1. NK_UT

    NK_UT Active Member

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    Novel Naming conventions in book titles.

    Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by NK_UT, Jun 27, 2020.

    Hey all!

    It's been a tick since I posted a new thread, but I'm getting ready to publish my first two manuscripts. When doing so, I was kind of stumped on how to name my books. Hopefully, if I explain a little bit about what I'm after, some of the fine people here could offer up some suggestions on a suitable way to name the books without it being confusing.

    I am working on ten stories that are all interconnected within the same setting. Three full-length novels, a few novellas, and a few short stories.

    This being the case, I want to convey to readers that each one is a part of the same setting. However, in the case of the novels, each part is a component of its own sub-series. What I have so far would look something like this:

    Series Name: Norcom Union
    Subseries Name: Destiny Outbound
    Part 1: The Exclusion Zone
    Part 2: Breaking Ground
    Part 3: As of yet untitled.

    So, on the book cover it would look something like:

    NORCOM UNION
    DESTINY OUTBOUND
    PART 1:
    THE EXCLUSION ZONE​

    So, the question I have is; would this be confusing to new readers who are unfamiliar with the series?

    Just for reference, the other manuscript I'm ready to publish is a novella, same series, same setting, not part of the Destiny Outbound story arc. It would be named something like:

    NORCOM UNION
    TOUCHING THE VOID

    Any help you can offer on naming conventions would be hugely appreciated.
     
  2. J.T. Woody

    J.T. Woody Book Witch Contributor

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    From a librarians standpoint, it is a REAL challenge to catalogue, shelve, and FIND books with "multiple titles." Star Wars books are the bane of my existence:
    • Resistance Reborn: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
    • Aftermath: Star Wars: Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
    • Star Wars: BattlefrontII: Inferno
    • Legends: Star Wars: X-Wing: Rogue Squadron
    Typically we shelve alphabetically by author AND title. But the issue comes with books that have Series Titles, Book Titles, Part Titles, etc.: N for Norcom Union? D for Destiny Outbound? E for The Exclusion Zone?
    These things also make it harder for a guest to find them too.

    You could try "DESTINY OUTBOUND: THE EXCLUSION ZONE" and then have somewhere on the cover " A novel of the Norcom Union" or something like that. Eric Flint's books are titled similar to this: "1637: No Peace Beyond The Line" "1637: The Polish Maelstrom"

    (my personal opinion/pet peeve)
     
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  3. NK_UT

    NK_UT Active Member

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    That's a FANTASTIC suggestion. Thank you!
     
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  4. GraceLikePain

    GraceLikePain Senior Member

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    I second JT's standpoint. Granted, where I work, most sections are sorted by author, but still, it makes it hard for your reader to know what to read next when the titles are all different.
     
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  5. J.T. Woody

    J.T. Woody Book Witch Contributor

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    fellow keeper of the page?
     
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  6. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

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    Or a Fahrenheit 451 Rememberer?
     
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  7. Rzero

    Rzero Reluctant voice of his generation Contributor

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    I hate to make a librarian's job harder (sorry, JT,) but the way you have it written is exactly the way I would expect it. That explains to me perfectly where it fits in the series.
    This is about the only other way I would consider. The number could still be included though. There are fewer things in long series more annoying than having to track down the reading order on the internet. Of course that can also be solved by including a reading list on one of the first few pages. Orson Scott Card is a prime example of an author who titles books in a series with no regard for reading order. You need a Wikipedia page or better to know which goes where. Even copyright dates can be deceiving when they skip the original publishing date and only list the most recent.

    As much as I admire librarians, and I do, I would cater to the reader first, which is what Star Wars does. Once you catch onto the system, it's easier to place a book. Sort of. You usually need info from the back cover too.
     
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  8. GraceLikePain

    GraceLikePain Senior Member

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    Yep, I work at a used bookstore. Or did before COVID cut all my hours....

    Anyway, yeah, the first concern is to have mercy on the reader and the people who want to read your book. Lol, I heard of a person who got made fun of because Stephen King named his book Pet Sematary and they didn't realize that the person talking about it wasn't spelling it incorrectly.
     
  9. TheOtherPromise

    TheOtherPromise Senior Member

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    From my experience (limited as it is) I don't think series names are an actual part of the title. For instance Game of Thrones isn't titled A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones, it's simply A Game of Thrones. Now for my version, on the back it says A Song of Ice and Fire: Book 1 across the top, so would-be readers can find out it's part of a series when they go to read the blurb. Other books have the series on the front, though still not part of the actual title.

    So from that I would say a likely title of your book would be The Exclusion Zone. And then somewhere on the book mention that it is book one of the Destiny Outbound series set in the Norcom Union universe. But that's just how I would handle it.
     
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  10. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    I think one thing to consider is how much of your cover is going to be Title.
    Which is doable, but I think limits any fun artwork since it will be covered
    up by a wall of text.
    Examples:
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]

    I'm not to familiar with Series/Sub-Series-Title Book 1, etc.
    The closest I think I could ever get to that would be.
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Mind you these are standard Paperbacks and not the larger ones that seem to
    be the norm now-a-days. So maybe you won't have to worry about sacrificing
    the cover art after all, but a bit more on how large the text is.
    Just some things to consider when it comes to that bit of fun. :)

    In the end, you are free to have it as long as you think it needs to be.
    Even if there are those who will curse your name that have to catalogue
    them for libraries. (Cereal think of the Librarians.) :p
    The more I think about your longer series within a sub-series title structure
    it makes me kinda think more of a comic book series, cause they do all kinds
    of sorts of inter series mingling a lot.
     
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