Writing in the New York Times, Patricia Cohen examined the trend in ripping off titles that do well. Prime example: the success of Freakonomics has led to Womenomics, Obamanomics, Slackonomics, Inventonomics, and the forthcoming Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays.
How about Enoughonomics, Already!
Another one that has just about run its course is the "....that changed the world." My favourite is "Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color that Changed the World," although a close second is "Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World." Fate? Bananas?
The article quotes Eamon Dolan of Penguin Press: "You can't have a sense of revelation with something that's been repeated four or five times."
However, there's something to be said for catchy names--I'm sure Freakonomics, which also has the the provocative subtitle, "A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything," wouldn't have been a best-seller if it had been called The Economics of Everyday Life.
PS: If you enjoy this blog, please email your friends about it. Maybe you should say it's a rogue writer explaining the hidden seamy side of writing...freakowriteonomics.
(If you need some guidance in writing, take a look at my book, Your Freaky Writing Coach...no, that's not right, it's just Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas "The Enforcer" Brealey...no, wait...)
