A Good Title? - Beyond Her Book - Blog on Publishers Weekly

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Beyond Her Book

« Sorry Doreen... | Main | Your Turn Part 2... »

Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (5)

Barbara Vey

A Good Title?
June 4, 2007

I have been following the BEA (BookExpo America) through the Publishers Weekly reporting. It's taking place in New York and with all the parties and authors and books, I'm so jealous I'm not there. Especially with two Stephen Colbert sightings. But the part that caught my eye today was an article that mentioned a reviewer slamming a book because of it's title.

Now, I'm the first to admit that I tend to gravitate toward certain words in a title. For historical romance, I find it hard to pass up a book with the words "seduction," "rake," or "duke/earl/lord" in the title. The mental images are too strong and I at least have to pick it up and look at the cover. Mysteries definitely have to have "murder," "dead," or at least "the case of." (Of course, I grew up with Erle Stanley Gardner) Thrillers grab me with "conspiracy," "ultimatum," or "power." Humorous...well, anything pretty much goes. (See Amy Sedaris' I Like You...Hospitality Under the Influence) Paranormal key words, "vampire," "werewolf," "gargoyle." I am so easy when it comes to paranormal. Urban fantasy right now has no special words for me, I can't seem to get enough of it. Romance just has to be sweet, "love," "forever," or "passion." (Passion can too be sweet!)

Anyway, even if I don't particularly like a word(s) in the title, I try not to hold it against the book. Yucky words for me: slaughter, impale, guts, whore, burp and fart. I would definitely be hard pressed to read a book with fart in the title. (Phobia probably has more to do with growing up with 4 brothers)

Bottom line: A sure buy for me might be "The Case of the Powerful Duke and the Passionate Gargoyle."

Posted by Barbara Vey on June 4, 2007 | Comments (5)

June 4, 2007
In response to: A Good Title?
Clea Simon commented:

oh that is so harsh! Doesn't that critic know that sometimes we poor authors have no say in our final title? Yes, I take full and proud responsibility for my cat-pun titles, but one of my nonfiction books (you can figure it out for yourself if you want) had both a publisher-inflicted title and a bad-Hallmark card cover, both of which I resisted. Argh! OK, best title, one which I want to use someday: Liberte, Egalite, Felinite: The True Story of the Cats of the Resistance.

June 5, 2007
In response to: A Good Title?
Rita commented:

I usually don't look at the title. I pick certain authors and listen to recommendations. I'm glad you're doing the Friday "What are you reading." P.S. I don't like the word fart either. :0)

June 5, 2007
In response to: A Good Title?
Conan the Grammarian commented:

Earl [sic] Stanley Gardner: the little-known Georgia cousin of Erle Stanley Gardner?

June 5, 2007
In response to: A Good Title?
Barbara Vey commented:

Thank you, I stand corrected. And here I was worried about spelling Gardner right. :) I knew I should have used his alias A. A. Fair, that I could spell. But through the magic of ACT (advanced computer technology), it has been changed.

June 9, 2007
In response to: A Good Title?
marie commented:

Sometimes a bad title makes me investigate the book alittle more before I dismiss whether to read it or not. Just goes to show can't judge a book by its title!