chapbook title help

[butters]

so i'm gonna get some stuff together for that blp chapbook competition, but i'd like to run 3 titles past you guys to see if there's any preference.

i've narrowed it down from well over a hundred, and like all of the 3 but can't quite decide yet.

the three options (unless i change my mind, which isn't unheard of!) are:


Risking the Minotaur


]Incomparable world - this one's ditched, thanks, guys. just 2 left


not everyone's a shape-shifter

the collection of poems will be diverse in nature, not a set theme. it's the first time i'll have entered a chapbook competition.

do any of these titles turn you off as a reader?

does any one of them tickle your pickle?

are they all boring?


i promise to consider all input before making a decision. thankyou very muchly

 

[Angeline]

Congrats on submitting for a chapbook contest. It's a lot of work deciding how to order the poems and title the manuscript, so hats off to you.

I understand that you'll use a diverse group of poems, but I'd want the title to have a clear connection to the poems. Otherwise I, your reader, won't know why you chose what you did or what that title is supposed to say to me.

Of your choices I like the last one, just sounds interesting to me, but not sure how it connects to your poems. One way around it would be to title the manuscript after the strongest or best poem in the group. Just my opinion. Good luck & hope you get lots more eyes on your poems.

 

[Tzara]

I understand that you'll use a diverse group of poems, but I'd want the title to have a clear connection to the poems. Otherwise I, your reader, won't know why you chose what you did or what that title is supposed to say to me.

This.

Angie and I disagree on which of your title options are best. I like Risking the Minotaur, though even that one leaves me with questions--Risking [what with] the Minotaur? Does the collection have a classical theme? Are problems/labyrinths central to the poems?

I like the title because it's a statement. It's clear ("Incomparable World," for example, is not), and your other alternative is a bit squishy (yes, not everyone is a shape-shifter, almost by definition).

I would agree with Angie that you might want to look through your poems and try to find a title (or a particular line or phrase) that would work as a title.

It's a really hard thing to do. I spent a lot of time thinking about titles for my thesis, and I'm not sure I did a very good job of it. Best of luck, b.!




And I would be happy to offer friendly but probably unhelpful advice as you go through the process of submitting your chapbook. Really--trust yourself. Trust your work. Say things the way you want to say them.

That's what poetry is.

 

[Senna Jawa]

I spent a lot of time thinking about titles for my thesis, and I'm not sure I did a very good job of it.

Share, please, what was the title of your thesis?

 

[butters]

Congrats on submitting for a chapbook contest. It's a lot of work deciding how to order the poems and title the manuscript, so hats off to you.

I understand that you'll use a diverse group of poems, but I'd want the title to have a clear connection to the poems. Otherwise I, your reader, won't know why you chose what you did or what that title is supposed to say to me.

Of your choices I like the last one, just sounds interesting to me, but not sure how it connects to your poems. One way around it would be to title the manuscript after the strongest or best poem in the group. Just my opinion. Good luck & hope you get lots more eyes on your poems.

hi, Angie thanks for the reply. nothing's set in stone yet and i have a couple of months to get it prepped.

the subs page made a point of inviting collections that didn't necessarily have a central theme, so choosing one name to cover everything is a little tricky - and why i'm not including the 'harry & butters' themed ones. they belong together.

the last name holds an appeal to me inasmuch as it's saying it's okay to be yourself and not HAVE to try to fit in or be something you're not naturally - soooo, hopefully linking that to each poem being 'itself' and, if people want to go there, the author being true to themselves.

This.

Angie and I disagree on which of your title options are best. I like Risking the Minotaur, though even that one leaves me with questions--Risking [what with] the Minotaur? Does the collection have a classical theme? Are problems/labyrinths central to the poems?

I like the title because it's a statement. It's clear ("Incomparable World," for example, is not), and your other alternative is a bit squishy (yes, not everyone is a shape-shifter, almost by definition).

I would agree with Angie that you might want to look through your poems and try to find a title (or a particular line or phrase) that would work as a title.

It's a really hard thing to do. I spent a lot of time thinking about titles for my thesis, and I'm not sure I did a very good job of it. Best of luck, b.!




And I would be happy to offer friendly but probably unhelpful advice as you go through the process of submitting your chapbook. Really--trust yourself. Trust your work. Say things the way you want to say them.

That's what poetry is.

cheers, Tzara

i like that title, too - it may be my favourite of the three. it's the only one that ISN'T a line or title of a poem, and the risk is 'entering the maze (of writing/submiting (on my part, and the reading the poetry/sharing the experience/thinking on the part of prospective reader's) ... risking the dangers... getting lost in the maze, but, more specifically, risking the dangers of coming face to face with the minotaur - metaphorsRus

i can send you a long list of prospective titles, but my gut instinct so far has cut that list down to the three i've suggested.

if you guys are really put off by them, i'd like to know that, too.

Incomparable world is meant to cover the diverse contents as a celebration of the diversity of our living. or summat.

i'll definitely run ideas past you and angie as i move forward with this. thankyou

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I am useless at titles, even my own! I don't think the second choice is as strong as the other two, not as catchy for want of another word, more mundane. The other two make me think "Oh I wonder what that's about". Not much help but as a potential reader that's how they strike me. All the bestest with doing this

 

[butters]

I am useless at titles, even my own! I don't think the second choice is as strong as the other two, not as catchy for want of another word, more mundane. The other two make me think "Oh I wonder what that's about". Not much help but as a potential reader that's how they strike me. All the bestest with doing this

thanks, annie! no, that feedback's really important. it seems a general consensus about Incomparable world, so i'm scrapping that one right away. it's as important to know which titles are gonna push people away so i don't use them. appreciate it.

 

[Tzara]

Share, please, what was the title of your thesis?

I'm not opposed to sharing the title with you privately, but I am curious--why do you want to know it?

 

[Senna Jawa]

I'm not opposed to sharing the title with you privately, but I am curious--why do you want to know it?

Out of curiosity.

The titles of my master and Ph.D. theses were pretty technical. The former one was quite long (but otherwise I have only a vague recollection of it). My Ph.D. thesis title was nothing poetic:

Lattices with real numbers as additive operators​

That's all.

I have realized only now that there could be a privacy concern about the title of your thesis. There is no need to divulge it, don't do it, please. I shouldn't even ask.

 

[butters]

ignoring the obvious attempt to derail the thread without offering any sort of opinion, , i'm now wondering if these sound any better:

on the shedding of skin

robots dream of more than electric sheep

is the second one just too derivative? i like the poem i wrote with that title, but not sure if it comes over as too much like a rip-off


i still may go with the minotaur option, just not decided yet.

i'd like to use the robots one, but is it a title that readers would turn their noses up at?

maybe i need a poll

maybe i need a poll on the gb, hah

 

[UnderYourSpell]

It's maybe too close to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

 

[butters]

It's maybe too close to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

yeah... whilst it is a direct play off it, i don't want it to sound like some kind of plagiarism thanks!

 

[Tzara]

i'm now wondering if these sound any better:

on the shedding of skin

robots dream of more than electric sheep

is the second one just too derivative? i like the poem i wrote with that title, but not sure if it comes over as too much like a rip-off


i still may go with the minotaur option, just not decided yet.

i'd like to use the robots one, but is it a title that readers would turn their noses up at?

My two pence (oh, wait--you're American now ) is that the minotaur title is still the best of what you've proposed, but since I haven't read your proposed chapbook, I'm basing that simply on the title.

The thing is, whatever I or some other person might say, your decision needs to be something you like and feel comfortable with. It is your collection of poems. That is by far the most important thing. Don't overthink what the rest of us think about the title--it's your collection, so go with the title you think best represents it.

And good luck. I want a signed copy if you win.

 

[butters]

My two pence (oh, wait--you're American now ) is that the minotaur title is still the best of what you've proposed, but since I haven't read your proposed chapbook, I'm basing that simply on the title.

The thing is, whatever I or some other person might say, your decision needs to be something you like and feel comfortable with. It is your collection of poems. That is by far the most important thing. Don't overthink what the rest of us think about the title--it's your collection, so go with the title you think best represents it.

And good luck. I want a signed copy if you win.

well i have my favourites, but for now i'm kind of doing a little consumer-group thingy in search of some different perspectives i even threw up a poll on the GB that i just KNOW is gonna garner all kinds of haterade, but all feedback from the non-deplorables will be taken into consideration. anyway, you can be sure that after everything i'll name it what i decide is best because i couldn't NOT do it that way.

if i win, lol, you've got it don't be holding your breath now, you'll turn blue!

 

[Trixareforkids]

ignoring the obvious attempt to derail the thread without offering any sort of opinion, , i'm now wondering if these sound any better:

on the shedding of skin

robots dream of more than electric sheep

is the second one just too derivative? i like the poem i wrote with that title, but not sure if it comes over as too much like a rip-off


i still may go with the minotaur option, just not decided yet.

i'd like to use the robots one, but is it a title that readers would turn their noses up at?

maybe i need a poll

maybe i need a poll on the gb, hah

I quite like “on the shedding of skin” it brings so many things to mind, (skin in the game, sloughing off the itchy brain bits, renewal, growth) that I think it works well for a non-themed collection.

I personally would be disappointed by the Minotaur one if I felt no link to it in the collection.

Oh and good luck with your entry btw!

 

[butters]

I quite like “on the shedding of skin” it brings so many things to mind, (skin in the game, sloughing off the itchy brain bits, renewal, growth) that I think it works well for a non-themed collection.

I personally would be disappointed by the Minotaur one if I felt no link to it in the collection.

Oh and good luck with your entry btw!

hi trix! so far, 'on the shedding of skin' has drawn the most interest in a blind poll - but then there were only 5 votes

the Minotaur one - the only actual link that currently exists is a poem 'labyrinth' which is all about the memory rooms in our minds, how they are a labyrinth. maybe not clear enough a link. it (the Minotaur title)also has a masculine feel to me; i find it both interesting and, while i can explain away the overarching theme, without another poem linking it more directly i just don't know right now. some titles seem to appeal more to feminine and some more to the masculine aspects of people.

anyway, still working it through, thankyou!

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I see you more as a Crystal maze and Welcome back Trix ^sidles round and ties her to the chair*

 

[butters]

I see you more as a Crystal maze and Welcome back Trix ^sidles round and ties her to the chair*

omg, i remember that programme. used to enjoy watching it, too, from time to time.

 

[Piscator]

I'm not opposed to sharing the title with you privately, but I am curious--why do you want to know it?

Perhaps this might be a separate thread.

 

[cascadiabound]

Of all of the ones you have offered and your discussion of why it ties into your collection, I prefer Risking the Minotaur. It feels the most intriguing to me.

On the shedding of skin... makes me think that the bulk of your poems might be health or biology related and though I know you are offering it as a metaphor it strikes me as much less interesting.

But, as others have said... it has to feel right to you.

Congratulations and best of luck to you on your Chapbook.

 

[butters]

Of all of the ones you have offered and your discussion of why it ties into your collection, I prefer Risking the Minotaur. It feels the most intriguing to me.

On the shedding of skin... makes me think that the bulk of your poems might be health or biology related and though I know you are offering it as a metaphor it strikes me as much less interesting.

But, as others have said... it has to feel right to you.

Congratulations and best of luck to you on your Chapbook.

thanks for the feedback, cassie

dunno if it's just because it's using capital letters, but it looks more ...umm ... professional a title?

 

[cascadiabound]

thanks for the feedback, cassie

dunno if it's just because it's using capital letters, but it looks more ...umm ... professional a title?

Test it.
Put your other contenders out there with capitalizations.
Look at it and live with it a bit - see if any of us respond differently.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Where abouts is the poll? I couldn't find it, do you have a link?

 

[butters]

Test it.
Put your other contenders out there with capitalizations.
Look at it and live with it a bit - see if any of us respond differently.

that's a good idea, cassie. i know it's a good idea, but that stupid part of my brain still likes the lowercasing. i need to get over myself

okay, with caps:

Risking the Minotaur
Robots dream of more than electric sheep
Cold fire:Strange flames
On the Shedding of Skin
Heretics and Half-lives
Badly drawn Vitruvian Woman
Revelations
Who wants to live forever?
Crazy Carousel
Dog Days

Where abouts is the poll? I couldn't find it, do you have a link?

i stuck it up on the gb, but it sank like a stone. to be fair, i didn't expect much more and actually thought it's draw a whole lot more troll comments.

http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1497781

 

[butters]

as of now, i'm leaning towards Risking the Minotaur - but i'll have to write something that leads into the book as a proper link to its contents