I had a story published recently called "What's in a Name?" and when it comes to short stories, the answer is probably a lot.
Finding the right title for a story is a constant challange for me. Afterall the first part of your story that an editor sees is the title and they have to be grabbed by it. The last thing that I want for my story is a bland title. If you see a dull title. If they see dull title they might assume dull story.
The title isn't everything but it is plenty. I have had previously rejected stories accepted and the only thing that I have changed is the title. I guess that speaks for itself.
sally had an entry on her blog about this the other day so if you haven't already seen it pop over there.
2 comments:
But then again, some magazines change the titles of stories, so all your hard work thinking of the perfect title is wasted!
I sold one to TAB where I just couldn't think of a decent title at all, so gave it a really naff one which actually gave away half the plot. It's not been published yet but I'm looking forward to seeing what they retitle it as!
I agree though, a good title will help catch an editor's eye, and can be half the battle.
You'll have to let us know when your story is published so we can look out for it.
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