tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post8116686192034941183..comments2023-09-25T02:24:22.087-07:00Comments on Anne R. Allen's Blog: 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Book Title in the E-AgeAnne R. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-44345753188656357662015-08-21T12:06:56.006-07:002015-08-21T12:06:56.006-07:00Fantc15--I'm 100% with you about how our world...Fantc15--I'm 100% with you about how our world has become too complicated. The fundamental premise of the tech world is "make it more complicated and they will come". Every new Windows update changes your life for the worse, but everybody pretends to be pleased. Sigh.<br /><br />As far as your title. I love "Sir Ivan's Train". Lots of questions there: A Russian Knight? Who has a train? Great stuff. <br /><br />For your subtitle, I think Dragon King works much better than Fate Changers because 1) "fate changers" is one of those generic titles that could apply to anything 2) Kings are cool. 3) Dragons are cooler. <br /><br />Just my opinion. But I'd definitely look at a book with that title. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-83617541235360241552015-08-21T11:27:34.984-07:002015-08-21T11:27:34.984-07:00So I've been hearing this lately about titling...So I've been hearing this lately about titling a book to fit the market, and have considered re-titling my recent book. It went from "Sir Ivan's Train: Fate Changers" to "Sir Ivan's Train: Dragon King". (I'm stubborn like you, Anne. I can't let go of "Sir Ivan's Train". Besides, Lulu Title Test okay-ed it). However, "Sir Ivan's Train" got zero interesting results in the Amazon search, whereas "Dragon King" turned out pretty good. I'll work on it!<br /><br />This is confusing. Our technological world has become simply too complicated.<br /><br />Thanks for a great informational read! It definitely helped pacify my apprehension with titles. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-5566460978792826542015-08-16T09:20:57.031-07:002015-08-16T09:20:57.031-07:00Jason--The Lulu analyzer is fun, but don't tak...Jason--The Lulu analyzer is fun, but don't take it as the definitive word. I put in some bestselling titles that failed miserably with Lulu.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-29278910173754897092015-08-16T09:19:35.828-07:002015-08-16T09:19:35.828-07:00Mark--You're so right about Storm Chaser. I im...Mark--You're so right about Storm Chaser. I immediately thought of two books with that title. That means it's such a good title other people liked it too. LOL. But the Notorious Ian Grant is perfect. And classic: protagonist's name plus embellishment that's a hook. Great choice.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-36876339813183465442015-08-16T00:21:56.249-07:002015-08-16T00:21:56.249-07:00Thanks for this, some very useful tips, I especial...Thanks for this, some very useful tips, I especially like the best seller title analyzer on lulu.Jason Chapmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951671601073044426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-29336450763083707542015-08-15T22:45:58.984-07:002015-08-15T22:45:58.984-07:00I cold have used this before my first book, Storm ...I cold have used this before my first book, Storm Chaser, came out. I still like the title, but it turned out to be way too common. I like the sequel's title: The Notorious Ian Grant.Mark R Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07685591390353442531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-46238048838643319972015-06-15T04:32:34.421-07:002015-06-15T04:32:34.421-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10524633560851416925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-74439005769325299222015-05-27T14:52:11.041-07:002015-05-27T14:52:11.041-07:00Chrys--I do that too: start with a title that refl...Chrys--I do that too: start with a title that reflects what I think the book is going to be about, but the book has other plans. And yes, always Google it. Amazing how many minds think alike. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-41412759955380112182015-05-27T12:53:52.399-07:002015-05-27T12:53:52.399-07:00The Alchemist's Whore? Naaa... Ben Jonson alre...The Alchemist's Whore? Naaa... Ben Jonson already done that. How about Bloody London? (I could make it Brum, if you insist.)Dr John Yeomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03457052363231077457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-5519983585181436942015-05-27T07:26:12.891-07:002015-05-27T07:26:12.891-07:00Awesome tips! I have to remember to look up my tit...Awesome tips! I have to remember to look up my titles to see if they've been used. It's usually easy for me to come up with the title that sticks, but a couple of times I have changed titles after I finished writing the story.Chrys Feyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11955009490266358041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-57826993114084355762015-05-26T17:07:52.130-07:002015-05-26T17:07:52.130-07:00Cee--So sorry to hear your wonderful title has bee...Cee--So sorry to hear your wonderful title has been used before. That doesn't mean you can't use it though. Sometimes a similar title can work in your favor. But having the same name as a porn star...not so much. Good you didn't get stuck with that! Thanks!Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-39072215994192481772015-05-26T16:28:27.828-07:002015-05-26T16:28:27.828-07:00Oh crumbs, I thought I had the perfect title for m...Oh crumbs, I thought I had the perfect title for my book, which is a sequel to a yet unpublished novel about Alexander the Great's first wife Rhoxane. I took it from an old movie with Merle Oberon. After reading your post, I thought I'd check Amazon, & rats! there are seven books with the title already. When I picked a pseudonym for a paranormal I wrote, I did check & luckily I did or I would've had the name of a porn star on my unpornish story :) Thanks for a timely post, Anne! Your blog is great!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-11190328303221232442015-05-26T14:37:04.649-07:002015-05-26T14:37:04.649-07:00Dr. John--Oooh. The Undertaker's Wind belongs ...Dr. John--Oooh. The Undertaker's Wind belongs on my list! Terrible title. In fact, it might induce giggles like the ones at My UK publisher's. <br /><br />It's all about the visuals these days, that's for sure. I can see how "Apothecary" might be harder to see and have less impact. But now you can't write the third book either...The Apothecary's Daughter! :-) Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-12261913010923531862015-05-26T14:26:57.205-07:002015-05-26T14:26:57.205-07:00Ay, Ann, titles are everything. Ian Fleming's ...Ay, Ann, titles are everything. Ian Fleming's novel The Undertaker's Wind became Live And Let Die. And the rest is history... Today, a title needs to be short and blunt, lest it vanish on a Kindle. I had to change the title of a novel from The Apothecary's Dream to Dream Of Darkness, because the term 'Apothecary' became illegible. <i>Ehue</i>... There went my sequel: The Apothecary's Passion! Dr John Yeomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03457052363231077457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-7076820633151357042015-05-26T09:43:07.742-07:002015-05-26T09:43:07.742-07:00Barbara--I never thought of Mister vs Mr. I guess ...Barbara--I never thought of Mister vs Mr. I guess we can out-clever ourselves. Thanks! Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-36862802687073199362015-05-26T09:41:36.385-07:002015-05-26T09:41:36.385-07:00Claude--Thanks for your input. The full title will...Claude--Thanks for your input. The full title will be So Much For Buckingham: The Camilla Randall Mysteries #5, so all that info will be there. <br /><br />And the cat is named Buckingham, so people who don't know any history but just like cat cozies won't be left out. <br /><br />But the title is supposed to do all those things you talk about: attract people who are educated and have some knowledge of Shakespeare, history and current events. It's all about the discovery of Richard III's body and his burial. <br /><br />Lots of mysteries are written for an educated audience--mine among them. This is my 21st century version of Josephine Tey's Daughter of Time--a famous 1930s mystery about Richard III... <br /><br />If people don't know anything about history or current events or mysteries, they aren't going to like my stuff, so this will weed out the people looking for less meaty fare. <br /><br />Thanks!Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-65787846026583412832015-05-26T03:48:38.300-07:002015-05-26T03:48:38.300-07:00Anne, Once again you hit a lot of nails on the hea...Anne, Once again you hit a lot of nails on the head with one hammer. :) Thank you so much. This was so helpful. After years of publishing I switched genres and happily decided to title my new Pride and Prejudice series MISTER DARCY'S SECRET, etc. Duh... no one spells out Mr. ~ Two books into the series I realized I'd made an error by trying to be clever. Once again, thank you for a framable collection of advice. Barbara Silkstonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16776412873592952204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-47509355925814045602015-05-26T02:16:08.373-07:002015-05-26T02:16:08.373-07:00Anne, great post full of good advice! I wished I&#...Anne, great post full of good advice! I wished I'd read it before changing my title (after it was published, sigh!) But I want to turn to your book's title: even though I'm pretty well read (I tend to believe I am, ha ha!) , that title doesn't really mean anything to me. I realize it fits your book like a glove. But could you walk down some other, less Shakespearian lane? Not too many people are that conversant with Shakespeare and actually, it can be off-putting. Too high-brow. Alternatively, too historical (lots of people have no idea who Buckingham is). So this is a thriller/comedy or am I wrong? What were the previous titles in the series, can you link back to them? I know that if I've read a book in a series, I sort of look for the next hook to decide if I want to read that one too. So I guess a title with a hook would do (and yours certainly has it, off with his head!) Well, I don't know if my comments help in any way, but I really love your writing and I wish you every possible success. I'm only offering these suggestions in the hope you'll find some use for them!Claude Forthommehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871790739257823515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-33707502397551885662015-05-25T20:19:29.359-07:002015-05-25T20:19:29.359-07:00Annie--Thanks for the vote for the cat dressed as ...Annie--Thanks for the vote for the cat dressed as Richard III! :-) The Lulu meter gave Buckingham a 21% chance as a title. But I'm not giving it up. <br /><br />I think titles are more important to readers than they realize. They don't know what makes them stop and look at a book, but it could be the title. <br /><br />10 hours at the computer can make any of us crazy. And yet I do it, day after day. I guess maybe we're crazy already. <br /><br />My gouty knee is a little better, thanks. At least I finally have a diagnosis and some meds and the hope that I'll be able to walk again sometime. Tomorrow I go in for surgery on my jawbone. That's not going to be fun at all. But it's a step toward getting all this crap in my rearview mirror. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-61211430751420334832015-05-25T19:30:05.114-07:002015-05-25T19:30:05.114-07:00I would definitely want to read it if there was a ...I would definitely want to read it if there was a cat dressed like Richard III on the cover. I like the title but I'm not necessarily swayed by a title - I'm weird that way. Unless it's a really bad, cheesy title then yes it will sway me away from it.<br /><br />The LuLuMeter didn't give me high scores for my titles either but my readers did - so oh well. <br /><br />Personally I like ironic titles or catchy titles - ones that stick in your head. Although I've read so many books with crappy titles that I guess it really doesn't matter to me. <br /><br />Although on the other side of the coin, I will spend weeks, sometimes months coming up with a title I like and I think works. So I wonder if we authors are tormenting over things that worry us but don't worry readers as much?<br /><br />Could be - or it could be I shouldn't be commenting because I've been writing for the last ten hours and I'm a bit computer drunk.<br /><br />By the way, I hope you're feeling better. You mentioned a health issue in your last post and you've been in my thoughts.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />AnnieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-6809675638549668042015-05-25T16:46:12.156-07:002015-05-25T16:46:12.156-07:00G. B. I've been waiting with bated breath! So ...G. B. I've been waiting with bated breath! So it's "miscellaneous income"! Which could be very intriguing. I see exactly why it seemed like a brilliant title. And why it didn't work. :-) Thanks for educating us! Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-23704774910875265332015-05-25T16:43:02.041-07:002015-05-25T16:43:02.041-07:00Roland--Sorry for the typo in your name. I'm d...Roland--Sorry for the typo in your name. I'm doing too much multi-tasking today! Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-35286420932341887152015-05-25T16:13:24.272-07:002015-05-25T16:13:24.272-07:00For those of you who are/were curious about what t...For those of you who are/were curious about what the title <i>Line 21</i> means, here is the answer.<br /><br />I was writing the story during tax season. I had my tax forms in my den, and in keeping with the overall theme of the story (woman has one week to raise money to pay off her uncle the loan shark), I chose something from my 1040. Line 21 on your 1040 is for miscellaneous income that you have to declare.<br /><br />Made perfect sense to me, but not to the people that really mattered: the public. Lesson to be had is to not make your title so obscure that no one will want to buy your book because they'll have no idea on what it's about.G. B. Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09783331838434598963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-61301606158026516182015-05-25T15:54:40.526-07:002015-05-25T15:54:40.526-07:00Rolant--I'm glad somebody likes my Avalon titl...Rolant--I'm glad somebody likes my Avalon title. :-). Unfortunately humor is subjective and lots of people didn't get it. Thanks!<br /><br />Actually, you and I have very similar tastes in titles. As I remember, you also have a book called Ghostwriters in the Sky! <br /><br />Thumbnails are important too, although usually the title appears somewhere else on a buy page, so you have a second chance to make the point. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-20458084098897439322015-05-25T15:51:46.127-07:002015-05-25T15:51:46.127-07:00Amanda--Those cozy mystery titles can be pretty hi...Amanda--Those cozy mystery titles can be pretty hilarious. You just don't want to put a pun in the title if it isn't a cozy. It's one of those "markers" of a genre these days. <br /><br />I think I'd pick up the Whistling Toilets! Sounds hilarious. The Tequila title is funny too. Something about Tequila suggests fun, breezy, vacation time. If you used "whisky" it might sound sad and substance-abusive. But Tequila works. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.com