[/QUOTE]

That is an incredibly lofty and sweeping remark. How do you know ?

Maybe people would be more interested in local history if they had more information about it, easily available ?

As for 'the Southwark Poisoner' -I've never taken Chapman seriously as a Ripper suspect and I'm interested in the Whitechapel Murders as an 'entry point' to social history of the late 19th Century ; Judging by all the participants and readers of Casebook, I am far from unique (that's not locally, that's across the World).

I think that this book would appeal to the legions of people like me.

Obviously we need to be able to come across/find the book on the net with the name 'Jack the Ripper' -but we don't need a suspect based book, to be interested.

[Stephen Thomas]

I agree I need JtR in the title, just need to find a way of doing it without misleading or disappointing anyone.

As I said before.......

'DID JACK THE RIPPER LIVE IN HASTINGS?'

A question there, not a statement

[bolo]

Boris: "In The Shadows Of Jack The Ripper". That sounds nice, but what does in the shadows mean?

It is meant as a reference to the connection between the JtR and Chapman cases. Chapman was not a contemporary suspect but there still is Abberline's interest in him, that is why I think it is valid to put the JtR name in the title of a book on him.

[Rubyretro]

there still is Abberline's interest in him, that is why I think it is valid to put the JtR name in the title of a book on him.

[/QUOTE]

I agree with you bolo. It's not dishonest, and it will draw in readers who are not all 'suspect' orientated.

[HelenaWojtczak]

Rubyretro: That is an incredibly lofty and sweeping remark. How do you know ?

I think he is right. I lived in Southwark for 15 years and never took any interest in local history. Came to Hastings and hey presto, wrote four local history books!

Must be something in the water!

I think that this book would appeal to the legions of people like me.


Oh don't get me too excited!

[HelenaWojtczak]

As I said before.......

'DID JACK THE RIPPER LIVE IN HASTINGS?'

A question there, not a statement

When I started writing this, that is almost exactly what I was going to call the book! "The Demon Barber of George Street: Did Jack the Ripper live in Hastings?" The reason I was happy with that was that it was going to be a much shorter book, and so the discussion of whether he was or was not the Ripper took up a bigger proportion of the book, say 30% instead of 5%.

But when I decided to publish nationally, the title won't do.

Maybe there is some way of incorporating this into the national book?