Q: on Novel Title and its effect in Query

romi41 · Oct 26, 2009

Hi Everyone,

I've been getting my query shaped up by the good people at QLH, and now I'm having a lingering thought about the novel's title.

My novel's inspired by a blog I wrote in 2008 entitled "Year of the Chick", which was basically a year-long quest to date/find a man before getting trapped into an arranged marriage (still single somehow, go figure

). So wrote the book, the title's weaved into the story several times...makes sense in the context of the book...blah, blah.

But now as I do my query in late 2009, I wonder: will an agent be turned off because my title implies the book is chick-lit, which from what I've heard isn't really the hottest genre right now? My query both in the subject heading of the email and in the letter is described as "Women's Multicultural Fiction", which is what the story truly is.

SO, if the agent reads the query and the content is interesting, will the title mentioned in the last line of the query, be the sort of thing to turn them off from requesting a partial? I'm not inflexible about changing the title, but I'm not sure if that's something I can worry about later, when there's an agent and/or a publisher/deal in the mix.

Sorry that was a huge ramble, but short version: will my novel title hurt my query?

Okay, gotta stop being in this forum while at the office

, but if you have any thoughts let me know!

Red-Green · Oct 26, 2009

Well, if you're really worried about the negative effect of the title, change it. When I was querying, I actually had two different titles that I used in my queries, depending on how I was pitching the book. (Because the book was either urban fantasy or literary w/magical realism, depending on who read it.)

Nothing saying you can't do the same. Send a few queries with your original title. Send a few with a different title.

CaroGirl · Oct 26, 2009

From my understanding, the last thing the acquisitions editor worries about is the title. That's for the marketing department to decide, not the editor or even the writer. That said, I did receive a rejection on one of my mss that said she didn't like the title because she didn't feel it fit the work, however I don't for a moment believe the title was the reason for the rejection.

If it really bothers you that much, just change the title for all your subsequent submissions. No biggie.

Are you subbing in Canada or outside? I'm in Canada too.

KTC · Oct 26, 2009

I agree with Caro. I don't think it matters in the long run...but there is something to be said about first impressions. Maybe someone could look at a title and come to a conclusion. Everybody is human and open to the first impression thing.

I think if the query grabs them, they'll want to follow up. The title is something that can change and often does.

That being said...I recently had a rejection on a full YA...the agent rejected it because she felt that it just didn't fit, but asked to see another novel I mentioned in the query...because she just loved the title and wanted to see more about it.

job · Oct 26, 2009

Year of the Chick will make the agent think this is chick lit.
The title will pop out at the agent when she picks the letter up and does the first quick skim, even if the title is in the last line.

Year of the Chick will also make a potential publisher think this is chick lit, so your agent will ask you to change it before she sends it out to editors. If the title gets accepted by a publisher, the editor will decide this title will make the readers think it is chick lit. She will ask you to change it.

The short answer is -- do not title a book Year of the Chick unless it is chick lit or about the poultry business.

If you love this title, call the manuscript Elephant Dances or Stealing Hubcaps with the Fonz when you query and then bring the Chick up later when you discuss titles with your future editor.

romi41 · Oct 26, 2009

Thanks guys!

Thanks everyone for your insights and personal experiences!

I definitely agree that it might not be the most important aspect, but I think @Job encapsulated all my apprehensions into one post!!

So I will definitely change the title, because I don't want to give agents even ONE PERCENT of a reason to misinterpret what the book is vs. the title, I want to make it as EASY as possible for them to know what they're getting (and like it, dammit!)!!!

And @CaroGirl, yup, I'm Canadian too! I'll be querying to Canadian agencies if they are looking for my genre, but the list I have right now on Multicultural is almost entirely comprised of US agencies. I just feel like there are so few Canadian agencies, so I'm driven by a relevant genre search "North America wide", to hopefully increase the chances of success

How are you approaching that, and what genre are you writing?

Lady Ice · Oct 26, 2009

I quite like it. Blog thingies like that do sell quite well.

swvaughn · Oct 26, 2009

job said:
Stealing Hubcaps with the Fonz

I want to read this book. Will someone please write it?

romi41 · Oct 26, 2009

Lady Ice said:
I quite like it. Blog thingies like that do sell quite well.

Thanks, and maybe the blog thing can enter the discussion when there is actually an agent on my project, but the blog itself doesn't have near enough the MILLIONS of hits it would need, to justify mentioning it in the query

So change the title for now, maybe mention it/blog connection later if it's relevant.

romi41 · Oct 26, 2009

swvaughn said:
I want to read this book. Will someone please write it?

Haha, yeah I kind of loved that. What genre do you think would be best for Job's title? I'm going with Literary Fiction

But the point is, it would get noticed!

CaroGirl · Oct 26, 2009

romi41 said:
And @CaroGirl, yup, I'm Canadian too! I'll be querying to Canadian agencies if they are looking for my genre, but the list I have right now on Multicultural is almost entirely comprised of US agencies. I just feel like there are so few Canadian agencies, so I'm driven by a relevant genre search "North America wide", to hopefully increase the chances of success How are you approaching that, and what genre are you writing?

I write mainstream adult, YA and MG fiction. I generally burn through Canadian agencies in no time flat because there are so few. I want to have my first novel published in Canada so I'm stubbornly now working on Canadian small press publishers. If there are no takers, I'll be trying US agents, probably early next year.

I read your query letter and I think you have a great story. Good luck and I wish you great success!

romi41 · Oct 26, 2009

CaroGirl said:
I write mainstream adult, YA and MG fiction. I generally burn through Canadian agencies in no time flat because there are so few. I want to have my first novel published in Canada so I'm stubbornly now working on Canadian small press publishers. If there are no takers, I'll be trying US agents, probably early next year.

I read your query letter and I think you have a great story. Good luck and I wish you great success!

Thanks lady, you're really sweet!

And YEAH, we need to see more Canadian authors, more Canadian books, you go girl, haha

Just do your best with the Canadian contacts, you never know!

Q: on Novel Title and its effect in Query

romi41

Where have you been all my life?

Red-Green

KoalaKoalaKoala!

CaroGirl

Living the dream

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

romi41

Where have you been all my life?

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

swvaughn

adrift

romi41

Where have you been all my life?

romi41

Where have you been all my life?

CaroGirl

Living the dream

romi41

Where have you been all my life?