Need help with a title

Dragonwriter

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I just got my manuscript back from my editor, and one of the things he said was that the title didn't really work for him (and he's right--it's an okay title, but could be better). So I'm on the hunt for a new one. It's driving me crazy, because I know the perfect one is out there hovering right beyond my reach, but it refuses to step up! This will be self-published, so no help from the publisher, unfortunately. Hoping I can get some ideas here.

It's an urban fantasy story, set in essentially modern times. The concept I'm trying to encapsulate is "something that's caught between two worlds/decisions/philosophies and could go either way depending on outside forces," or else "something that a small bit is visible on the surface but most is hidden" (like an iceberg). For the first one, it fits in three ways:

1. The MC is a mage who has a mundane "secret identity," so he's constantly torn between keeping his powers hidden and being drawn into using them to deal with supernatural threats.
2. The MC's apprentice is torn between learning white magic from the MC and succumbing to the temptation of a seductive woman who's a dark mage.
3. A very powerful supernatural entity is trapped between two worlds, and trying to manipulate various characters into helping it break into our world (which would be catastrophic).

The second one fits because:
1. The MC is the type who puts up a cheerful, sarcastic, charming front to the world, but hides a lot of his darker personality.
2. The apprentice is hiding from both the MC and the woman, trying to walk a fine line between the two of them so he can keep his options open.
3. The entity has a small bit of itself in our world, but most of it is still trapped in its home dimension.

I'd like the title to be fairly short and punchy, and definitely an "urban fantasy-style" title. This is the first book in a series. There's no consistent style among the titles of the other books, except that they're all short (3 words max).

Thanks for any ideas!
 

Southpaw

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Do you have titles for the others in the series? Maybe a book blurb would help us get more of a feel for the story?
 

Dragonwriter

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Do you have titles for the others in the series? Maybe a book blurb would help us get more of a feel for the story?

The other titles in the series (all of which are written, but not yet published) are:

  • The Forgotten
  • The Threshold
  • The Source (these three are a trilogy within the series)
  • Faces of Blood
As for the blurb, I'm still working on it. This thread from Query Letter Hell had a few attempts at it, back when I was still going to submit it to a traditional publisher.

http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293517


Some of the later attempts have drifted into making it sound more lighthearted than it is, though, so please keep that in mind. The MC is kind of snarky and a bit of a smartass, but the story in general is urban fantasy leaning toward light horror. I don't want the title to be light or jokey at all.

Thanks again!
 

Southpaw

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Hum...

Shades
The Hidden
Beneath the Black

Ok, odd but maybe they'll help get your juices flowing!
 

Dragonwriter

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Thanks, everybody! Great ideas. :)

I'm kind of leaning toward one I initially didn't like, but that's now growing on me: "Stone and a Hard Place" (since the MC's name is Stone). My only concern with it is that there's going to be a gaming supplement coming out with the same name soon, but I guess there's no copyright on titles and I'm not exactly playing in the same sandbox as a weird-west RPG. Unless my editor completely hates it, that's looking like the current winner.

Thanks again!
 

PeteMC

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Don't know if you've already gone with this by now, but I looked at the QLH post and I rather liked your original "House of Stone" to be honest.

"Heart of Stone" would work too, although if it was my series I'd probably want to call all the others "$THING of Stone" as well - it's too good a name not to use!
 

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Don't know if you've already gone with this by now, but I looked at the QLH post and I rather liked your original "House of Stone" to be honest.

"Heart of Stone" would work too, although if it was my series I'd probably want to call all the others "$THING of Stone" as well - it's too good a name not to use!

Yeah, the book's been out since March, and I did end up going with Stone and a Hard Place (see sig). The next three (which are also out) have different type titles (The Forgotten, The Threshold, The Source) because they are a single story arc within the series. The next one, due out next month, is Core of Stone, the one after that is Blood and Stone, and the one after that is Heart of Stone. I'm going to try to fit "Stone" into the title somewhere for as many of them as I can going forward.
 

PeteMC

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LOL sorry, I hadn't noticed your post was from *last* January, I thought it was a few weeks ago! Good luck with the series :)