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Jennifer talks about titles...
Normally, I try to talk about what I think I’ve done well.
This time, I’m going to talk about a mistake I think I’ve made. Specifically,
regarding a title.
My titles are suggested by me and so far, I haven’t had an
editor who’s asked for a title change. That could be good or bad, depending on
how you look at it, but in this specific case, with The Seduction of Esther, I
think it’s bad.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the title. However, it’s
misleading on a couple of levels. First of all “Esther” is not the name of the
heroine. I can’t tell you the number of times people have made that mistake and
at this point, I have to admit that the mistake is my own. I came up with the
title because my story incorporates the Jewish holiday of Purim. The heroine of
THAT story is Esther. I wanted to convey the Judaic piece of the story, so I
gave it that name.
The second mistake with the title is that it sounds erotic.
My book has sex in it, but it’s not erotic. That mistake may be less of a problem
as I think it does make more people take a look at it, but all the same, you
don’t get a feel for my book by the title.
I’ve tried to learn from my mistake and in the future, my
titles will be much more appropriate for the entire story, rather than just a
piece of it. But maybe titles don’t matter to readers?
What do you think?
Must admit I can be put off by some titles in the same way that I can be put off by covers. I can see where this title of yours could cause a problem. What other title would you now give to it?
ReplyDeleteI'd probably use the heroine's name. Maybe Samara's Secret? Not sure exactly.
DeleteIt's a difficult one because you want to attract readers who perhaps do not know your books. On the other hand you don't want to give false impressions.
ReplyDeleteExactly. When I came up with it, I wasn't thinking that it would indicate a different sub-genre. Oops.
DeleteTitles can be a tricky business. I agree that they should convey a general feel for the story. But I also think a title alone won't make or break a sale. I think it's part of the whole package: blurb, cover, title that will ultimately make a reader decide to buy/read or not.
ReplyDeleteFor me personally, the cover of a book catches my eye before the title does.
I agree with you, Debra. I just don't want to mislead anyone.
DeleteI love love love the cover of "The Seduction of Esther."
ReplyDeleteI also like the title. It's catchy--and that may offset any misunderstandings. Especially if the blurb explains it.
Thank you, Ana!
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