Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies

by Sol Stein

I have met many talented writers who insulate their books from the public with titles that are not likely to arouse a reader’s interest or to promise a rich experience. That stubbornness is persistent. Many years after Kazan’s book left my care, he recycled his original title and had another publisher, perhaps less willing to oppose his strong will, issue a novel with the title The Anatolian. That was the first time one of his novels missed a run on the bestseller list. The author was the same. The quality of writing was the same. The title, an avoidable mistake, may have turned off the many millions who were part of his longstanding audience.