You know it’s going to be a bad day when you sleepily open your email, before you’ve even had a cup of coffee, and discover in your in-box a flashy announcement of a new scholarly book that HAS PRACTICALLY THE SAME TITLE AS YOUR (UNPUBLISHED) BOOK.
Let’s say the title of your book manuscript is: American Nationalism and the Spectacle of the Black Body in the Novels of Toni Morrison.**
Let’s say the book that has just been published is: Indian Nationalism and the Spectacle of the Colonial Body in the Novels of Amitav Gosh.
Really, what are your options? You’ve got to change your own title, because — even though you’d developed your title years earlier, had circulated many proposals and drafts with said title, and have been advertising it as such on your CV — you’ll look like a copy cat.
Sometimes, I hate this profession.
** Needless to say, neither of these resemble the actual title or subject matter, but you get the idea.
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December 3, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Belle
I suppose ‘The First…’ would be not possible. Sigh. Gah.
December 3, 2008 at 2:19 pm
bsgirl
Or maybe, “The Original”?
December 3, 2008 at 3:32 pm
squadratomagico
Ooh, I had a sort of similar thing happen to me once — only I think the person actually swiped it from my diss. I had used a particular pun as a chapter title, and someone who reads my work, but does not cite it (I blogged about this person once as my nemesis) swiped the pun and used it as a book title. It was irritating.
But, why not think of this as an opportunity? Maybe a fresh new title will come to you, one that will be even better, and that will make you see your work in a new light?
December 3, 2008 at 4:07 pm
historiann
I heard that this happened to historian Walter Johnson, who has gone on to great fame and a job at Harvard. 10 years ago, an even more famous historian of American slavery, Ira Berlin, called his latest (at the time) _Many Thousands Gone_, which Johnson had planned to call his book. But, one can hardly phone up Ira Berlin and ask him to change his title! Instead, Johnson came up with _Soul by Soul_, which suited his particular subject better and (I think) is more evocative. The book won lots of awards, and like I said, the author ain’t doing poorly.
Sq. has the right idea: think of it as an opportunity to break with your old thinking and re-brand your book as something new.
December 3, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Notorious Ph.D.
You could have a contest on your blog to name your book! My first suggestion (to sell copies): “Harry Potter and the Spectacle of the Black Body in Toni Morrison.”
December 3, 2008 at 7:01 pm
bsgirl
I like the idea of a “book naming contest” although, since I can’t risk revealing my True Identity, it would have to take place amongst my RL friends and I just can’t see them coming up with ideas as clever as my virtual pals. “Harry Potter and the Black Body” indeed. Although, these days I think it would need to be: “Twilight and the Vampire Body.” Wait, that sounds like a book I’d love to write.
Is it too late to change topics?
December 3, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Sisyphus
How about Spectacular Bodies: Nationalism and Toni Morrison in _Harry Potter_?
Seriously, go over to the surrealist sentence generator and poof! you have a title that makes you look at your topic in a whole new light! (one that makes you think you’ve been drinking too much absinthe, yes, but still, a new light!)
December 4, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Mel
arg! that happened to me with my dissertation title. And the book that stole it *sucked*. Which was only somewhat consoling. Good titles are hard to come up with. I get accepted to conferences and then I look at what I put on the proposal and I’m usually surprised and semi embarrassed.