How does anyone feel about a YA book with a subtitle? I don't mean something like "A Novel" after the title, but something more elaborate. Has anyone ever added a subtitle?
Subtitles?
- Thread starter Morwen Edhelwen
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Well, that should be fine, though most publishers reserve the right to change a title if they can think of a better one (or think they can think of a better one).
Readers just want a good book. Like all other words in your novel, ask yourself if it's necessary. Does it add something? Do you have a different expectation for the story because of it? The title sets up some portion of the experience.
Becca C.
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I'm not a fan, because I don't know what to call the book when I talk about it, especially when it's a series. Which one is the real title? I usually just revert to calling it "the first one" or "the second one," like with Harry Potter.
Imagine how weird it would be if Harry Potter books were called "Harry Potter: the Philosopher's Stone" instead of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."
Imagine how weird it would be if Harry Potter books were called "Harry Potter: the Philosopher's Stone" instead of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."
I like them if they're good. How helpful, I know. M.T. Anderson didn't seem to have too much trouble with The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (what a mouthful!).
I suppose that purely from a reader's perspective, I feel that a subtitle sets the story up to be humorous, so I would keep in mind that it affects the tone of your book on the shelf.
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I agree with this--they work best if they serve as a kind of humorous tagline. Along the lines of "Easy A: The rumor-filled totally false account of how I ruined my flawless reputation".
(I know this is a movie, but I can't think of a book example off the top of my head.)
A book with the above sub-title on the cover would make me much more inclined to pick it off the shelf than just "Easy A".
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The WIP i'm working on has a subtitle. I felt it necessary to indicate it is the first of a series. I personally like subtitles, although they aren't always necessary and probably shouldn't be given unless they are needed, to avoid confusion. I also really enjoy chapter titles, which is another thing that writers tend to differ on. 
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I see what you mean, but if it's done right, i don't see it being confusing. My series, which I named The Stone Legacy, is the subtitle of each of my novels. So on my cover, I have:
The Stone Guardian
A Stone Legacy novel.
The second book is:
The Guardian's Truth
A Stone Legacy novel
you get the idea.
Like i stated in my above post, I like subtitles, if they serve a purpose, that is.