Some are important!
I just got an email from my editor asking what I thought about changing the title of the fourth moon book to The Shadow Of The Moon.
Well, I don't know. My life consists of rewrites and avoiding rewrites. Who has time to think about titles?
I'm hoping you do. So I've put a 5 day poll over on the beloved right side of the blog. Gave it prime real estate too. I threw Shadow Of The Moon into the conversation because polls are free and why not.
So let me know what you favor. I'll pretend I didn't get the email from my editor until Monday. In the meantime, I'll see if there's a strong consensus amongst you for one title or the other or the other.
Thanks in advance!
15 comments:
If the shadow/shade is supposed to be forboding, then I'd go with Shadow. If it is suppose to be more ambiguous, I'd go with Shade.
Shadow of the Moon would work well I think. But really call it whatever you'd like just as long as I get to read it eventually. :)
My initial thought was I liked shade better. Sounded more like an all the time permanent change to the Earth. But as I keep thinking about it (for the last 5-ish minutes, anyway) Shadow of the Moon had really grown on me and seems to fit better with the other titles and makes it seem more about the change itself and moving on. While shade indicates the now and not the future.
That last comment with a rambling explanation is me.no clue why it is anonymous.
I voted, but I felt the need for a write-in: Moon Shade. Hooray for a fourth moon book!
I'm with Kelly--"shade" makes it sound like la, la, la, this is our new, slightly worse life. "Shadow" makes it more "make it stop, please make it stop!" :o) And could it be "In the Shadow of the Moon"? Makes it seem more sinister/tense, putting that tiny little preposition in.
-Another Susan
I really like Another Susan's suggestion above. Though after thinking about this for a few minutes, I'm now stuck with the Cat Stevens song "Moonshadow" running through my head.
I also thought that maybe In the Shadow of the Moon would work well with the rest of the titles, but don't know if it works as well with the book. Anyway, I voted for Shadow on the Moon.
Actually, I voted for Shadow of the Moon.
In the Shadow of the Moon sounds better.
Anonymous Santa Fe
I prefer "The Shade of the Moon." For one thing, rhythm-wise, "shade" scans better to me in that phrase than "shadow," and frankly, it's a more unusual/unexpected word, and therefore more memorable. "Shadow of the Moon" sounds like yet another werewolf romance selling for 99 cents on Kindle.
I agree with Renee! Shade of the Moon is so much more unique. Just search Amazon Books for Shadow of the Moon and you'll see what I mean. I like the little twist that "Shade" gives it.
I originally voted for The Shadow of the Moon, but changed to your original title The Shade of the Moon because the titles of the three previous books all have 5 one syllable words and I think the pattern should be continued. But, hey, a fourth book is a fourth no matter what the title.
Poetically speaking, I think "shade" is best. It's certainly more unexpected, fits with the one-syllable word titles you've used in the series up till now, and invokes both the sense that the moon is looming closer and that life toils along colored by it. Remember, shade is just a shadow seen from the inside.
The World Remaining
The Final Accounting
The Last Entry
Those Who Remain
The Final Eclipse
Footprints
Images In The Mirror of the Moon
No "shadow(s) - anyone could play, right?
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