What’s in a Name? July 10, 2007
Posted by Jen in : Novel , trackbackPrompted by the ridiculously excellent See Jane Write, I have been giving thoughts aplenty to what the title of my novel will be. Yes, I realise that writing the bloomin thing would be much more productive but hey ho. It’s irritating me, having a file name that sounds trite and dull: the working title of Perfect Lives is definitely a bit yawn-inducing. But how to come up with a Devil Wears Prada-esque title?
And, on the matter of names, I accidentally ‘outed’ myself in my last post. Excellent. Mind you, I’d already cocked up by listing my blog somewhere bizarre with my full name. Sodding Google is so clever it can, apparently, put two and two together and come up with a smug way of obliterating all pretence of anonymity. Sigh.
So. Now I’m thinking that ‘Maltby’ doesn’t look too thrilling in print. Perhaps I will use my maiden name for writing. Hmmmmm. ‘Grihault’, I think, might look a bit more interesting on a book cover. But when people see it written down, they can’t say it. And if they can say it, they don’t know how to spell it. Could be a bit of a drawback.
But. If I use my unpronounceable surname and also give the novel an indecipherable title, it will explain why it hasn’t sold in its millions. Nothing to do with the fact that I haven’t written it yet. No, nothing to do with that at all.
Oh dear. Life is a tortuous conundrum, no?
Comments»
I don’t think the title matters as much as people think, as long as you’re happy with it. It’s the marketing that counts.
I mean… Deathly Hallows? …wtf?
I think the chances are, from what I’ve read, that the publishers will probably change the name of your book anyway so just make it interesting enough that an agent will think “Oooh, what’s that about?”
And I know what you mean about the power of google. Many, many times I’ve wondered why the hell I entered my real name as my blogger account. Now ANYONE I ever knew can google me and read my blog. I still freak out a bit when I check my site stats and see someone has googled my full name and I don’t know who they are! Sometimes people I know email me and say hi - it’s the ones who don’t that worry me!
I’ve nominated you for a Rockin’ Girl Blogger award for being my inspiration over the past few months! (See my site).
Helen keeps beating me to the punch! Just stopped by to let you know that I too nominated you for a Rockin’ Girl Blogger - seems you really are rockin, girl!
p.s. LOVE the cartoon today!
p.s.s. Don’t worry about outing yourself - I very stupidly did it by choosing my full name as my html. Lovely.
You are certainly popular for I have also nominated you for a Rockin’ Girl Blogger award!
By the way, I’ve also thought about my name and if it look alright in print. I’m not too sure. You know my name so what do you think, yay or nay?
Like the cartoon!
Rachel: Deathly Hallows… ooh, I like that… it sounds creepy… mwah ha ha ha haaaa…
Cally: Yeah, you’re right, the publishers probably WILL change it. I just like headlines and titles and am obsessed with such things. Short and snappy - that’s me!!! ‘Tis a bit weird when someone Googles you… I suspect anyone googling ‘me’ is, in fact, searching for an American cheerleader or something. How disappointed they must be!
Helen: Wey hey, coolio!! Thanks
Angie: Woo hoo!! (Am feeling a little pleased now!)
A Writer: Ye gads! Am smiling out loud now!!! As for your name, I think ‘yay’. It just sort of sounds like you and what you write. It’s your personality, what you’re about. Yes, I think your name is most suitable indeed…
Thanks Jen! That’s put a smile on my face! I wouldn’t worry about your name, I think it sounds very author-ish! I can imagine it in the book shops now…
Talking of names and being outed I have just had to delete a comment left by my brother in law that mentioned my sons and husbands names. It’s a minefield!
Helen,
I’ve almost outed myself a few times, too. I even had to change my pseudonym at one point because a gal in the same state DID have that name and was going into journalism. It worked when I was elsewhere (and didn’t know she existed), but the change was actually pretty freeing.
As for titles…Yeah, “Deathly Hallows” is an odd one, but Rowling’s already got name recognition, so she can call it whatever and it’ll still fly off the shelves. A pal of mine did have the title of her first novel changed by the publisher, but she liked it even better.
I don’t know, I like my wip’s title (”Hollow Hearts and Hollow Hills”) but I’m a sucker for alliteration. If it goes to publication, I hope at least the publisher would talk to me about title choices…
Eh, guess the main thing is to grab their attention first with a good cover/query letter and strong writing. Titles change (as do names
Take care!
~Saoirse
Having the same problem…The Pet Sitters? Oh please! But then there was the excellent ‘The Dog Walker’. ‘Sitting Pretty’? Pretty awful. But..is this just a way of destracting us from actually writing? Those of you who have finished your novels can go and sit smugly at the back!
My big worry is the SYNOPSIS!!! I know you’re not meant to do it until you’ve finished your book but it looms over me. I wish I could read some real life synopsis’ of well known books. Could be a competition? Then we wouldn’t have to even try and write our own novels for at least a week/month/year?
A Writer: Oh, lots of visualising our books in shops would be good. Today is the day for hippy manifestation
Helen: It’s bad enough when WE do it but our relatives should be shot!
Saoirse: I’m with you in that love of alliteration! I actually lie in bed conjuring up alliterative phrases… I must get out more
Fiona: Ugh, synopsis, don’t get me started on that! I am making a start on mine by jotting down the stuff I tell people my novel is about when they foolishly ask! I make it up to sound more interesting and often think, ‘ooh, that’s not a bad idea’!!!!!
i kinda like Grihault but i may be biased. there are already some Grihaults in print but…personally i would choose a name somewhere between Winterson and Woolf so i cld snuggle up on the shelf between Jeanette and Virginia. that wld make me happy. on the other hand i do think ‘jenny-jenny jenkins has a ring to it……………heheheh sx
You are DEFINITELY biased
Bloomin Jenny-jenny-jenkins indeed… just you wait! I’ll snuggle up anywhere if it means being published!!!!!
yes - it’s ESSENTIAL that you get the name of the book right before you even write a word!! I find that it’s also essential to get the front page quote right too…you know…the things any editor would probably remove anyway cause they cost $$$ in copyright….I can spend hours and hours and daze and daze looking through poems and shakespeare quotes to find one to match the tone of my non-existent, non-planned novel!
Interesting blog!
I have a .doc-file I am working on every now and then… The name issue has been around for long time. Now I am beginning to choose one of them and think that the other “candidates” will have some kind of use as headers for the chapters. That makes some sense to me. Good luck!