titles

halfbloodprincess · Dec 20, 2011

So I'm trying to think of a title for my ya fantasy novel and every time I think of one its either the title (or similar) to another book, movie or song. The one title I really liked is apparently a 2006 movie. Is it ok if my book has the same title as an older book/movie/song? Or will I get sued for that? Also I don't want my readers to think hey that book must be about that movie of the same title.

Thoughts?

DeleyanLee · Dec 20, 2011

You can't copyright a title. You can't get sued. If it suits your book, use it and don't look back.

James D. Macdonald · Dec 20, 2011

Kinda depends on how famous the title is. If I called my book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, some folks might buy the wrong novel.

LadyDae · Dec 20, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
Kinda depends on how famous the title is. If I called my book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, some folks might buy the wrong novel.

Yeah. Depends on how famous it is. Be careful with extremely known and popular books. You may not be able to copyright titles but a title that is too popular already can get you negative results and feedback.

Grunkins · Dec 20, 2011

Titles are very difficult for me. If and when my WIP sells I'm hoping a helpful editor will have better ideas than mine.

halfbloodprincess · Dec 20, 2011

The title I'm considering is deliver us from evil. It was a 2006 movie but I don't think it was too popular. I've never heard of it

BotByte · Dec 21, 2011

halfbloodprincess said:
The title I'm considering is deliver us from evil. It was a 2006 movie but I don't think it was too popular. I've never heard of it

The best title you can make is something that tell the reader what the book is about, what genre it is and how it's written - that's hard.

I used to use song names until I had a title for my stories. But I changed them later.

But if the title meets the story, by all means please. There is no copyright on names, and it might be cool to reference at the song.

Sympathy for the Devil... A story of a man chasing destruction, being called evil and whatnot.
Hmm.... Did I just create a new story idea?

seun · Dec 21, 2011

"Deliver us from evil" comes up with over two million hits on Google. It's a well used phrase so I think you're safe in terms of someone confusing your book with a film.

allenparker · Dec 21, 2011

The best book title is the one that drives customers to your book. Think for a minute about how you browse a bookstore. You see the face out books first, study their art and the title, then pick up the book to read the back or a few pages. With a spine out, you see the title and the author.

Fitting a title to the book is nice, but having a title that will grab the customer and have them pick it up is more important. Sure, it must fit the book, but the important part is having getting the book noticed from both presentations.

Barbara R. · Dec 21, 2011

James D. Macdonald said:
Kinda depends on how famous the title is. If I called my book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, some folks might buy the wrong novel.

You could just change it up a little. A Tale of Three Cities, maybe? To Kill a Redwing Blackbird? Mutiny on the Nautilus?

Jon Sprunk · Dec 21, 2011

Grunkins said:
Titles are very difficult for me. If and when my WIP sells I'm hoping a helpful editor will have better ideas than mine.

I was hoping the same thing. Didn't work out that way. (lol)

But titles are damned difficult for me, too. It feels like trying to condensed 100-150k words into one short phrase. Ah, the agony!

Bufty · Dec 21, 2011

.

=BotByte;6839017 Thebest title you can make is something that tell the reader what the book is about, what genre it is and how it's written - that's hard. It's also nuts.

...

dangerousbill · Dec 21, 2011

halfbloodprincess said:
So I'm trying to think of a title for my ya fantasy novel and every time I think of one its either the title (or similar) to another book, movie or song. The one title I really liked is apparently a 2006 movie. Is it ok if my book has the same title as an older book/movie/song? Or will I get sued for that? Also I don't want my readers to think hey that book must be about that movie of the same title.

Titles can't be copyrighted, but they can be trademarked, especially if it's a song or movie title. You couldn't put 'Star Trek' or 'Harry Potter' in your title without risking trouble.

One author suggested to me sorting out a list of keywords from the titles of similar books, and then just shuffling them on paper or in your head until you come up with a short list of appropriate titles.

Phaeal · Dec 21, 2011

Everyone who's ever used the title "Deliver Us From Evil" has scarfed it from the Lord's Prayer, so hey, I'd say it's fair game.

Name everything titled with lines from the Bible or Shakespeare, and you'll have...a long list.

Buffysquirrel · Dec 21, 2011

Deliver Us From Evil may be okay to use, but to me it's hackneyed. I wouldn't choose it for a title.

Jess Haines · Dec 21, 2011

This blog post by Marta Acosta might help. Heh.

Grunkins · Dec 21, 2011

Jess Haines said:
This blog post by Marta Acosta might help. Heh.

Thank you!

LadyA · Dec 23, 2011

A title (of a film) that sticks in my mind, but is too original to use again, and anyway, wouldn't go with the idea I'm brainstorming, is THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED. It's so cool! But anyway, something like DELIVER US FROM EVIL, you'll be fine with, I should think. As Phaeal said, it's from the bible so fair game - and so is Shakespeare *LadyA looks guiltily at the title in her own sig*.

titles

halfbloodprincess

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

LadyDae

New AW user. Veteran Writer 8+

Grunkins

Grand adventurer of the couch

halfbloodprincess

BotByte

Not a Reader, a Writer

seun

Horror Man

allenparker

Naked Futon Guy

Barbara R.

Old Hand in the Biz

Jon Sprunk

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

dangerousbill

Retired Illuminatus

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

Buffysquirrel

Jess Haines

Boldly going nowhere in particular.

Grunkins

Grand adventurer of the couch

LadyA

Always lurking, never posting...