I have to change the title of my next book.
For anyone who follows the BCTS Patreon, Erin's been posting chapters of a story I was writing -- Double Date Dare -- over there for quite a while. There was a hiatus for a bit, but I recently finished the story, and re-wrote it for publication through Doppler.
Except there's a problem.
See, since I started posting chapters of the story, *another* trans fic author -- of erotica, no less -- has used my beloved story title for a book of their own.
A few things:
1. They published their book in March. The first chapters of Double Date Dare went up on BC's Patreon last year, almost a year ago in fact. So, I had the title first, neener neener.
2. For anyone who might have mistakenly purchased the book on Amazon thinking it was my story... A) hope you enjoy it, and B) no. A couple of names are close, a bit annoyingly so, but it's a thoroughly different story in execution it looks like (I haven't read it.)
3. I fully suspect that this is a matter of pure circumstance and not active thievery. It's annoying, especially given the timing, but I won't attribute to avarice what may just be correlation. It's a good title after all: anyone who thought it up would be silly not to use it, and I'd STILL use it if it weren't for the fact the other book's also TG but *also* pornographic in nature.
So, all of that leaves me with an issue: I need a new title, and fast. I've already turned in the formatted and edited volume to Erin for pubbing, we've got a cover, etc.
Erin has suggested Double Dare Date, which would certainly work, and easily fit... but it's still awful close, and might still lead to both confusion and issues.
Because of all this, I'm putting out an open call for title ideas! Think it should be called Double Dare Date? Lemme know.
Think I should say 'eff 'em' and stick with Double Date Dare? I'm all ears.
You want it to be called 'Baron Fancypants' Adventures through Time and Space?' A bit out there, not sure what it has to do with a silly teen romance plot ostensibly set in the real world, but hey, I'll think about it.
Basically, I want y'all's help, because this has me a little bummed out and a *lot* annoyed.
Melanie E.
Comments
Call it...
ATTACK OF THE GIANT 50-FOOT RADIOACTIVE PENIS: A Love Story
That's a title I'm often tempted to give a story when I have no clue what to call it.
But seriously if you don't want confusion with the other Double Date Dare
I would suggest coming up with something completely dissimilar.
And if all else fails, ask Erin for title recommendations.
She has really good instincts about such things...
~normal size, non-radioactive hugs, Veronica
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Title options....
Two for the price (cost) of one... *shrugs* just something that surfaced without thought, hugs, Talia
You named it yourself!
You came up with a great name yourself in your blog: "A Silly Teen Romance Set In The Real World."
Does it sing, or does it sing!
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
I suppose The Start of Donna
I suppose The Start of Donna's Special Summer is too glitchy and falls way too far within my terrible taste in puns.
Hugs!
Rosemary
title change
Try making it work for you? "The Original Double Date Dare" (accept no substitutes) - "My Double Date Dare" - "Jack's Double Date Dare" - or swap it around? "My Double Dare Date" - "My 3 D Date"
Good luck!
Donna
All sorts of things come to mind.
The Reluctant Double Date (should upset t'other Melanie). Dared to Double Date, Double Date Challenge, Female for a Foursome, A New Date in My History. The possibilities are endless.
Angharad
Title
I have "Reluctant" trademarked.
j/k
Melanie
Reminds me of Ohio State University
A short while ago, Ohio State University tried to trademark the word "the". I guess it is too much to expect that an institute of higher learning would be run by sane and intelligent people.
_Bev_
Depends
Depends on what you can get away with. It might be Refuge in Audacity or Chutzpah rather than idiocy.
-- Daphne Xu
I’ve always thought it was arrogant……
To refer to it as “The Ohio State University.”
But then again, I did my undergrad studies at the University of Southern California, better know as USC - which for those of you who don’t know is a PRIVATE school, and not part of the UC system.
Those poor people in South Carolina have the nerve to refer to their school as USC, as in the University of South Carolina. The audacity they have to soil our good name that way. Hell, they even tried to steal our school colors, Cardinal and Gold, and who the hell would name their team after a damned chicken? Game Cocks my ass. What a bunch of posers.
Go Trojans!
D. Eden
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Before that
They tried to TM OSU, including the Okla. State University logo, which we already held a TM on, as it was designed by an Okla. State student. Failed, as you might guess.
Okla. State and Oregon State share the same mascot, a cowboy image. They literally stole the mascot, as the Okla. State mascot has a direct lineage back to "Pistol Pete" aka Frank Eaton. Many stories of his days have become myths and legends, but it is known he was an expert marksman, and was the sheriff of the small town of Perkins in the new Oklahoma Territory; just south of Stillwater where OK State is located.
Oregon State and OK State have since reached a licensing agreement where Oregon has slightly altered their mascot. Since then, several other schools have also adopted Pistol Pete without permission.
Just shows there is no honor in the sportsworld of higher education.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
You Sure About That?
The Oregon State Beavers mascot is Benny Beaver. I don't recall ever seeing a cowboy type there, and as a Cal stat crew member I've been watching our Golden Bears play them in football, basketball or both every year since 1968. Doesn't mean there wasn't one, of course, but I can say with certainty that it never would have been their primary mascot.
Can't find anything relevant online: Lewis & Clark College in Portland, maybe? They're the Pioneers, with the same school colors (orange and black) as Oregon State. (But their mascot is a dog.)
Can't find any other Oregon schools where it would make sense. The University of Oregon is the Ducks, Oregon Tech's logo is an owl, Portland State is the Vikings, and the University of Portland is the Pilots. Western Oregon is the Wolves, Eastern Oregon the Mounties, Central Oregon Community College is the Panthers. Southwestern Oregon CC is the Lakers.
Lots of that kind of piracy around, though, mostly going way back before air travel when teams seldom played games out of their region. And later, high schools would frequently emulate a college in their own area as a tribute.
Eric
Was thinking
Dared a Double Date
Lots of Lifting From BCTS
It's just too easy for scammers to lift stories from BCTS change a few things or a lot of things and republish. Rip off artists are part and parcel of society whether they are copying designer dresses or someone's story line. I have a gut feeling there are a few who follow BCTS for the same reason many of the honest readers do, there are exceptionally great authors who publish stories on BCTS.
Let's focus on Titles and understand there are bound to be different stories with the same title published by different authors. Does it hurt the story or the author when this happens? In the publishing world of Dead Trees..., it is usually a good thing. The Title gets a boost from different sources and more readers are looking for it, picking the book up, and buying it.
A friend called me up excited to have read a book about how Mattel's Barbie came to be. "Barbie Forever". Laughing, I told her the book was a near knock off of the truth about "Barbie" put out by Mattel hoping to get readers to purchase it instead of the REAL truth about where their "Barbie" came from. She should purchase the book "Forever Barbie" by M.G. Lord for the truth about Mattel's billion dollar girl.
Digital Publishing is NOT my thing so any suggestions I give are worth exactly what it costs. Nothing. But exact Titles are going to be put out there no matter what. I suggest keeping the title of "Double Date Dare" and publishing the story. The title will get double exposure and I'm "guessing" will get an uptick in readers.
Hugs Rasufelle, whatever you decide I wish you the best. Go with what you feel is right.
always
Barbie
And Mattel can kiss my..., they sent their lawyers after me because they owned the name. I was ready!
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Double date dare
How about, Dare you to Double Date
How about
Devil Date Drive
Paying homage to 'Devil Gate Drive' by Suzi Quatro (1974)
Samantha
Title
You can't really copyright a book title. Go on Amazon and search for Reluctant Girlfriend and a porn book will pop up. I actually think it was there first.
You can always call yours, "Double Dog Dare Date". That's a stronger dare anyway.
Melanie
Title
A title cannot be stolen. It can be copied, but not stolen. Stolen means that the owner doesn't have the stolen object anymore. If somebody else uses your title then every work of yours which had the title still has this title.
Is it Ok to use a title aready used by another author? I think if the same title has enough relevance in a suffiently different story then it should be allowed.
Double down
I say call it "Double Date Double Dare" and possible gain some readers who think it's a sequel to the title usurper.
Or <new title> plus sub-title of "Double Date Dare"
Or a different subtitle ...
And for truth and maybe "safety" include in the prologue "No relation to 'Double Date Dare' by ". With Amazon previews, readers looking for the other author won't get mad.
(Maybe costs you a coupla sales, but better that than unhappy readers, and other author won't get mad at you.)
---
Title reuse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses ...
Title!!
Another Double Date Dare PG. (or PG13 or R.) Or Alternative D3 rated…. Discriminative but still you.
BAK 0.25tspgirl
Thanks for all the response folks!
It's been interesting seeing the things people have had to say, both here in public and in private DMs. Thank you all for taking the time to talk about this.
Titles in general are a subject that's definitely worth considering more seriously in our genre, I think. Especially for those of us who don't write erotica, it can be important to try and establish titles that avoid erotic leanings (and honestly, some of the suggestions have been very innuendo-y, which I thought was pretty funny.)
At this point I'm most likely going to call it either "Donna's Double Date Dare," or "Donna's Date Dare," I think. Both close enough to my original to not be a drastic departure, but clearly distinct from the other author.
*hugs*
Melanie E.
Just use the original
Plenty of Books out there with the exact same Title, it's not an issue, that other "eBook" is by a different author, not published by Doppler Press
I assume it's this
Double Date Dare (First Time Gender Swap) (FAP-19 Series) Gregor Daniels
Print length: 43 pages.
Publication date: 5 Mar. 2021
I expect the Story is only actually about 30 pages, and under the 20,000 word limit I define as a Short Story
One of the typical rip off Kindle microtransaction "eBooks" = "sell single short stories as a book", you see on self published Kindle trash.
I assume your book is an entire novel, as Doppler Press typically only sells collected short stories, not exploitative overpriced short stories..
Regardless I don't see any chance of confusion, as your eBook will be on Doppler Press, and promoted here on BCTS via direct links.
Further you can prove you were using the name on patreon, well before this short story was even published.
Dark Elven Sissy Slut – Uhuru N’Uru