Fussing over titles

[mrissa]

I was talking to Michelle about my books, and she brought up an association that has worried me before. timprov suggested that AKICILJ was a good principle to use, but it seems to me that it's opinion more than knowledge. So here we go, and please feel free to elaborate in comments:

[Poll #423689]

Note: please do not get abusive about titles. I have an acquaintance who said things to me (about a different title) like, "Did you pick that title because you want people to ignore your book?" Behavior like that is one reason this person counts as an acquaintance and not as a friend right now. If you think Sampo is a horrible title and you'd never read a book of that name, there are far better ways to express that sentiment.

Comments

[merriehaskell.livejournal.com]

When you first wrote Sampo, I did think of that other book, but at the same time, I knew that was with a b and yours was with a p. So... I'd think most people have that realization quickly? I hope?

Tough decision, M'ris. And I agree that the generic fantasy novel names are best avoided. I read a fantasy trilogy while I was on vacation, and since we were traveling light and for a long period of time, I left the trilogy on the book-exchange shelf in a hotel... and when I got back, I couldn't even figure out what the trilogy was, let alone remember the titles. The author had written two other completely generic and utterly interchangeably titled fantasy trilogies, all with variations of the words "cloud," "sword" and "shadow." Madness. I'd rather read Sampo than another King of the Sword-Bearing Cloud-Shadow's Daughters.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The Dragon of the Dream Star Dancers, yes.

I have this fear about Midnight Sun Rising, which is the half-drafted stand-alone third book in this series. Title may be too generic. May require more computerness.