By Any Other Name


This post is part of a series on AI vs. Human content.  Can you tell which parts were written by me, and which were written by Chat CPT, an artificial intelligence writing app?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments. 

Little known fact: SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRACKS, Book #1 of the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series, was originally titled THE JUDGE'S DAUGHTER. This was back in the days when publishers believed having a unique title was far more important than having a relevant one, and authors (at least at my level) had little or no sway over what the marketing department decided their books should be called. "Smoky Mountain Tracks" was the least onerous of all the titles they came up with (one of which was--I kid you not-- COLD NOSE, WARM HEART.)  I  have been waiting 15 books to use the title, "The Judge's Daughter."   

If you’re a writer, you know how important it is to choose the right title for your novel. A good title can make all the difference in whether your book is successful or not. It’s the first thing readers see and can be the deciding factor in whether they pick up the book or not. Here's a generalized guide to choosing the right title for your book so that you don't find yourself in the position I was all those years ago.

First, think about what your book is about. What is the main theme or idea? What is the central conflict? Once you have a better understanding of the story, you can start to brainstorm ideas for titles. Think of words or phrases that capture the essence of the story. You can also look for inspiration from movies, books, or songs.

Next, do an internet search to find out just how much competition exists for the title you've chosen. Far too many books are published each day for you to hope to find a completely original title, but it's probably not a good idea to give your book the same title as a current bestseller or a well-known classic. And don't forget that you can always set your book apart by using a subtitle or a series title, if appropriate. 

Finally, think about how the title will look on a book cover. Will it fit the design? Will it be easy to read? Will it stand out on a bookshelf?

Choosing the perfect title for your novel takes time and creativity. But if you take the time to brainstorm and find the right title, you’ll be one step closer to having a successful book. Good luck! 

By the way, THE JUDGE'S DAUGHTER, Book #15 of The Raine Stockton Dog Mystery Series, is now available in paperback, hardcover, digital and audio editions.  


Comments

Susan said…
Paragraph 1 was written by you, the rest by AI.
February 4, 2023 at 1:00 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Great E-Book Experiment: Results

Image
This month marks the one- year anniversary of my Great E-book Publishing Experiment. With 11titles now live on Kindle and 5 live on all other platforms via Smashwords , I am here to report the results. Here’s a hint: they are somewhat less than spectacular. Background: around this time last year I became intrigued by the success of authors such as Joe Konrath who had begun making their backlist and original titles available on Amazon.com’s Kindle platform, and whose staggering monetary rewards far outshone any print deal offered them (or me!) by traditional publishers. One of my own print publishers had offered one of my titles for free on Kindle over the 3 day Christmas holiday and over 60,000 copies were downloaded (more importantly, my spring royalty check was 5 times higher than it had ever been before) Even more surprising to me was the fact that many of the most successful Kindle authors were completely self-published, with no previous New York publisher to give them a pla...
Read more

One More Time

Image
Words written since last post: 57,323 Words deleted since last post: 17,201 Words rewritten since last post:  way too many! Okay, back to a semi-regular schedule after tornado recovery, internet failure and yes, in the midst of all this, the completion and publication of my very first original e-book! On that subject, I am still getting e-mail from readers complaining about my decision to publish digital editions of my books.  Some of these are a little snippy.  Some are simply hurt and confused.  Have I abandoned books?  What will become of those who don't have, or want to have, e-readers?  Don't I care about my reading public? These letters are particularly disheartening when they begin by saying, "I just got your last three books from a used book store/book exchange/friend or relative..." since, as we surely all know by this point, neither authors or publishers receive money from these sources and a lack of money is precisely why ...
Read more