What's In A Name?

Quite a bit, apparently.

Lesson learned, picking a french title, as interesting as it might seem to me, is a good way to have a story not read at all.

Ah, well, I still enjoyed writing it.

For those who did read and favorite it despite my pretension, thank you.

For those initially turned off by the title, perhaps give it a read?

Comments

[Avvy]

I didn't have a problem with the title but I'm still at work so I'll read it later.

[Titanium Dragon]

Names in foreign languages are extremely dicey. It can work, but anything longish and foreign (that people don't recognize immediately as being some famous foreign phrase) is unlikely to do well.

One-word titles in foreign languages might be workable, but I still suspect they generally hurt.

I'm not sure that writing a M-rated story with a foreign-language title is ever going to go well, though, as I don't think the "intellectually intrigued by foreign language title" audience and the "I like mature-sex stories" audience overlap very much.

[Avid Reader]

Probably just catches people off guard?

Some stories have titles in other languages, but may not be in the same category, for the overall story.

But keep on. They shall find it eventually.

[Nines]

I fully intend to read it soon. I just didn't have a chance today.

[Shakespearicles]

i47.tinypic.com/2lc4nz5.png

[Cynewulf]

The fortunes of war.

The wind shifts--even those of us with high follower counts produce things that are poorly read (or at least I always have, usually 1-3 almost unread things to every 1 highly read one)

Familiar phrases in foreign languages might work better, also--Memento Mori is still sort of in the public consciousness? Semper Fi, menage a trois, etc. Things that english speakers in America and the UK recognize immediately.

[PresentPerfect]

Given that a story has to be written in English to be posted here -- per site rules -- you wouldn't think that'd be a problem. >.> Or am I missing the turn-off?

[Blue_Paladin42]

3795180
I think TD nailed it in one.

[Nakanai]

I lost a little bit of faith in humanity reading this. :( Anyone who had read the latest chapter of Green would know what the title meant, anyway. I wish you more views and more upvotes, Monsieur Resolve!

[Steel Resolve]

3795180 My best guess is, in a deluge of fiction submitted on a constant basis, people were skimming past the title they couldn't read.

[Southpaw]

I saw nothing wrong with the original title, but that's just me. You certainly picked the right image to go along with the story, as, well, no doubt. Anyway, I read and faved - it's an excellent opening.

[Toiski]

Let's play a little thought experiment called "attribution bias from both sides".

Let's say you chose the title because its meaning relates to the story, or it's an allusion to something, and translated it into French to set the mood/because it sounds better/whatever. A mature tag, your author name, and a proper picture should still attract the audience's attention, because they like those things.

Now we take John Q. Public, a member of the Anglosphere of the internet. Let's ask him to describe French literature. Well, he hasn't read any, so he extrapolates from what he knows of French art/culture. "Boring and petentious", says John. Now show him your story. He sees the title; he doesn't know French, so he takes in only that it is in French. Then he sees he Mature tag. He intuitively combines these observations into "Boring and pretentious porn".

Never mind that "titled in French" doesn not mean "French" or that not all French literature is boring and pretentious. John Q. Public does not think of these things, because he does not need to think what he can intuit. Even if he reads the story description afterwards, confirmation bias will explain it in a way that makes it sound even more boring and pretentious.

Lessons to take away from this are "you must hook the audience anew evry time" and "lol french hon hon le fromage". No, wait, that second one was supposed to be something about books and covers.

[Steel Resolve]

3795544 Quite. I chose a phrase meaningful to me, and it could just as easily be in English, but I am far too enamored with little French phrases while writing for Fleur.