Despite the fact that publishers want to change your title more than half of the time (so you can't get too attached to it,) apparently making a bad choice of title can effect your chances when submitting.
Over at Book Ends they are discussing titles they never want to see again. These include:
SECOND CHANCES
Anything with “DESTINY”
Anything with “CODE” (Amanda are you reading this! lol)
MIDNIGHT CROSSINGS
DEEP/STILL WATERS
THE LONG WAY/ROAD HOME
HOME AGAIN
FOOL’S GOLD
SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME
Lucky for me none of my titles are on the list, but it does make me shake my head. My first ever novel was called Between the Gutter and the Sky, which fits the story, but it will never sell. If I ever dig that puppy out of the dust bunnies, I'll have to re-name it. I remember Allison Rushby talking about her first novel-- "Possums in the Sun" or something, which is quite some way from "All Men Are Bastards.Com", huh?
How about you? Any embarassing titles you want to share, or cringeworthy recognition on the No No list?
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8 comments:
No offense to the authors of these particular lines, but I never understood the draw of a book with 'Sheik,' 'Greek Tycoon' or 'Secret Baby' in the title. I think 'Runaway Bride' has been done to death also.
Probably my least favorite titles are the Harlequin Presents titles. Those are the Sheik/Greek Tycoon/Secret Baby titles :) Check them out here: http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?cid=226
I'm sure if I thought about it more, I'd think of some cheesy ST titles too. I'm drawing a blank at the moment.
I have to agree with you both. The trite titles are one of the reasons I've stopped reading Presents and some of the other H/S lines.
I really dislike all the double-entendre titles. The "hards", etc. And the recent trend towards not-so-subtle "Slap my big ass" kinds of titles. I mean, come on. I'm with folks on the sheiks and greeks, too.
Well...I have a reincarnation story that I did a contest on my blog to rename. One of the stipulations was it couldn't have the word "time" in the title, or "love". My original working title was "Timeless" just because I couldn't think of anything. I hated it for all it's cheesiness and clichedness. I'm usually pretty good at naming my books, but that one...I couldn't come up with one to save my life. As for the double entendre titles, I'm really with Ciar on that one. Even my erotic romance titles are normal titles. I have, Fatal Error, Falling Stars, and I just submitted one called Mind Games. None of them have big asses being spanked, or hard riding cowboys in the title. Just not my cup of tea.
-Kat
Well heck my book that just came out this last Friday is titled Second Chances! That cracked me up - guess Book Ends would've turned me away on the spot! LOL
If I wanted to be accurate it should've been entitled Fourth Chance but that's not so good...
I'm not a big fan of the Presents titles either. Though I have to admit I find them kind of amusing.
Tawny, Heather, and Bernadete & Jennifer- If only the sheiks, secret babies and tycoons HAD been done to death. It would be a mercy killing. LOL Cat calls for new, new, new, but delivers refried has-beans. Having said that, I am reading a cat at the mo and enjoying it, so nothing is set in stone. No tycoons or sheiks in it though. :-)
Ciar- you hate double entendre? Yikes! My stock in trade. I guess the trick is to make it fresh, not yawn. Nothing flater than a re-used joke.
Kat- thank you for avoiding the asses. If only we could convince the rest of the publishing world to do the same.
lol- Karen. I knew at least some of us would cringe at the list. :-)
I think you can do double entendre, but there's a fine line between clever and ALMOST clever.
I'd be happy to not see another book called IN TOO DEEP.
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