You might have noticed in the “About Kate” section that the working title of the book is Lessons from the Fatosphere.
It’s not the title I wanted, for a lot of reasons — chiefly that the Fatosphere is a hell of a lot bigger than just the two of us. (And we’re pretty big, HAW!) Someone just raised that very point over at Marianne’s blog, and all I can say is: you’re right. And we brought it up. And it didn’t matter, because the publisher was superkeen on the word “Fatosphere.”
And not fighting that point with someone who knows a lot more than I do about publishing is part of not being an asshole.
The entirety of the Fatosphere — and our limited role in it — will be acknowledged in the book. And since it hasn’t gone to press yet, there’s still a possibility that the title could change. But we have been through a lot of proposed titles, and Lessons from the Fatosphere is so far the only one that both of us, our editor, and the publisher can agree on.
Edited May 5, 2009: Since folks are linking this page from Facebook, here’s a handy link to actually buy the book! If you want the Australian version (which is called Screw Inner Beauty), that’s here.
Kate Harding is the co-author of Lessons from the Fat-o-Sphere: Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with Your Body, founder of the internet's most popular body acceptance blog, 
If it’s “Lessons from the Fatosphere”, and not “I, Fatosphere”, I think you’re okay.
I read it that you’d traveled to the Temple of Fat and there studied the Way of the Wobble.
So if anything, I thought it a rather modest title.
If it’s “Lessons from the Fatosphere”, and not “I, Fatosphere”, I think you’re okay.
Ha! And we have totally studied the Way of the Wobble.
This is how I interpreted the title when it was initially proposed as well – I have learned a hell of a lot from the other writers in the Fatosphere, after all.
I have learned a hell of a lot from the other writers in the Fatosphere, after all.
Excellent point.
My first and so far only book went out with a title entirely of the publisher’s choice. I thought my working title was much cooler and punchier and all, but the publisher was the person who signed the advance check and not unreasonably that gave him the near-unilateral right to name the baby. My guess is that you have to have a solid sales track record before you get to have much of an opinion in what goes on the cover of the final product. No-one should look askance at you for the title of your first book!
Very much looking forward to reading it. The Amazon reviews should be a thing of beauty, too…
[...] Kate Harding: Kate has my back and I hope she knows I have hers. I look forward to her upcoming book, “Lessons from the Fatosphere.” [...]