What's In A Name?

I have both good news and bad news today. Good news is I am finally done with my romance novella that I had been working on since last month! So, that means I have nothing to do but turn it over to my publisher and pray that I don't have to edit too much.

Now the bad news. After all the writing I did, I still haven't figured out a name! Isn't that incredible? I have tried hard but nothing really seems to fit it. And if it does fit, its been taken up. I have been crossing off quite a number of names off my list and now, I wonder if it really matters. What's in a name, eh?

A good book title is like a magnet to the reader. That piques their interest. The visual hook if I might say. They give an indication to what might be inside. They give meaning to the story that is about to come. But with so many books releasing every week, how are we ever going to get a unique name for our books?

I want to ask, how important is the name for you to buy a book? Would you buy a book if it had a weird name? A bad name doesn't mean the book is bad right? Would your favorite book suddenly become a bad book if it was called by any other name? As the famous saying goes, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Yeah, a lot of excuses for not finding the right name!

Which are some of your best book titles? Titles based on which you bought the book? My personal favorites are : Atlas Shrugged and If You Could See Me Now. I picked up these two books without second thoughts! How about you?

Comments

  1. AbhinavOctober 11, 2011 at 10:19 AM

    Name matters to an extent but eventually it is all about the book which makes it famous.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Darian WilkOctober 11, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Personally, I have only bought a handful of books based on title, I am more of a cover scanner, then straight to reading the back cover kind of girl. Only when a title is outlandish will it catch my attention.

    Have you tried using word association to decide on a title? Sometimes I'll do that if I feel stuck. Single words that show the feeling of the book, and then I'll pair them up and see if anything works.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shilpa MudigantiOctober 11, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    @Abhinav - I know! and that is why I shouldn't be worried about the name, and yet I am! :(
    @ Darian - That's a great idea! Actually I want the cover looking a particular way but that doesn't match the title...lol! Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Saru SinghalOctober 11, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    Congratulations, I don't go with name. I read few lines on the cover and make a decision. But, I think name is really important to majority of readers...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shilpa MudigantiOctober 11, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    Saru - Yeah I suspect that too. But wouldn't it be wonderful if they don't bother much! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mimi ValentineOctober 12, 2011 at 12:01 AM

    Ooh, that's a hard question! I don't really think that a bad book title would PREVENT me from picking up a book, but cool book titles & covers tend to attract my attention more, so I'd probably be more inclined to read the better-named book! x)

    Awesome post, Shilpa! You always talk about topics that I can relate to a lot and I love it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dr. Rekha JithinOctober 12, 2011 at 1:30 AM

    It is said that first impression makes the best impression.So a catchy name is very important.I will definitely pick up a book if it says, "how to be slim in 3 days":)))

    ReplyDelete
  8. Vicky @ A Backpack Full of AdventuresOctober 12, 2011 at 6:06 AM

    For me, title doesn't matter if I know the author and like his/her previous work because I already know what to expect and I know it's going to be great.

    If I don't know the author then both the cover and the title matter, in my opinion. :-) It doesn't mean that a bad title would ruin the book but if it has a bad or simply average/uninteresting title then I don't think I would notice it in the bookshop and pick it up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shilpa MudigantiOctober 12, 2011 at 6:59 AM

    @Mimi - see. That is what I was talking about. Visual hook! and glad that you enjoy the posts. I always enjoy your reviews. They are very simple and honest. Thank you for being here on my blog!

    @Rekha - Please let me know when you get that book! :D

    @Vicky - Again its about the hook! I totally agree with you on the known author vs unknown author book titles. I do the same infact and that is why this whole exercise is so tiring! :) Thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Saru SinghalOctober 12, 2011 at 12:05 PM

    It would be great as I'm so bad at coming up with names...:)

    Saru

    ReplyDelete
  11. Missie, The Unread ReaderOctober 12, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    ZOMG, Shilpa! Congratulations! I'm so dang happy for you! Almost there. I can't wait to read your untitled book. hehe

    You could always have a name me contest. That would be fun! Maybe? But yes, I agree with "A good book title is like a magnet to the reader." Just like when you talked about covers, and not picking up a book because you didn't like the cover, I'm the same way with titles.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Shilpa MudigantiOctober 12, 2011 at 7:52 PM

    Missie - Thank you!! I am so excited too...I hope by the time you read my book, I would have a name for it..lol..
    and the contest idea is too good. The only problem is I would have to reveal the story! and then who would buy my book?? :D I am going to give this a serious thought!

    ReplyDelete
  13. aayanmanOctober 13, 2011 at 5:03 AM

    There are so many books and fancy covers these days that it is very difficult to decide which one to pick unless you've heard about it. If not, then a out of the box or a weird name will have a better chance to catch the eyeball.

    Neat blog !

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownOctober 16, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    If the cover is interesting i'm more than likely to pick it up. But the name, yeah, that's got to be catchy too. I seem to click on the strangest titles when browsing online, the weirder, the more im inclined to see what's going on...lol.

    Great blog, new follower here.
    TToria
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  15. Shilpa MudigantiOctober 16, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    @Gyanban - I know! A good cover is becoming a problem for sure. That puts pressure on the name! Now what is a poor author supposed to do?? Thanks for stopping by!

    @TToria - LOL. Weird titles does attract readers isnt it? I am wondering how weird can a title be for a romance novel? :) Thanks for stopping by and being a follower. Much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are We Hooked Yet?

Image
We readers are impatient. The cover page, synopsis at the back cover, the first page, the first line. We are always looking for the hook. Ever more so, if you are of the internet generation. We have just about 5-10 seconds attention span! Now imagine thousands of wonderful books trying to claim that attention of yours when you are in the bookstore. Well, out of the thousands good books, your attention bows to only about a handful. And finally about couple of books actually make it to the counter. Ever given a second thought to those hooks that actually captivated you? Below are some hooks that worked for me and I guess for lot others too! :) HP and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K.Rowling: "Mr. And Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange ormysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense." Twilight...
READ MORE >>

My weekend dilemma - ebook or print?

Image
I know it is now 19th century to debate about printed vs ebooks but guess I am from 19th century for I just can't let go of the printed book. I dearly love the shiny covers, the not-so-fine paper and the printed word. Somehow I feel the worth of the book only after I feel its weight in my hands. As if the same book is an ebook, the author did not work as hard which is ridiculous but that is how I feel. So, this weekend I was faced with a very uncommon problem. The urge to read. No not a simple urge. That would be common. It was the strong, unavoidable pull to a book. I had to read a book, a romance novel and specifically a Mills and Boons (yeah I read them and I am not hiding it! They are a good break from the heavy stuff! :)). So, I scoured through my collection which isn't much due to my recent move from India and sat disappointed that I had none. Then I looked at my husband like a hopeful puppy for a quick trip to the bookstore, but he didn't buy it as he was work...
READ MORE >>