I was thrown for a bit of a loop. I mean, I pretty much go into every submission with the expectation that my title will be changed. I generally suck at picking titles (Treasured Lies was chosen by the awesome Lisa Amowitz). It happens for many authors and I fully expected it to happen with Treasured Lies. But as time went on and we got closer to release date and the title stayed put, I figured Treasured Lies would stay Treasured Lies.
My editor came up with a list of suggestions and I picked one that I liked :) So Treasured Lies is now To Trust a Thief. It's going to take a lot of getting used to, but I do like it. It fits the book perfectly. And it fits the Scandalous line better. So a win/win all around I think :)
It got me curious about other books that might have had their titles changed, so I looked around and found some interesting ones (with the titles we know them by first, followed by their original titles (though some went through several before settling on their current titles)).
- Gone With The Wind = Tomorrow Is Another Day (and Scarlett was called Pansy, which, I believe, was also in the running for the title)
- Pride and Prejudice = First Impressions
- War and Peace = All's Well That Ends Well
- Lord of the Flies = Strangers From Within
- Dracula = The Un-dead Dead
- Lolita = The Kingdom By The Sea
- Roots = Before The Anger
- Valley of the Dolls = They Don't Build Statues to Businessmen
- 1984 = The Last Man in Europe
- Atlas Shrugged = The Strike
Interesting to see what these classics might have been known by if their titles hadn't been changed :)
Have your titles changed from their originals? Do you know of any other books with different titles than the originals? Leave them in the comments! :D Some of these are really fun (I'm still shuddering over Pansy).
8 comments:
My novel changed titles before it went on submission and then again when my publisher bought it. I actually love the current title, Vintage, so I'm happy with how it worked out. I had the manuscript titled Gently Used, which isn't nearly as snappy.
I was surprised, too! But it does fit in with Scandalous's other titles better, for sure, and yet still fits the story. Well chosen!
ooo love Vintage :D much snappier :D
yeah, I like it :D Changing wasn't as painful as I feared lol
Congrats on your upcoming book! So much goes into a title, I'm sure it takes getting used to if it's changed.
well I was especially attached to this one because 1. this was my very first book (though it's been rewritten half a dozen times at least) and 2. because it was my very first book, it's had this title for YEARS :) But I am liking the new one :D
I like the new title, Michelle! It's your TREASURED LIES no matter what you call it.
I love your new title! How interesting about those other titles. Hard to imagine such classics by any other name.
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