Good and Bad Story Titles

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Barbara at Work, Barbi at Play

Two sides of the same person.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I would agree with this but including names in a title can be helpful to avoid duplicate titles and create some interest. I reviewed my list and I've included a name in some 20 out of 75 titles. Amy's Night Away, Shivering Sarah and Bill, We Need to Talk all use names but, IMO, create some intrigue.

I've nothing against including names in a title. Amy's Night Away, for example, seems like a decent title. I meant to criticize the titles that have nothing but a name or names in them.

 

[Trionyx]

I meant to criticize the titles that have nothing but a name or names in them.

Like I said, I would agree with your original statement. I was merely adding additional thoughts about names being included in titles and how they can be beneficial.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm going to give one by an actual author and the reason I'll say who it is, is because the story is a huge hit, and its an example of how I think we fret too much about what readers think.

What Mom Knows will fuck her in the ass

There is a slew of 'What Mom knows" titles and all just as eye rolling.

But its Silkstockingslover, a woman who is a far better writer than the smutty titles indicate, but also a woman and men are men.

I tell people that Stephen King could wipe his ass and submit the toilet paper to a publisher and they'd publish it and make a movie out of it.

I think Silk is the Lit version of that. Good for her.

 

[SimonDoom]

I generally, though not always, take a practical approach to titles. The story is the art and the rest is marketing. I think this approach works especially well at literotica, where quickly attracting attention is so important to getting readers.

So, most of the time I opt for titles with the following in mind:

1. I choose titles with myself in mind as a reader. As a reader i generally like straightforward titles.

2. Ideally the title should be descriptive.

3. The title should fit the tone of the story. An in your face story should have an in your face title. Eg, Mom, You're a Hucow! A more sophisticated story should have a more sophisticated title.

4. My mother-son stories always have mom and mother in the title. It seems to help.

5. I use titillating words when I can. Words that I think people who like that type of story will be attracted to.

6. I try to be clever or catchy when I can, but I'd rather be direct than clever.

7. I try to imagine what someone searching for my type of story would search for.


It seems to be working.