Title Question

kaitiepaige17 · Apr 14, 2010

I've been wondering something about titles:

Obviously it's pretty difficult to come up with a title that's right for your novel and hasn't been used in some form or another. Is it alright to use a title that's already been used before?
Obviously a title as relevant as TWILIGHT wouldn't be a great idea, so how new is too new.

The reason why I'm asking is this: The current novel I'm working on is the one I'm extremely excited about pursuing publication with, but the title I really want (FOREVER) is also the title of a well-known Judy Bloom coming of age novel, and I'm wondering if that novel is too well known for me to use the same title.

I considered changing it to "OUR" FOREVER (as in my signature) to make it different, but it just isn't sticking like FOREVER is. I would appreciate any thoughts

Kilawher · Apr 14, 2010

Books have the same title all the time; you're fine. Chances are the publisher will change the title anyway.

kaitiepaige17 · Apr 14, 2010

Oh I hope not lol I get as attached to my titles as to my characters. But I guess if that's the only way I can share my story I'll have to do it

Thanks for the response.

BrooklynLee · Apr 14, 2010

For what it's worth, I read somewhere that Stephanie Meyer called her first novel "Forks." "Twilight" was something the publishing company came up with.

ChaosTitan · Apr 14, 2010

The problem with using a title that's been used before, more than once, is that it isn't unique to you or your story. While publishers do change titles, that isn't always the case if can come up with something that really sells your book. Neither of my titles were changed by my publisher.

kaitiepaige17 · Apr 14, 2010

BrooklynLee said:
For what it's worth, I read somewhere that Stephanie Meyer called her first novel "Forks." "Twilight" was something the publishing company came up with.

I read that too. And thank gosh for the change. I used to be a Twilight fan before everyone went completely nuts over it. A/W, Twilight sounds much better in my opinion. If it had stayed as Forks, all we'd hear is girls running around screaming and crying about eating utensils.

Caitlin Black · Apr 14, 2010

I have a personal rule with my titles. If the title I want to use has been used by a band, movie-maker, or writer, and they are worth more than 1 million dollars, I don't use that title.

Anything less and it's fair game. Granted, my titles usually suck, so the publisher would probably change them if I ever got accepted...

shaldna · Apr 15, 2010

I would title it as you want, this can and will be discussed at a later stage if it turns out to be a problem.

JeanneTGC · Apr 15, 2010

My publisher didn't change my titles. So, pick one you love that works for the story, regardless of what's out there already (titles can't be copyrighted). Present the best you can, and many times, you get to keep it.

Oshodisa · Apr 15, 2010

Is the Judy Bloom novel in the same sphere as yours (i.e. would they be int he same section).

If so, then you may (only may though) have a problem.

As others have said, go with what you like. You might get to the end of your novel and realise that XYZ fits better.

Baryonyx · Apr 15, 2010

I actually think Our Forever sounds a more interesting title

Don't get me wrong Forever is ok but Our Forever, there's just something that intrigues me about it. Don't really know why.

Lady Ice · Apr 15, 2010

Our Forever sounds more interesting than Forever, which doesn't really mean anything as a title.

shaldna · Apr 15, 2010

i just want to add that sometimes playing off sucessful titles can work really well. for instance you gwt romance novels called things like 'the ex files'.

it works ceause it's a different genre snd you are twisting on soemthing that is already part of public consiousness.

InsanitySquares · Apr 15, 2010

I suck at titles, and I wouldn't worry about it until the end. You might find randomly one day another completely different title fits perfectly, and decide to go with that instead.

seun · Apr 15, 2010

The title of my next book will be Fly Fishing By JR Hartley.

ImogenAnn · Apr 15, 2010

I like 'Our Forever' better too.

My publisher changed the title on both of my books, and they were right to do so, I think. I suck at titles. I remember my editor saying, 'well, I've published three books with that title already, so how about...' Nice thing was on the first one I got to work the new title into the book as I was doing edits.

Titles are so important in marketing a book, and I know that's something the publishers know a lot more about than I ever will, so I think it's always important to listen to their point of view. Though, of course, if it was something I really hated, I'd fight for an alternative.

lkblackburne · Apr 15, 2010

I like "Our Forever" as well. While it's true that titles can't be copyrighted, "Forever" by Judy Blume is famous enough that you probably don't want to risk being confused with that book. But like others have said, titles change alot throughout the process anyways.

lucidzfl · Apr 15, 2010

I'm the worlds worst title-creator. I keep hoping someone somewhere will tell me what to call my books

willietheshakes · Apr 15, 2010

lkblackburne said:
I like "Our Forever" as well. While it's true that titles can't be copyrighted, "Forever" by Judy Blume is famous enough that you probably don't want to risk being confused with that book. But like others have said, titles change alot throughout the process anyways.

Thank you -- I was sitting back and watching how long it would take for someone to fix the spelling...

Lydia Sharp · Apr 15, 2010

Personally, I obsess over titles. I've changed a few in the past because they were too common (my first novel was titled Web of Deceit... Google it, and you'll see why I felt the need to change), or they didn't quite have the necessary oomph.

Yes, Twilight was originally titled Forks. Yes, it was a good change.

Your title really is important. It should be viewed as part of your "pitch package". Describe your novel in a sentence, slap the title next to it, and anyone should be able to clearly see the connection. Which is, I'm guessing, the main reason the Twilight title was changed. Anyone who knows the basics about vampires will understand how that title fits. With Forks, not at all.

My two cents... I like Our Forever better than Forever.

Libbie · Apr 15, 2010

My agent and I have already changed the title of my novel once, and it sure might change again (possibly a few times) during the publishing process. That's the way it happens, sometimes! Brace yourself. Titles change.

That being said, I think it's really important to put a lot of thought and effort into coming up with the best title you can for your work. It's the packaging you'll be using to sell your product. Not as important as the product itself, but definitely important in that it catches the buyer's eye and makes a first impression. So even though it might change later, I'm not in the camp that says "Eh, it'll change -- just slap any old title on it and let somebody else worry about it."

Forever by Judy Blume isn't a paranormal YA novel, so I think you're fine. I think if you were writing a YA novel about first love and first sexual experience and you called it Forever, you'd have a problem. But you're working the paranormal angle, and that makes it dissimilar enough from Blume's Forever (which is a great book by the way!)

Bushrat · Apr 15, 2010

If you have chapter headings, maybe use the title you like so much for one of those and that way, there's a bigger chance for it to survive.
For the ms I'm working on, I'd love "Moose in the Mist" as the title, for personal reasons, but don't think that would actually be a good title. So I've used it as a chapter heading.

larocca · Apr 15, 2010

Over half my titles have been given to me by editors, readers, publishers, or winos on street corners. They're tough!

One editor told me, "Your title should come from your manuscript. Read your manuscript and you'll know what to call it." I thought Drat and other bad words, since that's what I thought I was overpaying the editor for. But it worked. The book is Vigilante Justice.

I have since learned that there is a series of 20+ Westerns under the name Vigilante Justice. I read one. Not bad.

I named the sequel The Lazarus Effect. Then I learned that Frank Herbert wrote a book with the same name. Since they're years apart and nobody could possibly confuse the two, it's actually okay that we share a name.

(I changed the name of mine to a simple Lazarus years later, but that's irrelevant.)

My new novel was Suicide Mission, then Pegasus, and now Conundrum. And since I am posting on AW this evening, that's the excuse I need to brag about the early reviews. This is really why I logged on this evening. Y'all learn to live with it.

Bob Rich is reminded of Spike Milligan. Darrell Bain says I'm funnier than Douglas Adams. Santonio Holmes told me to kill myself. Life is good.

larocca · Apr 15, 2010

Bushrat said:
If you have chapter headings, maybe use the title you like so much for one of those and that way, there's a bigger chance for it to survive.
For the ms I'm working on, I'd love "Moose in the Mist" as the title, for personal reasons, but don't think that would actually be a good title. So I've used it as a chapter heading.

Misting the Moose?

MikeGrant · Apr 15, 2010

For me, the title is second only to the premise in terms of how early in the process I think of it, and I find it important for me to really like it before I start writing!

Then again, though, I actually changed my novel's title before the latest round of revisions, and the simple act of doing that really re-energised the process for me. All of a sudden, it felt like a new book! And the second title was much better.

So I wouldn't get hung up on the title, but it can inform a mood.

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