As a reader, is there an ultimate turn-off in a title/subtitle?

[JRTomlin]

I was perusing Amazon (as one does) looking for something to read in the mysteries and came across a novel described in the subtitle as 'unputdownable'.  Seriously. I'm not joking. 🤦

No. Dear God. Just no.

[TimothyEllis]

 

[The Bass Bagwhan]

Don't get me started on "ality". Lately the Australian political press often queries the "constitutionality" of any legislation. Bring back the gallows, I say.

[Lynn]

When the subtitle includes anything that should / could have been in a blurb or quote I don't even read the description. Total pass.

”An enthralling mystery with a killer twist"

Sure. ;)

[TimothyEllis]

Anything which is essentially keyword stuffing.

If the author has to put it in a sub-title, then obviously the cover and blurb are wrong or inadequate.

Puts me totally off.

[Lynn]

I can tolerate minor descriptive stuff, like "A time travel mystery” or "A Regency romance" but that's enough. When it goes further I start rolling my eyes. :D

[notthatamanda]

I really don't like "with a shocking twist" in the subtitle for a thriller. Very few live up to that description, even if I enjoy reading it.
Oh and "everyone is dead" actually isn't a shocking twist, not since The Sixth Sense.  That's just annoying.  Sorry, off topic, pet peeve.

[Eric Thomson]

The word "gripping", whether it's in the subtitle or blurb.  A mere glimpse of the word gripping makes that author a hard pass.
 

[Tom Wood]

If the marketing tells me there is a twist ending, I'm gone. That goes for movies and books. Because it means that everything up to the twist is a lie, so I can't get emotionally connected to the characters or story. I don't care because the rug is about to be pulled out from under me anyway.

I'm surprised that so many professional marketers don't understand the damage they do when they reveal the fact that there is a twist ending. Movie producers spend millions on these marketers, and yet they screw it up right from the start.

[notthatamanda]

Exactly.  I want to be invested in the characters first, then the twist is shocking because you care about the characters.  And you should be able to look back and see all the hints, it shouldn't be um....WTF?  Sorry off topic again.

[Post-Doctorate D]

"A Book by [My Name]" is apparently a turn-off for readers. 

I think subtitles or marketing that presents an opinion as fact (or fact-ish) are the turn-offs, generally.  That is, "A Space Opera" is descriptive and (hopefully) factual.  It's telling you the type of book it is.  Perhaps the blurb or cover art ought to do that, but you don't really know how people are seeing the title and subtitle.  For example, if someone has poor vision or is blind, they can't see the cover and having it revealed in the subtitle allows them to skip the blurb if it's not something they are interested in.

But, something like "A Gripping Tale with a Twist" is more opinion than fact.  Maybe I won't find it all that gripping.  Maybe I saw the "twist" a mile away making it not so much a twist as a failed expectation because if I saw the twist coming and that's what the twist was, then I didn't really experience a twist because my expectations weren't subverted.  And maybe none of that makes sense.  I hope it does. 

[spin52]

Any book with 'a novel' on the cover. I mean, it should be obvious if it's fiction or non-fiction. I also pass by anything described as enthralling, gripping, fascinating or promising that if I like Author ABC, I'll love this book. Let me decide, OK?

[idontknowyet]

I saw a book with a subtitle.. "A great summer read"  what!?!?!?!?!
 

[Post-Doctorate D]

Any book with 'a novel' on the cover.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I think subtitles or marketing that presents an opinion as fact (or fact-ish) are the turn-offs, generally. 

Yeah, this.  When an author is using subjective descriptors (gripping, enthralling, shocking, etc.) then that author is telling me how I'm supposed to feel.  And that's not cool, because it's my right as the reader to form my own impressions of a book.  Objective descriptors are fine; subjective ones are a put-off.

Exactly.  I want to be invested in the characters first, then the twist is shocking because you care about the characters.  And you should be able to look back and see all the hints, it shouldn't be um....WTF?  Sorry off topic again.

Writing a good twist is hard precisely for the reason you touched on.  The twist should be a surprise for the reader, but it should also be inevitable in hindsight.  Like you said, the reader should be able to think back and say, "I should have seen this coming!  The clues were all there!"  The hard part is providing enough clues without spoiling the surprise.  And there will always be a few readers who see the twist coming regardless of how well you disguise it, so it will never be perfect in that regard.

[notthatamanda]

It's impossible to get it right for every reader. I have reviews that say:

1. Saw the twist coming a mile away.
2. Ending made no sense.
3. Oh now it makes sense.
 
In situation one you get people who didn't like it because they knew what was going to happen and people for whom the characters were real so they were deeply affected by the outcome of the story.

Number 2 people don't like the book.

Number 3 people are usually happy.

All the same book so...

I like twists. I feel like I guess them most of the time now. I guess better in a book than a movie. When I don't I'm happy to be surprised. But I can enjoy the movie/book anyway even if I know what's coming. Unless it's "everyone was dead all along" then I'm pissed.

[David VanDyke]

"Jaw-dropping." Most overused buzzword lately, IMO.

Also, any title with the verb at the end bugs me. Titles like (just off the top of my head, not slamming any real books that I know of, especially not by anyone here) "A child abducted," or "A man seduced."

[ReaderSue]

Hi there. ReaderSue [and only Reader, not an author] here.

I don't understand the trend of subtitles as currently used. Subtitles didn't used to be for marketing, and now they are. Anything beyond a series name as a subtitle just looks wrong to me. "A ____ Mystery" is fine. "_____ Number X" is fine. But  marketing words as title, and especially if it's ON THE COVER just screams amateur to me, and I'm won't pick it up.

But . . . I'm relentlessly middle-aged, so maybe younger folks have a different outlook.

[JRTomlin]

Anything which is essentially keyword stuffing.

If the author has to put it in a sub-title, then obviously the cover and blurb are wrong or inadequate.

Puts me totally off.

I'm not sure it is keyword stuffing, Timothy. Unputdownable is more a marketing word if one goes so far as to actually consider it a word. I think, without being able to see into the minds of people who do this stuff, it is a lame attempt at marketing. Like you, it totally puts me off.

I do use slightly descriptive subtitles because all nuances of the subgenres can be hard to convey in a cover. My historical novels ALL have the subtitle "A Historical Novel of Scotland" and my mysteries "A Historical Mystery". But I absolutely agree that it goes over a line to try to tell the reader how they should feel about the novel or even whether or not they are going to like it. And 'unputdownable' makes me wonder if the author even has a grasp of the English language. 🤦

When I have my 'reader' hat on, I agree with ReaderSue.

[fleurina]

I don't mind subtitles which help explain/narrow the genre but am not a fan of 'laugh out loud' or 'with a twist'. And I loathe 'killer' used as an adjective -- so 'killer twist' is a total turnoff...

Plus, why describe a thriller or mystery as having a twist? If it doesn't have a twist, it isn't much of a thriller -- in my book...

It's like saying, chocolate with a chocolatey taste

[Doglover]

If the marketing tells me there is a twist ending, I'm gone. That goes for movies and books. Because it means that everything up to the twist is a lie, so I can't get emotionally connected to the characters or story. I don't care because the rug is about to be pulled out from under me anyway.

I'm surprised that so many professional marketers don't understand the damage they do when they reveal the fact that there is a twist ending. Movie producers spend millions on these marketers, and yet they screw it up right from the start.

I've read some books with a totally unexpected twist at the end but the rest of the novel was no lie. One book that springs to mind was called The Judas Child (I can't remember who by) but it quite took me by surprise.

If the author has declared their own book unputdownable, or brilliant or anything self congratulatory, I wouldn't bother. One such has subtitled every one of his books 'A Psychological Thriller with a Killer Twist' - not on your life would I bother with that.

[TimothyEllis]

One such has subtitled every one of his books 'A Psychological Thriller with a Killer Twist' - not on your life would I bother with that.

To me, that is just ego.

And is setting the reader up for disappointment. When you know a twist is coming, you're always going to be looking for it.

The best twist is the one you didn't see coming.

[MaxDaemon]

I guess it's like dialog.

You can put "The New York Times says it's 'A pathological thriller with a killer twist'", but YOU the author can't say "It's a pathological thriller with a killer twist."

It's just bad form to say "I'm beautiful." and mean it.

[Laughing Elephant]

 

I'm too sexy for my shirt
Too sexy for my shirt
So sexy it hurts

And I'm too sexy for this song

  

Song: I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred

[Doglover]

It's just bad form to say "I'm beautiful." and mean it.

Some years ago, at the age of 18, my daughter asked my niece, who lived near London, if she went to many nightclubs. My niece's serious response was: "No, I always have trouble in nightclubs because I look so much like Marilyn Monroe."

My daughter was dumbstruck. Needless to say, she looks nothing at all like Monroe! 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Any book with 'a novel' on the cover. I mean, it should be obvious if it's fiction or non-fiction.

I respectfully disagree with this . I worked in a charity bookshop and used to clean, price and shelve the books. You'd be surprised at how many book covers give no clue as to their genre, let alone if it was fiction or non-fiction. The genre was often stamped on the bar code on the back of the book, which was helpful. But many older books did not offer this so I would have to flip through the book or even begin reading it just to find out if it was fiction or non-fiction. This was annoying and time-consuming. Having 'a novel' on the front cover saved a lot of time. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I can tolerate minor descriptive stuff, like "A time travel mystery” or "A Regency romance" but that's enough. When it goes further I start rolling my eyes. :D

I would like all books to have their genre mentioned somewhere near the title so you see it as you scroll down the list of books. This saves you clicking just to discover what the genre is (not all covers successfully convey the genre). I don't read sci-fi, fantasy, romance (and a few others) so I don't want to waste time clicking back and forth. 

[TimothyEllis]

Any book with 'a novel' on the cover. I mean, it should be obvious if it's fiction or non-fiction.

I respectfully disagree with this . I worked in a charity bookshop and used to clean, price and shelve the books. You'd be surprised at how many book covers give no clue as to their genre, let alone if it was fiction or non-fiction.

But that's a failure of the cover. Trads do this all the time.

But for Indies, the message should be - Get your cover genre specific.

Amazon is also different from book shelves. The categories are on the page if you bother to look for them. And they make it very obvious as to genre of the book.

[Doglover]

Any book with 'a novel' on the cover. I mean, it should be obvious if it's fiction or non-fiction.

I respectfully disagree with this . I worked in a charity bookshop and used to clean, price and shelve the books. You'd be surprised at how many book covers give no clue as to their genre, let alone if it was fiction or non-fiction.

But that's a failure of the cover. Trads do this all the time.

But for Indies, the message should be - Get your cover genre specific.

Amazon is also different from book shelves. The categories are on the page if you bother to look for them. And they make it very obvious as to genre of the book.

I don't know about that. All my books have couples in medieval clothing, perhaps the odd castle in the background. Someone on KBoards declared she could see I write fantasy!

[B. Anés Paz]

I was perusing Amazon (as one does) looking for something to read in the mysteries and came across a novel described in the subtitle as 'unputdownable'.  Seriously. I'm not joking. 🤦

No. Dear God. Just no.

What's really sad is how many do it. I know one author who includes it in all his marketing.

I can tolerate minor descriptive stuff, like "A time travel mystery” or "A Regency romance" but that's enough. When it goes further I start rolling my eyes. :D

Referring to a series is one think, but I prefer to have general descriptions on the back cover.


What deranged enemy of civilization came up with "unputdownable" in the first place? Were they unfamiliar with common words like "Engaging", "engrossing", or "sogoodIhadtoreadtheentirebookallatonce"?

By the way, if you crave more head-exploding cover text, visit Lousy Book Covers.

Thanks. You made my life an immeasurably brighter place by bringing Lousy Book Covers to my knowledge. I'm still laughing.

[Tonyonline]

By the way, if you crave more head-exploding cover text, visit Lousy Book Covers.

A claim to fame here
My first book, Fifty One Percent, was "featured" on that site. See HERE (scroll up from the comments to see the cover in its full horror)
I have to admit though, it deserved to be, it was a bit rubbish ...still, it sells a few now and then, and gets reads.

I have moved on since writing (arguably) non-fiction and into fiction, and hopefully redeemed myself with my last cover, which I didn't give a subtitle.

[Doglover]

By the way, if you crave more head-exploding cover text, visit Lousy Book Covers.

A claim to fame here
My first book, Fifty One Percent, was "featured" on that site. See HERE (scroll up from the comments to see the cover in its full horror)
I have to admit though, it deserved to be, it was a bit rubbish ...still, it sells a few now and then, and gets reads.

I have moved on since writing (arguably) non-fiction and into fiction, and hopefully redeemed myself with my last cover, which I didn't give a subtitle.

I've seen worse. Honest. 

[cecilia_writer]

By the way, if you crave more head-exploding cover text, visit Lousy Book Covers.

A claim to fame here
My first book, Fifty One Percent, was "featured" on that site. See HERE (scroll up from the comments to see the cover in its full horror)
I have to admit though, it deserved to be, it was a bit rubbish ...still, it sells a few now and then, and gets reads.

I have moved on since writing (arguably) non-fiction and into fiction, and hopefully redeemed myself with my last cover, which I didn't give a subtitle.

I am also a veteran/victim/graduate of Lousy Book Covers. The first in my (now) long-running mystery series was featured there, probably abput 6 or 7 years ago. It didn't have any excess words etc, it was just quite grey and boring. The novel was in the top 20 free for ages on Amazon UK so having a boring cover didn't do it much harm, but I've updated the cover several times since then.

[B. Anés Paz]

I haven't really found anything that turns me off in a title unless it's very obviously crazy. Some stuff does get old, like typical fantasy naming conventions, but that's about it.

I hate most of the stuff everyone else does; saying qualities about the book like "X Novel: An unforgettable tale" just looks tacky and doesn't make me click at all, hah.

[twicebitten]

I was discussing this with a friend who hit it big in 2010 with erotic shorts, back in the heyday of those, and she said that descriptive subtitle thing was done for that genre back then, and the booksellers shut it down. Of course, with erotica, you can imagine some of what ended up being there, where unwary shoppers might be horrified by it, but she said she'd bet good money that Amazon will shut down the "a thrilling page-turner of a historical romance"-type subtitle down any time now.

Can't happen too soon for me.

[JRTomlin]

I have to agree with that.