Comments on: Titles yet again, and a signpost

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:14:00 +0000

I agree with Lisa (et.al.), for different reasons. I like matching titles – e.g. I could handle Rainlords of the Scarpen and Masters of the Quartern if the following books had the same pattern.

Similarly, I don’t care for “Beyond a Painted Future” but it sits well with “Beneath a Painted Sky”.

By: Glenda Larke

Glenda Larke — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:32:00 +0000

Actually, the titles of books 2-4 don't worry me that much. Once a reader has read book 1, the other titles mean something, because they have the background.

"Beyond a Painted Future", for example, becomes crystal clear once you know the implications of a painted future - which becomes clear halfway through book 1.

It's that book one - the title that has to get someone to pick up the series in the first place - that is the all important one.

And yes, Lisa - publishers often do have input in the title and want a change of some sort.

Hate you, Anghara? Never! Lol...

By: Joanna

Joanna — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:24:00 +0000

I third Lisa… I quite like titles that start with ‘the’, they’re simple and can be intriguing. Just on Quartern, this sounds vaguely nautical to me, don’t know why…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 16:56:00 +0000

I second Lisa’s choices for the first 3 books.
For book 4 – anghara’s choice of ‘Random Rain’ sounds good for me too and it doesn’t worry me if it is also the series name.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 15:41:00 +0000

Silly question time, but what's the chance a publisher will want to change the titles anyway? I've always been told that happens, is it true?

Could you simpify these titles?

The Rainlords, The Quartered Land, The Painted Sky, and forth one I'm not too sure on. The whole quartet is Random Rain, isn't it?

Might be just me, but I like simple titles that are going to pique my interest. Like Sean Williams' Books of the Cataclysm - The Crooked Letter, The Blood Debt, The Hanging Mountains, The Devoured Earth.

Even though you're probably whirling with all these suggestions, I hope this helpes.

Cheers, Lisa.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:23:00 +0000

You are going to hate me, sweetie.

BOOK ONE:
Rainlords of the Scarpen

This one might muddle through. But...

BOOK TWO:
Masters of the Quartern or
Masters of a Quartered Land

NEITHER of these does a thing for me, to the extent that I would skim over the book in a shop and not even pick it up.

BOOK THREE: Beyond a Painted Future

This one sounds like a New Age Self-Help manual...[wry grin]

BOOK FOUR:
Beneath A Quartered Sky or
Fall of Random Rain or
Time Of Random Rain

I would just go with "Random Rain". That actually intrigues me. The additions are just trying too hard...

I hear you. Titles are important,and they're HARD. But although I have no doubt you're going to write a wonderful story with these books, these titles just... don't DO it for me...