possible titles

[abracanabra]

I could not sleep last night, not for hours. My brain was whirring. I swear I could hear it. Eventually I clambered out of bed and huddled naked behind the computer (don't worry, my hair covered any parts that might have been seen from outside) and began writing out possible titles for the novel I just finished. Ta-da! (Don't laugh too hard; you might get fired.)

*Drink Freedom
-advantages: no-one will know what the hell it's about
-disadvantages: see above, also, sounds too much like the very excellent film Cry Freedom, about the South African Black Consciousness Movement.
*Ride to/for Freedom
*Rain in the Desert
*The Reckoning
-advantage: western influence clear
-disadvantage: sounds like the final book, not the beginning
*Far Desert Reckoning
-see above
*Swamp Fever
-disadvantage: does not figure largely in the novel, though it is a key plot point
*Wet Season Serenade
-advantage: will make readers horny
-disadvantage: sounds like porn/romance
*Desert Song
*Thief's Reckoning
*Wrangling the (Desert) Sun
*The Khel
*Wet Season Sojourn
*Track (Trail?) of a Horse-Thief
*Fevered Rain
-disadvantage: sounds like an eighties band
*High Noon Rain
*High Noon in the Desert
-disadvantage: pretentious?
*High Noon Sands
-see above
*To Play a Lone Hand
*Khel's Brand
-disadvantage: might make people think of supermarkets
*Desert Brand
-see above
*Drifter/Loner in a Flash Flood
*Branded
-see above
*Desert Reins
*Reined by the Desert/Khel
*Khel's Enchantment
*Puca's Rein
-disadvantage: bad pun
*Desert Spell
*Spell of the Khel
-disadvantage: Dr. Seuss
*Fever Spell
*Rainy Season Spell
*Closer than Blood
*Thicker than Water
*Blood Song in the Desert
*Blood Rain
-disadvantage: Blade?
*Blood of the Khel
*Heart Blood of the Desert
*(The Far) Heart of the Desert
-disadvantage: Heart of Darkness, anyone?
*In the Heart of the Wet Season/Rains
*Heart of Rain
*Heart Wrangled by the Rain
-disadvantage: corny as all hell

Comments

[fayde.livejournal.com]

Ones I really liked were: (* to *****)
The Reckoning*****(#1 choice)
Desert Spell (only if there is magic in the story)****
Closer than Blood*****(#2 choice)
Thicker than Water*****
Blood Rain***
Heart of Rain****
Deasert Brand***
Drifter in a Flash Flood**

-----
I also liked the ones that Suggested something about the character/place/identity of the story:
The Khel****(#3 choice)
Khel's Brand***
Blood of the Khel*****(#4 choice, better for sequal I think, especially if you go with The Khel for the first title)

You're done !?!?!

[discoflamingo.livejournal.com]

You never told me you were done, Abra! Well, I can't give you a title without reading the book - otherwise I'm playing the damn fool marketing schmuck. I don't want to be that guy.

Re: You're done !?!?!

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Aw, c'mon! What's wrong with being the marketing schmuck? So...you wanna read the book? Might need to wait until 2nd draft complete...ETA 1 mo.

Re: You're done !?!?!

[discoflamingo.livejournal.com]

I don't want to wait - I want to procrastinate! Cahoot's tomorrow? I'm going, anyways. (for the first time, but I'm still going)

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

Desert Noon?
Desert Blood Song?
Khel Blood Song?
(I'm trying to avoid the titles that say "...in the Desert". Don't ask me why, I just don't like 'em much.)

On another note: the place I interned at was Graywolf Press (http://www.graywolfpress.org/). I don't know whether your work will fit their guidelines, but you could look at the prose guidelines (http://www.graywolfpress.org/mainpages/submissions.html#PROSE) and see.
If you want more info on local publishing houses, or tips on what I think might possibly help with getting your work submitted, I'll help as I can.

Genre

[cloudscudding.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this is *so* genre. So very genre.

Re: Genre

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

I thought it might be. In my (limited) experience, then, you are better off sending it to large publishing houses, and publishing houses that specialize in the appropriate genre.

Do you have a copy of the 2002 Writer's Market (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1582970440/ref=pd_sim_books/002-0682736-5043241), or the Writer's Guide to Book Editors... (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761530231/qid=1020461606/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-0682736-5043241), yet? I gather they're helpful.

[masui.livejournal.com]

personally, i like Wet Season Sojourn. It's new. It's fresh. It's happenin'. Okay, I'm getting carried away. But titles like "The Reckoning" are a little overdone. IMHO