Another book has my title!

32 thoughts on “Another book has my title!”

1. The only reason I would consider changing the name was what if their book was not very good and then people would say hey don’t read the Last Bee Keeper it was really bad…. Then they would be missing out on your book.

   1. Well, I hadn’t thought of that! Thank you. Actually, from what I can tell of my research, I think that book looks really good. 🙂

   2. Stick to your guns, the title is perfect.
      On another note, please do a bit more proof reading, I noticed some small mistakes in the extract you made available to read.
      Cheers Lorna

      1. Thank you, Lorna. Yes, I caught those and republished that excerpt. Thank you for saying so! I’m having a professional proofreader check the final product.

2. Jared I loved your Olive Grove book and have given it to 2 different friends to read as they recover from surgery.
   Basically if a book has your name on it I’ll buy it!
   Keep writing and pressing that olive oil!

   1. That’s so kind of you! I’m honored you gave my book to recovering friends. 🙂

3. Hello Jared
   Your idea of adding the subtitle (Vespling Series) is the best. Many books have subtitles and these are included in Library of Congress classifications. No need to get yourself too worked up but, hopefully, Harper Collins won’t be sending you a threatening letter.
   Lorig

   1. Thanks, Lorig. Fortunately titles can’t typically be ‘owned’ as they’re only ‘short phrases’ which aren’t eligible to be copyrighted. Although some can be trademarked, like the ‘X for Dummies’ series.

4. That must have been a real shock, Jared, but I agree with your decision. In a way, the two books may amplify each other.

   1. Yes, I think you’re right. I like that phrase, ‘amplify each other’.

5. HOLY COW! How is that even possible? I mean, the title, maybe, since there is already something of a bee crisis in the world, but publishing THE SAME WEEK????? Jared, my friend, if you’re not already paranoid, you might consider it.

   HOWEVER, as you say, the two books, while probably equally worth a gander by any discerning reader, are completely different genres and one would have to be pretty dim to mix them up.

   SO, kudos for moving up your launch date, despite the chaos that may cause. You go first and then maybe later you can sue her for getting free publicity on your coattails.

   WHATEVER the outcome, I look forward to reading YOURS, maybe hers, too, but not until after yours.

   1. I know, right? Paranoia much? But yes, they are indeed equally worth a gander by any discerning reader, and I think Turabi’s book looks really interesting… in a totally different way!

6. Jared, your reasons for not changing the title of your book are all extremely valid. However, you have omitted the most obvious reason of all….there is only one Jared Gulian writing a book with your chosen title so they couldn’t they possibly be confused!

   1. Well, if Siya Turabi’s name was Jared Gulian then, yes, we would have a thorny problem indeed! Hahaha! 🙂

7. Kia ora Jared. As a fellow author, I was shocked at this news. But you are right on all counts – and especially to bring the release date forward. Perfect! I really like the tag line, so it’s a little disappointing that this won’t be on the cover. But having too many words on the cover is also not a good thing. So perhaps you have hit on a happy compromise. And I guess you can use the tag line in other publicity etc. My only other suggestion is getting more media publicity because of this – especially here in NZ. I am happy to pass this on to my journalist friend, but don’t want to do that without your permission. All the best with it and keep up the great work. Sharon

   1. I like that tag line too. But I think I’m going to use it in Facebook ads. So all is not lost.

      And yes, please feel free to pass this on to your journalist friend. I’d be very grateful. Thank you Sharon.

8. As an indie writer, Jared, I might have said it’s risky. But your reasons are all so valid and if you could bring forward your date of publication even more, I’d say Go For It!
   Wishing you all the best for this.

   1. Thanks, Prue. Risk, Schmisk! 🙂 Actually, my worst fear is someone accidentally buying my book and giving me bad reviews on Amazon as a result. It has been known to happen.

9. Theres a squillion bee keeping fiction books all with similar titles out there….I belong to a book club and its all about the author…if you get a good one which you are then the book title does not matter so much…go with your heart….

   Loved the first book and can’t wait to read this one although personally I love the stories you tell set around your farm being a farming girl myself

   1. Keryn – Thank you so much. Who knows, I might write more farm stories some day. Never say never.

      I followed your link and your 17th century renovated farmhouse in France looks AMAZING.

10. Hi Jared, no I dont think you are making a big mistake, it must have been a big shock to hear about the other book, great idea to move up your launch date. I dont think it matters if there are two books with the same title, it will be your name I will be looking for. Good luck. Looking forward to reading your new book. Karen.

    1. Very kind of you to say, Karen!

11. Great to see you again – and despite any misgivings, looking so cheerful. Thought your reasons were really good. I don’t actually think discerning readers mix books up – they’ll be looking for the author’s name.

    I have used some of the bits from your farming stories to teach senior students about structuring anecdotal writing. Now I’m looking forward to something quite different.

    1. Hi Graeme – I’m honored that you used my stories to teach. I’d be fascinated to know what elements of those stories you used as examples of structuring anecdotal writing. I did work hard to tell those stories with a strong hook, middle, climax, and resolution, so I’m glad you saw the structure as teaching-worthy. That really pleases me to hear. Thank you. If you can easily share the lesson plan or anything, do please email me that info at jared@jaredgulian.com. 🙂

       About looking cheerful, I wasn’t cheerful at first to be honest, but I got over it. There’s an expression I love that says, “Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” And thinking about Siya Turabi, an author out there in the universe who loves her title as much as I do mine, helped me put everything in context. It’s all going to be fine in the end.

12. You made 7 valid arguments. I agree with your decision and think you did your best by changing the release date as well as trying to differentiate that it’s a book in a series.
    Personally, I would love it if you wrote another book with stories about your olive grove. That was such an enjoyable book. I got so caught up in your “characters” and truly looked forward to reading it. It was so engaging and beautifully written. Please consider picking up where you left off. As much as I loved your writing, I’m not much of a sci for fan so not sure if I’ll love the new one.

    1. Hi Brenda – I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I left a comment over on Facebook I’ll add here. I know a lot of my ‘olive grove’ readers really won’t be science fiction fans. But consider this… ‘The Last Beekeeper’ is mostly about a father and a daughter, to be honest. They are in extraordinary times. The father wants to keep his daughter safe. The other elements are like a fairy tale. Fairy tales often have monsters, and somehow stories about monsters teach us things. I don’t know how, but they do. ????

       1. I will read The Last Beekeeper because you wrote it but really hoping for another Olive Grove type of book. Thanks for considering it ????

          1. That’s always on my mind. Every time I see the chickens do something hilarious, I get a twitch to write about them. 🙂

13. Jared, this is really spooky! I have all my book titles on indefinite search with Google and today, up popped an interview on Publishers’ Weekly with an author who had released a book called A Thousand Glass Flowers in 2020. This was the title of an award-winning book I published in 2011.
    Horrors!

    I took a leaf out of your book and thought through the detail:
    1. Way different genres – mine is fantasy, Turk’s is a child’s picture book.
    2. I would be taking on the whole might and power of a mainstream publisher to argue my case.
    3. The little children’s book actually looks quite nice and the premise is lovely.
    4. How can I spin this to give me some publicity?

    Isn’t it interesting though, to see something you’ve sweated over for an age being copied. I feel the publishers must surely have done due diligence and checked what other books may have the same title. And at the very least, had the courtesy to contact me through my website to say this might be happening. Is a copyrighted title of some 10 years worth anything in law?
    Our difficulty is that we are indie writers and don’t have the weight of the industry behind us. So it does become a case of suck it up, I think.
    But suck it up and use it to our best advantage! That’s the key!!!
    I would like to write a blog post on this find today and wonder if I can link to your blog as well?
    Cheers!

    1. Hi Prue – Sorry for the delay in my response. For some reason your comment got blocked. I just found it. I know how that feels to discover this news! But take heart, it’s more common than many of us realize.

       You might be interested in an old Tumblr blog from writer Emily Schultz. Her novel ‘Joyland’ was followed 8 years later by a novel called ‘Joyland’ by Stephen King, and she wrote about that experience and called it ‘Spending the Stephen King Money.’ 🙂

       And of course, feel free to link to my blog whenever you would like. Always feel free to do that. Best of luck to you!

       1. Thanks so much for responding, Jared.
          I spoke to some mainstream writers and it was suggested I said nothing about it at all, in fear of offending the writer of the other title. More particularly the publisher of said title!
          As you know, it’s impossible to copyright a title, so one hasn’t a leg to stand on if one wanted to push the barrow. One just hopes publishers pursue due diligence.

          In my case, my book (fantasy) is a genre poles apart to the other (illustrated children’s). The children’s book is, in fact, a nice little true story.
          I wish I could make money off it indirectly, but…
          Instead, I just had a pic taken of me with both books in my hands and posted a commentary on my public and private Facebook pages and on Instagram. When you think about it, it is quite funny and as my hashtag says #greatmindsthinkalike.
          Cheers and looking forward to your next post.

14. Hurray!

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