There are other options from that song that aren't so long... The Bones From Your Back Out While We're Young Lonely Rider If Love is Wild Scream Down the Boulevard Everlasting Kiss Last Chance Power Drive The Madness In My Soul Tramps Like Us That song's loaded with possible titles. I think "Mansions of Glory and Suicide Machines" is a bit much. Obviously you're not sure about it, hence this post, but if you do decide to go with it as it is, more power to you. Longer than most = different to most, and different can sometimes = great. Standing out is the best way to get noticed after all. If you want some more suggestions from other Bruce songs, I'd be happy to help look
Speaking as somebody who has nipped in to your story ...I'm not sure that the title does it justice. Mind you, I am TOTAL crap at titles. But I was thinking ...if I saw that title would it give me any clue about your book? Not really. I think it might be one of those titles that might make sense after somebody has read the book, but not before. It's not a bad title (and I don't care how long it is), it's just that it doesn't convey anything much. And I don't think it's intriguing enough to make people want to buy the book to find out, either. I'd keep working at it, if I were you. Maybe continue to scour Springsteen's songs for more ideas? You'll know it's right when it hits you right.
Yeah I'm not particularly fond of it after giving it time to marinate. The current working title is "Prodigal Daughters" - which pretty much describes every major character other than the Pope. But "The Prodigal Daughter" is already a major political novel. An earlier working title was "Millenial Reign" but that one got firmly spiked by the writing group. Then I got the idea of using lyrics from my brainstorming songs to label the three parts within the book, and this book I assigned Springsteen (the next one if it holds would be all Pat Benatar). But we'll see if I can't find something better. But it's close enough to done that it's going to need an actual real title soon
My novel is currently titled 'Aus der Traum' (meaning 'the dream is over' in English), however, the novel isn't written in German and I'm worried that this may put some people off reading it. But the thing is, this title is incredibly relevant to the plot as a whole -- 'Aus der Traum' was common graffiti on buildings during the battle of Berlin in 1945 and I just feel that it encompasses everything that the book is about (since it revolves around the lives of some German soldiers during the second world war). I don't want to change it if I don't have to, but will using a foreign phrase in the title make people are more reluctant to pick it up?
I think it would make me more reluctant, yeah. Could you do a title/subtitle combo? The Dream is Over Aus der Traum
@BayView You're right, I suppose I could do that. At least that way I can still kind of keep it. I mean, it breaks my heart, but I guess having people read my book is more important than my personal attachment to the title lol
I was thinking the same thing as bayview. If i saw that as a title, I would assume the book was written in another language and not pick it up.
Also, not to mention, the vast majority of people wont know what that means so while it makes sense for your book, i think he would limit your audience.
I think The Dream is Over is a great title, and the meaning will become deeper as the reader learns what was scribbled on the walls—and why. I agree that using a German title for the book will not only put people off, but they won't get the meaning either, unless they are familiar with German.
I've got nothing to read at the moment. So, I've been searching aimlessly through Amazon's Kindle Ebooks. Sigh, groan, moan . . . it's not much help. All I seem to find is things like: Book 5 of the "Everlasting Series" etc. I've spent mega hours tracking down such 'series' down only to find each 'book' is only a few chapters and not a novel (and when it's a novel...the author finds it necessary to point out (with exciting exclamation marks) that it's a 'stand alone' novel). Why don't authors just come out and say that this is novel 1, this is novel 2, this is novel 3....and name them that way? Is it because they don't have the story worked out yet and are hoping for fans to tell them? Is it because there's a fan base that wants to know the 'history' of the characters? Is it because of money (I'll just write Act 1 and make them beg for more)? Is it because we're used to TV series and expect novels that way these days? There's awesome writers who produce books every month on schedule - like they have a formula. There's authors' who write novels in a series but only 10 years apart as they have to research and write. There's writers who produce novels yearly but in the same format. Is there any real answer? What's the motivation - money or art? Just curious on your thoughts. Most of the time, using Kindle, I feel 'tricked' by the titles and the order they're displayed in for purchase. I guess that's my beef at the moment - I scroll through 1,000 books before I discover 1 worth reading. TITLES ARE IMPORTANT!!!
I'll admit to sharing in your rant. I'm reluctant to read book #5 in a series if I haven't read the first four no matter what the author insists about it being a stand-alone manuscript. Trouble is, I've done the exact same thing. I read somewhere that series books are a more surefire way to make money. Once you hook the reader with your lovable character he/she will want to continue reading more about him/her. While it is rampant in ebooks you can't dismiss it as it also works for a lot of very successful authors. Sue Grafton did a whole series based on the alphabet (and my wife reads them all). So from a marketing aspect I get it. OTOH with my limited time to read and desire for variety I personally tend to shun series books. In my case I wrote a novel that contained a character I just loved to work with. The ending of the first book was far better leaving her future in doubt vs happily-ever-after. That it opened the door for a sequel or a series was never my intent but once I had that opportunity I chose to embrace it. Thus, the sequel. I did make the pitch that each book is a stand-alone edition because of all these other authors who have you slog through a book only to leave you with a cliffhanger so you buy the next issue. I think that's playing dirty...or just for money. So I promise my readers I won't do that to them. Read my books in any order that you want and you'll get a fully developed and finished story, though admittedly the reader is better off reading them in order. I'm not numbering them, however. Most successful mainstream writers don't do it. Harry Potter isn't numbered nor are The Hunger Games books but they are most certainly a series. To me (and others may disagree) I feel numbering a series is kind of juvenile. Its like saying to the reader "You're too stupid to figure out the order by reading the description so here are some simple numbers you can use". Those books that are just chapters and not true novels are just cheese. I don't have respect for those writers and will call them on their crap in any review I write.
Personally I don't see an issue with someone writing series books that seem to go on. Its hard to make money as a writer and if writing is your day job you have to let it make you money in order to survive. Not to say you should sell yourself out for the dollar but I'm sure that these writers do enjoy the series they work on. Its like a band playing an old song they wrote 20 years ago at every concert. People love it, its a hit, and they want to make their fans happy. Also some stories take a long time to tell. You also have to consider the genre, YA novels (which is mainly where you see a lot of series) at not very long books. They try to cap it at a certain point. You wont see a 800 YA novel. It would be better to divide it into 4 novels. As PP said, sometimes you get a great character and you don't want to see them go just yet.
I was tempted to turn my first novel into a series or trilogy simply because the book was so long. I even planned out a sidequel showing all the unseen events that were going on with side characters - villains, victims, name drops - leading up to the finale. I really didn't think of it as anything more than an experiment - to see if a sidequel could work and be as interesting. I never wrote anything for the sidequel but it was elaborately planned out. I think if I ever finish it and it stays as long I'd rather release it in a two volume set. I've seen a lot of this going on and especially with authors not writing the promised sequels. Which I think is pretty low considering some are advertised to teens. I remember how disappointed I was in the 80s when publishers canceled series without any notice to the readers. You'd go to pick up the next book when it usually appeared, the second Tuesday of every month, and suddenly number 39 or whatever just wouldn't be there. I think if you're going for money pleasing the fans of your genre would be your first priority. I'm not sure it would please anyone to pay 3 bucks to read a novella ( or thinly disguised chapter ) that ends on a cliffhanger. Rather like buying a segmented book ( and even Stephen King barely got away with that. ) I'm not sure if it's insecure writers who don't think they've built up enough layers to justify a sequel. That the momentary problem outweighs the overall problem. Or if it is an attempted money-grab. Or if it's merely the influence of tv shows and their stupid season ender cliffhangers.
As a reader I've seen things move to almost a buy by chapter format. I found something interesting in concept by an unknown and then discovered it was nearly $2 for 6,000 words. Really? ygtbfkm. I know readers want series/trilogies. I know they don't want one book to be it for the characters involved. Patterson's machine uses the Private series of books to run a story from an office somewhere else instead of multiple stories ouf of the same office. Making as many stories as possible as long as they can pick a new city. (Berlin sucked) Shifty I say. But with the binge watching of shows and the enthusiasm we saw for Lost and the endless storyline addiction we now see, I can understand the desire for an endless eight+ book trillogy based on a character or environment addiction. So they give it to them. as many times as they can stand in any way that gets them back for the next one, just like addictive episode binge watching. I've got ideas and admittedly have tried to figure out how to keep them going into multiple stories for a trilogy but it's not by breaking up one story into multiple cliffhangers. That, I agree, sucks for the reader and serves as a cash harvest device-BUT- isn't that how they kept the kids back in the day coming back to the radio or theater for more every week?
Hello, I have completed these two works and I am seriously thinking about moving forward with both of them (debating self-publishing or traditional publishing). I, however, don't have confidence in my titles as being catchy enough to propel readers to pick up something new from an unknown author. Reading the synopsis and looking at my titles for both works, what would you rename them? Also, if I do self-publishing, will it make sense to release both at the same time since they are based on different characters and settings (one is in Leesville, Louisiana, and the other is in Colorado Springs, Colorado)? The Stevie Archer character has a follow-up I am currently working on. Just trying to navigate through this web for now. Synopsis to my two books: BACK FROM THE DEAD A CSPD Detective Stephen (Stevie) Archer wakes up from his coma to continue the hunt for the killer that wounded and sent into coma in the first place. The hunt for this serial killer dubbed The “Eye Gouger” revealed an unsolved attempted murder case dating back twenty years in Albuquerque. Now, both Det. Stevie Archer and his team and the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) Cold Cases Division must race against time to stop the relentless killer from striking and killing the second-chance detective and innocent people for good. (Word count:105800) THE FORGOTTEN CRIME During the last days of WWII, and during the sweeping of the city of Torgau, along the Elbe River on the 25th of April 1945, a squad of American soldiers took advantage of a seventeen-year-old German girl. The girl was rescued by an officer from the unit doing the sweeping. After the war was over, the officer, Donald Springton returned to Germany and marry the girl he rescued. Sixty-six years later, and after Donald’s death, Roxy Springton decided to go after the men who raped her. Meet one of the most ruthless killers for hire named the Trashman and an innocent janitor and immigrant from Yemen, Tariq Malwan, whose paths crossed one cold night in Leesville. Enter the odd duo’s hunt for the squad members or their families, and the race against time by FBI Special Agent Jesse Winston and Leesville Police Department’s Robert Minkus and Linda Sanders in stopping the killing of WWII veterans or their families. Will they succeed in stopping the hired killer from Chechnya and the newly-converted Jihadist from Yemen before it’s too late? (Word count 119388)
If you go the traditional publishing route, chances are the publisher will work with you to come up with a title. Other than that, it's hard for us to help because we don't know the novels as intimately as you do. For some ideas, consider themes, phrases from the works, etc. for inspiration.
I don't have any eye catching title suggestions for you, but I wonder if your title should more accurately depict the story. "Back from the Dead" seems a bit different than coming out of a coma, I can see the correlation but comatose and dead seem different to me. Maybe a reference to the detectives memory driving the story. A similar thought about "The Forgotten Crime", the issue here is that the victim has not forgotten nor forgiven, so something like "Crime Unforgiven" hits closer to home for me. However I can see where your title has to be a selling point if you go the self publish route and hopefully things will work out for you, the stories sound interesting.
"Back from the dead" is a solid book title, but it is overused. It can work and prosper, but it will take more effort to separate from the hundreds of poems, games, and books with that label. Also, this decade has seen a rise in public interest in zombies and the undead, so my first thought was "oh, another one of those." Again, on its own, the name captivates. As I read through your synopsis, I noticed the a coma is directly related to the motive to catch the criminal. I was playing with this idea: From A Coma, To A Killer. Or... "Out of a coma, on the hunt" "Once Unconscious: Payback!" (This leaves room for a series. "Once Unconscious: *Knot Anymore"... could be a sequel) You create a brand that pulls, is conscise, and yet suggests a mystery .... I'll reply to the next one.... in a bit. ... "Knot" is on purpose, it can apply to someone was about to get married, but then...
You said: "THE FORGOTTEN CRIME During the last days of WWII, and during the sweeping of the city of Torgau, along the Elbe River on the 25th of April 1945, a squad of American soldiers took advantage of a seventeen-year-old German girl. The girl was rescued by an officer from the unit doing the sweeping. After the war was over, the officer, Donald Springton returned to Germany and marry the girl he rescued. Sixty-six years later, and after Donald’s death, Roxy Springton decided to go after the men who raped her. Meet one of the most ruthless killers for hire named the Trashman and an innocent janitor and immigrant from Yemen, Tariq Malwan, whose paths crossed one cold night in Leesville. Enter the odd duo’s hunt for the squad members or their families, and the race against time by FBI Special Agent Jesse Winston and Leesville Police Department’s Robert Minkus and Linda Sanders in stopping the killing of WWII veterans or their families. Will they succeed in stopping the hired killer from Chechnya and the newly-converted Jihadist from Yemen before it’s too late? (Word count 119388) My reply: I see the girl being an important part of the rest of the story. A girl being picked on is one of the worst offenses; therefore, I think utilizing the "girl" in your title, along with your "forgotten, but-not" theme will tug a reader for that kind of content. Here is a starter idea: "A Girl No More," "When Girls Get Back," "A doll and her soldier(s): Overcoming" ... "When she grows up, she'll go after you." --this calls for a response, you can use that phrase at the end of the book. Question... Are these 2 different stories? I got lost during the second paragraph. (Note: 17 years old, then 66 years later? That is 83.)
Yes, the two stories are the same. Roxy hires ruthless killer (who hires Tariq) to kill those who wronged her. Thanks foor the ideas on the book title.
I've been struggling to come up with a title for my latest project, a sort of steampunk-fantasy with a Van Helsing-esque protagonist and some historical mythology sprinkled in. Does anyone have any processes they use to come up with titles, or any suggestions that might help me?
For my *current* title I looked at main themes, messages and characters. What is your protag (A Dragon Child in my case)? Who are they? How do they do things? What are things they have to work out (What loving and hating truly means for your mind)? Or do you have a phrase that a character says that sums your book up? THEN (this step is extremely important) search for your supposed book title, what comes up? Sometimes the title has already been used and this could confuse people or it hasn't but has some real world conations so it extremely important you do this. The title (at the moment) for my wip is The Dragon Child: To Love and To Hate. I'm still not sure about it as it sounds a bit naff to me but the title needs to represent your book so I hope I've helped!
