Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Hello! I've just finished a novel, but I'm struggling with the name and I'd love to get some input from avid readers to help me dial it in.

I put together a quick poll here. It shows a few names at a time and asks which you like better for the book:

https://taggwest.com/naming/index.php

Just a few seconds of your time would be super helpful. Thank you so much!

I like Atlantic Diamond War. It sums up the book better.

Elaine wrote: "I like Atlantic Diamond War. It sums up the book better."

I appreciate the suggestion! I'll add it to the list!

Hmm . . . I'm not crazy about any of them. Is there a theme or subtext to the work? Maybe one of the characters says something snappy that relates to it? Maybe something about all these outsiders trying to use/control the island for their own purposes?

An example of what I mean. In a mystery I plan to release in 2022, a skull is found along a riverbank, and a flood washes a mostly complete skeleton out of the ground. One of the detectives comments, "It's a day for bones." Because the novel deals with both real and metaphorical skeletons, I picked up on that for the title: A Day for Bones.

I think you might do best with something along those lines.

Thanks for the suggestion, Dale. Some of those names do come from that approach, as did a lot of the ones I already removed because they got voted down. I'll probably make another pass through and see if I can shake out any ideas, though.

Were you just looking at the first five it shows? Once you choose the best of those 5, it'll show 5 more from the other names on the list. (It just doesn't show them all at once because that'd be a little overwhelming.)

Maybe some of the other names would appeal more?

Tagg wrote: "Hello! I've just finished a novel, but I'm struggling with the name and I'd love to get some input from avid readers to help me dial it in.

I put together a quick poll here. It shows a few names a..."

I vote for Hell and Deep Water

Good luck with your book!

Bob Drews
www.authorsden.com
www.robert-drews.com
www.vertupublishing.com
instagram @roberth.drews

Good luck with your book

Thanks, Bob!

How long is this thing? I quit eventually. By the end, it just felt like blur of names, and it was hard to discern between them.

Of what I remember, I liked Come Hell and Deep Water.

Though, as a translator, I was very partial to "The Translator", even though that sounds about as exciting as stale bread :P

Tagg wrote: "Were you just looking at the first five it shows? Once you choose the best of those 5, it'll show 5 more from the other names on the list. (It just doesn't show them all at once because that'd be a little overwhelming.."

Oh, I didn't realize that. I'll have another look.

Addendum: It seems to keep cycling through names without reaching a conclusion. Is that intended? I see the same names over and over, probably a random selection from the full list without regard to what has been displayed previously? Anyway, I think "The Book of the Lost" is likely the best of what I see there. But I suspect something better might be possible. I'd probably have to actually read or at least skim the manuscript to make a more concrete suggestion, though.

My favorite is UNDER THE COLD SUN. Oxymorons always get me.