deilaitha
Sage
So, I have a WIP that I have just been referring to as "duoverse" for as long as I have been working on it (it has two parallel universes). After I worked really hard on polishing it, I knew I needed an actual title. I never intended to actually call it that. So, I decided to call it "Charybda," since the phenomena that allow passes between the universes are called "charybda." I was never crazy about this as a title, but it seemed okay.
After sending the first 10 pages to a publisher and predictably being rejected (it was a good experience because it told me that I still needed to polish it further), I find myself once again reconsidering the title. Obviously, the title probably isn't the reason it was rejected, because I have realized that there are many other problems (ah, the process of removing dross--so much dross). However, I have to wonder: if I'm not crazy about the title, is it possible that others (including publishers) might not be either? It doesn't really seem to be very evocative of the book's plot, even though the charybda are a big deal.
I have no idea what to do about the title. I know I need to primarily focus on the story itself, but it does seem like a good title is pretty crucial--after all, it (along with the cover) is the first thing your prospective reader will see. If it doesn't raise enough curiosity to pick up the book...then it's not good enough.
What do you guys think?
After sending the first 10 pages to a publisher and predictably being rejected (it was a good experience because it told me that I still needed to polish it further), I find myself once again reconsidering the title. Obviously, the title probably isn't the reason it was rejected, because I have realized that there are many other problems (ah, the process of removing dross--so much dross). However, I have to wonder: if I'm not crazy about the title, is it possible that others (including publishers) might not be either? It doesn't really seem to be very evocative of the book's plot, even though the charybda are a big deal.
I have no idea what to do about the title. I know I need to primarily focus on the story itself, but it does seem like a good title is pretty crucial--after all, it (along with the cover) is the first thing your prospective reader will see. If it doesn't raise enough curiosity to pick up the book...then it's not good enough.
What do you guys think?