[Decon]

I don't know what others do, but I always give my WIPs a title as I commence. Now I'm fretting over my choice as I've finished as it's too long for the post apocalypse genre norms and covers, yet it is apt for the story. Most that I look at for the genre are one or two words with large fonts, but mine is 4 words with one word having 12 letters which will only mean a small font, even stretched end to end on the cover.

For me it's alway a problem as I become attached to the titles.

Anyone else have similar doubts? Or am I fussing over nothing?

 

[DmGuay]

Well, I always try to keep things short and sweet, if possible. Long titles don't seem to be in style for indies, because we don't have the benefit of a trad-designed and marketed vague cover, wherein you can pull off a long title.

But, if you haven't bought a cover yet, you have plenty of time to mull it over.

 

[aimeeeasterling]

I agonize over titles (and covers and blurbs). So rather than going it alone, I usually present a list of possible titles to my readers and let them tear them apart. Sadly, I often have to let go of my pet titles. But the ones they choose tend to do well.

 

[Crystal_]

Well, I always try to keep things short and sweet, if possible. Long titles don't seem to be in style for indies, because we don't have the benefit of a trad-designed and marketed vague cover, wherein you can pull off a long title.

But, if you haven't bought a cover yet, you have plenty of time to mull it over.

I don't know why people say "only trad can do these things." Sure, some trad strategies are designed for physical bookstores, not digital ones, but anything that sells trad eBooks can sell indie eBooks. Most readers don't know if a book is trad or indie.

We absolutely can grab a trad quality designer and put out a less genre typical cover. Plenty of indie authors do it.

OP, if you don't like the title anymore, change it. What's the harm? People change titles all the time. If you think a new title would work better for the book and for sales, that's a win win.

 

[Decon]

OP, if you don't like the title anymore, change it. What's the harm? People change titles all the time. If you think a new title would work better for the book and for sales, that's a win win.

Yeah, I'll just need to do some brainstorming.

Lesson learned for the future to keep in mind how a title will look on the cover. Nearer the time for publishing before I put it out for a cover designer if I haven't come up with anything I'll do a post on here like others have done for suggestions.

 

[Clay]

I have no problem changing the title. Whatever title I come up with before the book is released I consider to be a "working title." The title isn't finalized in my mind until I get the book cover done, and even then it's still possible to change it later.

 

[jb1111]

I start with one title, and maybe one third to one half the time I change it.

Either a better take on the original one comes to mind, or I just re-think it and decide to make changes.

And yeah, the way it looks on the cover has a bearing on it -- at least to me. You want it to kick in with the potential customer.

 

[Gareth K Pengelly]

Luckily, thinking of a title for my books is pretty easy.

I write the book, then just come up with a pun based on the plot.

My books ain't high-brow, people don't expect a high-brow title, haha.

 

[NikOK]

Luckily, thinking of a title for my books is pretty easy.

I write the book, then just come up with a pun based on the plot.

My books ain't high-brow, people don't expect a high-brow title, haha.

Meh, high-brow is overrated. Am I realistically going to watch Citizen Kane for the second time, or watch Spaceballs for the 87th time? Probably Spaceballs. It's won the fight 86 times already.

Heh, I'm just kidding. It's just a good thing that both brows exist.

 

[Gareth K Pengelly]

Meh, high-brow is overrated. Am I realistically going to watch Citizen Kane for the second time, or watch Spaceballs for the 87th time? Probably Spaceballs. It's won the fight 86 times already.

Heh, I'm just kidding. It's just a good thing that both brows exist.

Exactly! Also, superlative taste in films, my man!

 

[NikOK]

Exactly! Also, superlative taste in films, my man!

Ha, I mean, you gotta love the classics.

 

[Maura]

For me it's depended on the book. The story idea has inspired a title I stuck with on a couple, but for most I just slap a working title on them. Usually by the time the first draft is done, I've come up with a title, but for two, the book was done and getting beta reads before I had something that worked.

 

[baldricko]

I'm about to rebrand my series with a new title now that books 2 and 3 are almost at final draft. That will mean having a Book 1 with same content but different title floating on my author's page.

I think it's totally worth doing. You know how indies are not always that good at marketing our books. I figure we can at least get our titles right.

Don't procrastinate over it. If you have any doubt and you have a better more appropriate title than your original in mind, just do it.

 

[jasonzc]

My best stuff, or my best named stuff, stays under that name.

But Radar Love was once called Life in the Fast Lane. That was an existing title, however. Hurricane Regina was called Overboard, and I knew that wouldn't last. Army of Me (unpublished) was originally called Princess Academy, also an existing title.

But, ffs, don't fret over it! It's not like any of this matters very much. You'll either sell 100,000 copies, or 400. I mean, don't call it F4rtM4n. Although that would probably outsell a lot of stuff.

Then again, I am the last person to listen to. I don't do this as any sort of career or sideline money thing. I write in all sorts of genres, which is a terrible way to go, unless you really enjoy writing for the sheer pleasure of writing.