A few years ago, I got an idea for a title: "The Hell of the Dolls." I had no idea what the title referred to, and still don't. It feels like the title will never bear fruit in my mind, so I'm giving it away here in case it inspires someone else. Enjoy!
The Hell of the Dolls Chapter one Rupert stood at the gates of Doll City - inside lay an entire dominion of fiery dolls. 'God damn dolls,' he said, 'I'll show them my soft fur. There will be no stopping me. I shall tie every dolly to a wire bed frame and bounce on the bed until they are sick. There shall be puking dollies everywhere, a ha ha ha, ah ha ha.'
The Hell of the Dolls. This makes me think of the dolls in the film Barbarella. The ones with extremely sharp teeth!
How necessary are long titles? Does it matter? Mine consists of 5 words, but I'm thinking it's too long. Any thoughts?
Funny, I was actually doing some research today on the ideal price point for e-books when I came across this nifty Smashwords Survey post: http://blog.smashwords.com/2013/05/new-smashwords-survey-helps-authors.html The statistics are a little dated (about a year old), but showed there's a very slight tendency of shorter titles to sell better. That being said, even the author comments that you should "think less about word count and more about choosing a title that, like good writing, is concise, clear and intriguing." Which I'm inclined to agree with. The length of the title doesn't matter so much as its ability to attract the reader.
Agreed. One of my favorite titles of any book, were it to have been any other combination of words, is a title I would have described as "too long", but in this case it works gorgeously. Stars in my Pocket like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delaney. To add to this, in another thread (this one concerning cover art) I had reason to peruse a website dedicated to cover art fails and more than the art and font work that was off, I noticed some titles that were painfully cumbersome in their layered complexity. Some books even seemed to have more than one title and also a mention of the series to which they belonged and then a mention that it was a (fill in the genre) book by So&So Magoo. I was like, is this a title or a prologue?
Politicians, musicians, actors and even brands are more successful if they have a short name with only one or two syllables. It helps people remember them. The same can be true to books with the difference that a book's title can have a meaning (not always) unlike most names. Thinking about the titles of books I have on my shelf I would say 5 words is longer than the average. Most of them have 1-3 words in their titles.
Hmm. Maybe I should shorten it. Also it consists of the word "love" so its obviously a romance. Is that too much? Im an amateur writer with no true educational background for writing. Though I've been writing for at least 10 years, yet I feel like I have a lot to learn. Thinking about doing a lot of research and studying.
The title of my main novel has five words. I haven't come up with titles yet for my other novel, or for my stories-that-grow-into-novels. I like long titles. What's wrong with them? Hemingway loved them: For Whom the Bell Tolls. Across the River and Into the Trees. Italo Calvino: If on a Winter's Night a Traveller Jules Verne: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth Ursula K. Le Guin: The Word for World Is Forest What's the matter with long titles? EDIT: Aldous Huxley: After Many A Summer Dies the Swan Dave Eggers: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
My books name is Rabies. I think that with an evil looking dog in the cover it's going to at least gt some attention.
Long titles? The one that is forever etched in my mind (probably, at least in part, because I did a series of short stories on Billy the Kid) is the title of Pat Garret's self aggrandizing 'biography' of The Kid: The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid, the Noted Desperado of the Southwest, Whose Deeds of Daring and Blood Made His Name a Terror in New Mexico, Arizona, & Northern Mexico: as told by Pat F. Garrett, Sheriff of Lincoln Co., N. M., by Whom He Was Finally Hunted Down & Captured by Killing Him" "Yeh. That's really the original title. Now how's THAT for a long-winded title?! Captured by Killing Him"? How does that work, exactly? Also, it would be doing a disservice to not point out that Garrett's claim of authenticity has since been debunked on many counts and the book (bearing subsequently shorter and shorter titles). The accuracy of many events has been called into question and the book is now considered no more than 'stories'. The most recent version of the title is still a mouthful and longer than the average today is simply, "The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid".Captured by Killing Him"? How does that work, exactly?
Interesting question. I love short titles, but that's probably cause I'm a fan of Hitchcock and love his title brevity - my fave's - Rope, Marnie, Psycho, Lifeboat. I like something that is easy to remember, sums up an idea of the story nicely without creating too much conflicting ideas or confusion. Over the years my own titles tend to be short. Right now waiting in the queue are - Angel Angle Smackdolligus Elbow Room Pecking Order Tree of Men ( well actually I think that's pretty much finished ) Cockroach Apocalypse Beaut Tinsel Vulture Bait Skulldaddy Moon Grubs My longest titles - Frosted Gothic Lollipop, Blood Fang Drip Drip, The Dolls of Veras Crag, The Worms of Wicher-Woo. I never settle in my heart when a title is a title, I leave my options open cause first things first I want to pique the reader's interest but I also know I need to make sure the title gives the right impression of what the book is about . If it doesn't, I change it - for instance Beaut is the name of my mc which is why I chose it for a title but it's an end-of-the-world sci-fi which the title doesn't really even hint of - so that one is up for change. I don't think five words is too long - not if it suits your book. Some of my fave five word titles - The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, The Cat that Ate My Gymsuit, The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Cat in the Hat, Something Wicked this Way Comes.
Talking of book titles, I've never really thought about the length of them but I can say that I don't like titles that begin with the word 'The' I'm not sure why but I just don't like them. With my own title though, I wanted to get the title of the book to be the last words spoken or thought by a character. And I did.
Actually, that's a good idea. The last words spoken of thought by the main character. I like it. It will certainly bring the book's theme full-circle. I like it when relevance dawns slowly, preferably after I finish reading a book ...oh THAT'S what the title meant. And a title connection like that also makes it clear that the authors know what they're doing. They''ve started their book with the end of it, but without being obvious. Yeah. I like that idea.
I thought the publisher chooses the title? I thought it would be good to have something apposite to put on the query letter to catch an agent's interest, but that probably wouldn't be a title I would personally choose.
erm *points to signature* yeah, im a long title user... i do have another WIP called Harvest:The Devils Orchard. with the possible series/trilogy title Oculus In Infernum... *edit* ive changed my sig, and it now doesnt have them in it. i think i might change it back now....
Thanks. It was one of those eureka moments that I have also carried on to the follow up book too. They are the moments I like the best. When you read something and then five minutes later, you get the connection of something, like a lightbulb moment.
I think about an entire army that were by enchantment turned into tin soldiers. Placed on display in front of a map of their lands while their enemies plotted to overtake it.
