Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Rhys on Titles

RHYS BOWEN:  I am just switching into publicity mode for my next book. (When you find yourself doing three books a year there is always a next book looming on the horizon).

It is called THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT and it comes out in August. I love the cover. Completely eye catching across an airport bookstore but I’m not entirely thrilled about the word Paris in the title. It’s true the story does center around Paris and the heroine is sent back to France during WW!! as a spy, so it’s quite accurate. BUT

I find myself asking HOW MANY BOOKS WITH PARIS IN THE TITLE CAN THERE BE IN THE WORLD AT ONE TIME?

A short scroll down the Amazon bestseller list will reveal a whole lot. My publisher and agent’s thought is that Paris sells. See the word Paris and you’ll rush to buy the book. But I worry that readers will have become over-Parised. What if they say “Not another Paris book”?  Time will tell, I suppose. (I DO THINK THE COVER IS STUNNING!)


Titles are hard. Some come to me right away, others I toy with. Some seem perfect only to have my publisher’s marketing team tell me that the title won’t work and we need a new one.  Some have too many words to be read in a thumbnail. Some do not invoke the right image. So now I’m struggling with that very thing for the book I’m close to finishing. Remember during the What we are Writing week I shared a snippet from the book I’m currently calling IN AN ABANDONED PLACE?  I asked you for feedback and got some excellent insights, including Hank suggesting that In An Abandoned… was hard to say. And one thing I have learned—never have a title that the reader does not know how to pronounce. You don’t want to embarrass a reader in a bookstore or they’ll have negative feelings about your books for life! Hence I had to change Naughty and Nice into Naughty IN Nice so that readers would not mistakenly ask for nice…

Now, the new book is about little girls who have disappeared in WWII plus another little girl who has vanished in 1968 and whether these somehow tie together. So THE LOST GIRLS would be logical except look how many books have LOST in the their title.

And even more books have GIRLS! ( See Hallie, I’m using white space. You've got me obsessed now!)

Will my publisher want lost or girls because they sell?  My own feeling is that the world doesn’t want any more lost girls.

I like the feel of the word Abandoned in the title because it is the theme , not just of the village but of the lives of several characters, but there has been a book called ABANDONED, so not that. Deserted, maybe? A Deserted Place? The Deserted Village?

Isn’t it interesting how there is a fashion for particular words in titles: books, bookshops, libraries, words seem to be in at the moment. The Paris Bookshop, the London Bookshop, the Last Bookshop, the lost Library etc etc etc.

A while ago it was daughter/wife/child.  The lighthouse keeper's/butcher’s/bakers/candlestick maker’s daughter/wife/child.  Okay, I did one of them. I confess, but it was Tuscan.

I’m always afraid that if I choose a title with current buzzwords (like Paris) readers will glance at the book and say “Oh, I read that one.”

So, dear Reds: is it the title that makes you pick up a book? Or the cover? Or the author’s name?

And does AN ABANDONED PLACE work better? Any other brilliant suggestions?

57 comments:

  1. I find that I am much more likely to pick up a book because of the author’s name rather than because of the title of the book or even because of the artwork on the cover. . . . .

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  2. Congrats on the book and this one I think that it is the authors name but then I think the cover is very eye-catching if it is on a shelf . I can't wait to read a print and review a few places peggy clayton

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  3. Congratulations on yet another book, and even another! I get dizzy trying to keep up with your new books! How wonderful that you can write three books a year.

    In my case, I'm usually drawn to the author's name if I've read and liked their books, because I know I'm in for a good story. That IS a terrific cover, but I'd still buy it first for the author (I've liked all your books I've read), then the title, and then the cover to see what it can reveal about the title.

    For a title, would "Forgotten" work in some context? Or have these lost girls never been forgotten?

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    1. Good point, Liz. Forgotten is a good word but the girls were not forgotten. The village was. Rhys

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  4. Congrats on the upcoming book. I'm a visual person so the cover will grab me first, then the title and then the author, but if I know the author's name, that adds weight for me to pick up the book.

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  5. I'm excited about the new book. Funny, your cover for Peril in Paris just popped up in the sidebar!

    Hank is right about In An Abandoned being hard to say, but I like it if you leave off the IN. Would Abandoned Lives work?

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  6. How do you fit in writing time around publicity work when you produce so many books a year, Rhys, and every one requires both writing and publicity!?

    As for titles, they are important to me -- a clue about what awaits me between the covers. While I agree with Hank that saying In An Abandoned Place is hard, dropping the tiny word "in" changes the emphasis for me -- from what happens/happened IN the place to the place itself. Maybe that doesn't matter for the story? The word "in" conjures a multi-dimensional story to me -- what happened there? is it truly abandoned? who knows about it? who once lived there? who might still live there? what are the connections? etc. Without "in", I presume the story is about the place itself rather than about people associated with it. Maybe I am overthinking this...

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    1. I like that, Amanda. "In" tells more.

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    2. I think you are right! So not overthinking it at all!

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    3. Good point, Amanda. In is important if hard to say

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    4. My thought too--An Abandoned Place suggests architectural history to me (Flora), but the 'In' leading off changes the focus to what/who/when in that abandoned place.

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  7. For me, it is most often the author’s name.
    I’ll be happy to have a new one from you in August.
    Danielle

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  8. I don't randomly spot books and buy them anymore. Titles and covers mean much less when you've been to this blog on "What We're Reading Day" and made your list. ( Or to FCF, thanks Hank;>) )

    Rhys, I agree that title words seem to come in and out of favor and it can be confusing when a word is in many titles. Abandoned is a good word. It is more appropriate than "deserted" or "forgotten" although those terms work, too. I think "girls" is overused so, no. I happen to like In An Abandoned Place. If the missing girls connect to the village, The Abandoned Place or Village would work, too.

    BTW, I thought Naughty in Nice was a brilliant title.

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  9. I'm looking forward to the new book! I'm going to go a different direction than most of the commenters before me, though. While just the name of a favorite author (like Rhys) is enough to make me pick up a book, I DO still try to pick up new-to-me authors as well. Of course a lot of those come from reviews or word-of-mouth, including mentions here at Jungle Reds. But sometimes I still relish the experience of browsing the shelves (or audiobook database) to search for undiscovered treasure. When I do that, the cover and the title carry all the weight. If the title and cover entice me, then I will read the blurbs and decide whether to pick it up.

    For your title, if you replaced Abandoned with Deserted you could keep the In -- that is, IN A DESERTED PLACE. Or you could swap out Abandoned for Lost and try THE ABANDONED GIRLS. I know you and your publishing team will come up with something brilliant, because you always do!

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    1. Thanks, Susan. Unfortunately the girls vanished. Evacuated to the country and never arrived! Vanished is a good word maybe? Rhys

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    2. …or just Vanished

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  10. I like "forgotten" instead of "abandoned", but either one gets the job done.
    I was just told to change the name of my debut book. It's tough. I'll do some weeding today and try to come up with something.

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    1. Brilliant! Weed and think! Rhys

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  11. I did a thesaurus check for the word abandoned/ it brought up that to be abandoned can also mean to be depraved or uninhibited. Place of course suggests location not a person. // My mind tends to retain titles rather than authors -excepting the Reds natch. The best titles make me wonder what is going on in the book. "All that is Hidden" was a true hook for me. "On Her Majesties Frightfully Secret Service" made me smile and reach for the shelf.

    I am not good at titles. Most likely others will be better however. here is my 2 cent contribution: "The stones remember."

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    1. That’s a really compelling title. Doesn’t quite fit my story though. Rhys

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  12. I think there are too many similar titles out there, so I would not go with Paris anything. Unless maybe Vanished in Paris. I'm more interested in the author's name first. The cover doesn't really matter to me and the title needs to be something I can remember. so not a lot of words. Good luck!

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  13. In Book Club, we just finished The Girl They Left Behind. This title is so similar to many other titles that there was a confusion as to which book was about what, and “yes I read it – no when you say that, I read this one” – totally confusing if you (the author) want me to read YOUR book.
    As for covers – I look at new authors and glance at the cover, and some covers just put me off. I really would never pick up my favourite author's books dependent on the cover, so thank goodness for her that I read most books by the author, not the cover. I do often ponder the title after the reading to see if there were clues in the title as to what was in the book, and how clever was the author in deciding on the wording. Otherwise, the title might as be Rhys’s Book 18. No confusion there!

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    1. Rhys’s book 52? Or stand alone 8. Sounds good to me!

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  14. I like the title In "An Abandoned Place" because it is intriguing. If I saw this at my bookstore, I'd definitely pick it up to look through it out of curiosity.
    I like simple titles too that are easy to remember and narrow in on the topic (A Key Lime Pie is a good one). I like a lot of the old time military titles, like Winds of War.
    But, regardless of the title or cover, if I like the author I'll buy the book.

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    1. Me ^ again, I meant to type Key Lime Crime....

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  15. Congratulations on your new release! I think having Paris in the title is a great idea. I know so many women who have "visit Paris" on their bucket lists. I hope they get to go, but we all know how life has other plans. Reading is the next best thing.

    And your cover art doesn't look like every other cover art about Paris with the Eiffel Tower, so there should be no confusion. Bonus! :-D

    I wish I remembered who said this more years ago than I care to admit, but one author online once likened mysteries to armchair travelogues where you can explore a place, a time, or a lifestyle.

    Congratulations! August will be here before we know it!

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  16. I read to travel vicariously and I write to let readers have that travel experience. Rhys

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  17. Rhys, I agree that there are trendy words in titles. And frankly, after a while, it puts me off even picking up a new book. The exception is for authors I read regularly--I know you don't always get to choose your own title. I do pay attention to covers and titles, though, and love to work out how (or if) they represent some element of the story. Looking forward to all of your books and do love the cover of The Paris Assignment (Flora).

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  18. I visually scan covers in a bookstore the way I feel for quality fabric in a clothing store rack. It's an intuitive thing for me--some covers are too cute, others too dark, and sometimes they just look too trendy. I can't even explain what draws me in exactly, only that I know it when I see it. I don't stop there, of course. I read the cover copy, then I open the book to a random page and read a few paragraphs. You are a well-established, well-published author, so I kind of get a kick out of knowing that even now, you struggle with finding the right title. I'll be interested to see if all of this discussion of your upcoming book's title results in something with "abandoned" or if the publisher morphs it into "GIRLS LOST IN THE LIBRARY." :-)

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    1. Who knows? The lost girls not too far from Paris? Rhys

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  19. Oh, Rhys, you have really nailed it about similar titles. And covers. For your books, for me it doesn't matter, of course. The author's name gets my attention! But new to-me? so many similar titles that I really do get confused and can't be sure which ones I've read. Especially when the authors names are sort of not memorable too. Frustrating for the reader (me, at this moment) and not at all good for the author goals either. Mmmm, yes, maybe Paris - enticing as it is - has been overdone? Must add that I do love the Lady Georgie titles! So fun...and more important, so distinctive.

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  20. With an author known to me the draw is the author's name, secondly the cover design, and lastly the title. With an author new to me I’m first drawn by the title and then the cover design. Upon having finished the read, the title must be especially relevant to the plot or I’m left wondering why such a bland, disappointing title choice.

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  21. Perhaps I am the last person to ask since I am so bad at remembering titles, though I do recall a few titles to my surprise.

    Strange to say that I remember titles like Passenger to Frankfurt, Murder on the Orient Express, Destination Unknown and the ABC Murders, which are all Agatha Christie titles. Some of her titles come from nursery rhymes.

    In your case, I think it would help me to see that the book cover has YOUR NAME on the cover then I would know that it is your book. I could read anything written by you. I have been a fan ever since my introduction to the Constable Evan Evans mystery novels.

    No idea what would be a good title instead of THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT. I was thinking ? Red Dress ? just from looking at the cover.

    How does your editor decide on a title for your novel? I agree that there are many books with PARIS in the title. For me, it can get confusing since I am so bad at remembering titles!

    Loved the titles in Her Royal Spyness like Royal Blood, Royal Flush, etc. Loved the titles in Constable Evans like Heaven Help Evans and in the Molly Murphy series like Wild Irish Rose.

    Diana

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  22. Rhys, I think your striking cover will help differentiate your book from the other "Paris" titles. But it is such a big book to cream into that title!

    For the new book, I think I'd avoid "girls." I just glaze over when I see that on a cover. I love the image you've created of the abandoned village, but agree that In An Abandoned Place is a little hard to wrap your tongue around. Also I think you want to avoid "village." How about "The Vanishing Place?" That could be intriguing.

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  23. Author first, second, and third.

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  24. It is a beautiful cover, Rhys.

    I'm a hybrid title-cover shopper. Unless it's one of my auto-buy authors, and then I really don't care. LOL

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  25. Most of my reading is on Kindle so it's reviews, blogs, or interviews that influence me the most. When I am in a bookstore, it's a cover that's unique, an author I'm familiar with, and/or this is a bid odd, the hand feel of the book. Some books just fit, and those always go home with me. I've met many wonderful, new to me, authors that way.

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  26. For authors I already love, it's their name that makes me pick up the book. For someone I'm not familiar with, it's a combination of word of mouth and title and cover that will convince me to give it a shot.

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    1. Forgot to mention that I do similar things as a reader. If it is an author I am not familiar with, then it's a combination of word of mouth and title and cover. I also like to know what the story will be about.

      Diana

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  27. I think children's names are like this. Certain names are hanging in the air just above us for a while. We tend towards them until they move out of reach and other names slide into place.

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  28. i remember when we talked about THE PARIS ASSIGNMENT and we decided all the Reds ought to write a book with Paris in the title! I honestly don't think the "Paris" moment is over, Rhys, because the name evokes travel and luxury and pleasure - all the things we're still feeling short of since the pandemic shuttered the world.

    As to the new book, how about a title that might mentally suggest "girl" without using the word: THE GONE-AWAY PLACE?

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  29. When I first read the title In An Abandoned Place, I thought, lose the In. Having "in" and "an" together is awkward to say. I rather like An Abandoned Place. It's fresh, not overused, and I think it would make readers want to take a look at it. The only problem I see is that the emphasis might seem to be on the place, like a story about an abandoned house. I thought of just Abandon Place, which would address the place as being somewhere that someone or something was left. Edith's Abandoned Lives addresses the people loss more, and I think Debs' suggestion of The Vanishing Place captures it perfectly. Vanish is a most intriguing word and makes one wonder about the place as it pertains to its point of those who vanished and their lives. Back in 2007, before author Maggie O'Farrell was as well known as she is today, she came out with a book called The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. It's about a life essentially erased from a family and family history. The word "vanishing" was a strong draw for me. This was such a great read, too.

    The Paris Assignment does indeed have a stunning cover. I think readers will definitely be drawn to it. The Paris Assignment, even with the much-used "Paris" in it, is a good, strong title. And, when something takes place in Paris, it's hard not to feature that in the title. Also, I know that there is a large readership for books with that city in the title.

    Of course, I read most books because of the author who writes them, like all the Jungle Red Writers. But, for unknown authors, it's a toss-up between attraction to the title or attraction to the cover. When I love both, it's a no-brainer to buy the book.

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  30. Clare: I suggest- The Abandoned Paris Girls in the land of Hogwarts as a best selling title ;)

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  31. Not very helpful Rhys, but I find all three work to some degree when I'm browsing. I've certainly been captured by titles, by covers, and certainly by familiar authors.
    As for your current quandry, how about Abandoned and Forgotten.

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  32. I adore that cover, Rhys, and I love the title. I don’t think Paris ever goes out of fashion. The Poisoned Pen has had a “Paris” table for at least 5 years! I am over “girls”, though, especially when used in place of women - so condescending, IMHO. You never see Boy on the Run when referring to a man, I’m just saying.

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  33. Great cover, Rhys, and Paris in the title works fine, as others have said. I also like An Abandoned Place. I'm struggling with a title for Book #4 at present (although I still have time to think about it, so I'm not panicking), and I'm at my wits' end. Good titles are very, very hard. And if I don't know an author, the title IS important, although of course word-of-mouth and good reviews are more important.

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  34. Wouldn't you have two books with PARIS in the title ... but very different kinds of books. So that could be a good thing... or a bad thing. I love the cover. So intense.

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  35. Hank Phillippi RyanApril 19, 2023 at 8:50 AM

    Oh, I absolutely love the cover! And I agree with whoever said you can’t take out in, because “an abandoned place” sounds like a book about a place. And “the lost girls” sounds like a reverse Peter Pan to me. Is there another place in France besides Paris you could use? Or a neighborhood in Paris? I like Assignment, I have to say. Although it sounds a little bit like a Robert Ludlum title. If that’s good or bad, I’m not sure… I’m still thinking!

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