SUBTITLE SHOWDOWN: Help Me Choose

for my book, 'Hiding Inside a Man'

Hey dojo gang,

Thanks to those of you who replied, commented, and otherwise shared perspectives and ideas for the subtitle to Hiding Inside a Man (coming Nov 2024) 🙏

What did I take away from your input?

• Keep it short. A subtitle’s job is to invite, not to describe the book. Let the description be something separate.

Heard.

And I’d love your help picking from the narrowed list below (see poll) 🔥

For some context, here’s the DESCRIPTION, doing it’s job:

Hiding Inside a Man is an illustrated journey through one man's confusion and healing in relation to being a man. Matthew Sloane, integral coach and men’s work advocate, shares personal challenges while offering gentle, affirmative guidance toward authenticity. This book is ideal for deep-feeling men navigating self-acceptance, for the allies who support them, and for readers interested in the intersection of art and personal growth.

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Here’s the back cover, including testimonials and that description at the bottom:

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Audience:

Keep in mind, this is intended primarily for:

• Kindhearted men (ages 28–35) who experience low self-esteem (i.e. not being ‘man’ enough) and overwhelm with the world around them.

• Men who want to live in alignment with themselves vs. whom society tells them to be.

Choosing:

I love integration, so combining something hard (“strength”) with something soft (“sensitivity” or “self-compassion” or “true self”) appeals to me.

Most men can appreciate the word “strength” (since we’ve already been conditioned in that direction)—but what about what follows?

And here are the three subtitles, in the context of the book cover:

1

2

3

If you are a kindhearted man with an active inner critic, what book would you rather pick off the shelf if the only thing you saw was:

• “Finding Strength in Self-Compassion” or

• “Embracing Sensitivity to Find Inner Strength” or

• “Gentle Strength—Embracing the True Self”

If you are an ally to men, what book would you prefer to give a kindhearted man you love?

• “Finding Strength in Self-Compassion” or

• “Embracing Sensitivity to Find Inner Strength” or

• “Gentle Strength—Embracing the True Self”

So let’s pick — gimme your vote! (NOTE: the pesky poll limits length, just refer above for the full subtitle ; )

PS: if you’re not a subscriber, you can vote by leaving a comment below!

Thank you in advance for your thoughtful reflections 🙏