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   rec.arts.sf.composition      The writing and publishing of speculativ      144,800 messages   

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   Message 144,241 of 144,800   
   William Vetter to Michelle Bottorff   
   Re: worst story title   
   07 Jun 15 18:47:10   
   
   From: mdhangton@gmail.com   
      
   Michelle Bottorff wrote:   
   > William Vetter  wrote:   
   >   
   >> Why I ask this, is that I noticed an audiobook of a novel in public   
   >> library that said _The Quest_ on the spine of the box.  Cover blurb told   
   >> me it is Ancient Egypt with a sorcerer as POV character.   
   >>   
   >> Alas!  This author has used an exotic setting with exotic POV character   
   >> and all he can come up with is _The Quest_.   
   >>   
   >> I thought this is worst title possible, because any fiction could be   
   >> titled "The Quest" or "The Journey."  In theory, all story characters have   
   >> a journey.  Such is how my mind works.   
   >   
   > Someone in one of my groups over on LibraryThing is reading something   
   > called Saga.  It's supposed to be really good, too.  But that was kind   
   > of my reaction to it's title, too.   
   >   
   >> Mais oui, all of the titles y'all have provided thus far suck bigtime also.   
   >   
   > I titled a short story _Dark Moon Light_, and twice it got past the   
   > first read and into the "serious consideration pile".  Both times the   
   > editors didn't recognize it by title, and said, "Never heard of it, send   
   > it again" when I sent inquiries asking why it had not been returned in   
   > the usual timespan.  When they recieved the second copy, they said:   
   > "Wait, don't we already have this?"   
   >   
   > I haven't come up with another title for it that I like better, though.   
   >  :(   
      
   What if you had a title you like, had submitted with it in the past   
   (before you were famous), got some rejection slips, scrapped the   
   manuscript, then want to use the title for something else?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)   

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