The series that nearly wasn't Vampire Academy...
Wow, it's been a longggg time without a blog entry! I had to do so much online promotion to get ready for the movie that once it came out, I took a much-deserved break and haven't spent much time here or even on social media. Lots of people are asking if there's going to be a Frostbite movie, and I honestly don't know yet. The VA movie pulled in plenty of book fans (thanks, guys!) but not so much in the way of newcomers. Without those numbers, it's hard to say if the producers and financers will be able to afford to do more. I'm told it's not impossible...but not easy either. If I hear any more news on what they're doing, I'll let you know!
We did definitely get some newcomers to the theaters, and it was great to see how many of them loved the movie (and even better, went on to read the books!). I saw a lot of these new people saying, "Wow, it was so different from what I expected, based on the title!" That's been a recurring theme since the series first came out. I've often been asked: where did that title come from, especially since half the series doesn't even take place at the academy? Here's the scoop.
When I sold the first book in 2006, it was called Kissed By Shadows. Now, the book business involves a lot more than just a story. Marketing that story is a huge factor, and people at my publishing house felt that title didn't have good marketing appeal. Also, some worried it was too similar to certain Laurell K. Hamilton titles, which were huge at the time. So, I was asked to suggest other titles...and I did. Over and over. How many titles? Well...nearly eighty. We had tons of email exchanges, and every title kept getting rejected. By the end, we were all really starting to go in some crazy directions. When someone finally suggested Vampire Academy to me, I was so exhausted by the process that I said, "Yes, go for it." Readers always remember that title, even if it doesn't fully cover what ends up happening in the series. But hey, there's A LOT going on in the series, so could one title cover it all anyway? Hard to say, and that's what the individual book titles are for.
And now you're probably wondering...what were those titles that got rejected? So glad you asked. For the first time ever, I give you all the suggested and rejected titles for the Vampire Academy series.
Now you can see why I was so exhausted by the process... :)
BLOOD ANGEL
GUARDIAN ROSE
BOND OF SPIRIT, BOND OF BLOOD
THE SPIRIT AWAKENED
BLOOD ROSE
BLOOD OF THE GUARDIAN
BLADE OF THE GUARDIAN
SHADOW DANCERS
DARK SPIRIT
GUARDIAN RISING
HALF ROYAL
HALF BLOOD
HALF BLOOD ROSE
TAINTED BLOOD
TAINTED PRINCESS
TAINTED ROSE
ROGUE PRINCESS
DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD
THE MARKED DAUGHTER
DAUGHTER OF SHADOWS
AVENGING ROSE
BLOOD DESTINY
BLOOD PRINCESS
BLOOD SISTER
SISTERS IN BLOOD
ROGUE GUARDIAN
BLOOD ACADEMY
BLOOD SECRETS
DARK ELEMENTS
SHADOW OF THE PRINCESS
THE PRINCESS' SHADOW
THE BLOOD CHOSEN
FATED BY BLOOD
HEART OF THE GUARDIAN
THE ACADEMY
LADY GUARDIAN
ROSE REBORN
ROSE ASCENDING
VAMPING
ROSE IN THE SHADOWS
LIVING WITH VAMPIRES
CONCERNING VAMPIRES
DEATH IN A BLACK DRESS
HYBRID
HYBRID ANGEL
THE SWEETEST BITE
THE SPLENDID BITE
THE RADIANT BITE
RAISED BY VAMPIRES
SHE WHO PROTECTS
HOT BLOODED NIGHTS
CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE BODYGUARD
ROSE HATHAWAY, VAMPIRE BODYGUARD
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO PROTECTING VAMPIRES
ROSE THE DHAMPIR
PLAYING WITH VAMPIRES
THICKER THAN BLOOD
VAMPIRIC VOWS
HOT AND HOT BLOODED
FANGS NOT REQUIRED
DEAD TO BITES
BITE CLUB
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE VAMPIRES, BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT
A BEGINNGERS GUIDE TO GUARDING VAMPIRES
CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE GUARDIAN
THE BLOODLUST RULES
ILLEGITIMATE CONFESSIONS
CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE'S DAUGHTER
THE DHAMPIR CONFESSIONS
HOW TO GUARD A VAMPIRE PRINCESS
CONFESSIONS OF BLOOD AND LUST
LUST, BLOOD, AND OTHER TABOOS
LUST, BLOOD, AND OTHER INSTINCTS
SINS OF THE GUARDIAN
PRIMAL CONFESSIONS
LOST IN INSTINCT
THE TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION
THE TRUTH ABOUT FLIRTING WITH VAMPIRES
I'm guessing some of you will look at these and think, "That never would've worked!" But I guarantee if an alternate title had been chosen, and then I told you Vampire Academy was a possibility, there'd be people saying, "That never would've worked!" :)
What would you have called it?
We did definitely get some newcomers to the theaters, and it was great to see how many of them loved the movie (and even better, went on to read the books!). I saw a lot of these new people saying, "Wow, it was so different from what I expected, based on the title!" That's been a recurring theme since the series first came out. I've often been asked: where did that title come from, especially since half the series doesn't even take place at the academy? Here's the scoop.
When I sold the first book in 2006, it was called Kissed By Shadows. Now, the book business involves a lot more than just a story. Marketing that story is a huge factor, and people at my publishing house felt that title didn't have good marketing appeal. Also, some worried it was too similar to certain Laurell K. Hamilton titles, which were huge at the time. So, I was asked to suggest other titles...and I did. Over and over. How many titles? Well...nearly eighty. We had tons of email exchanges, and every title kept getting rejected. By the end, we were all really starting to go in some crazy directions. When someone finally suggested Vampire Academy to me, I was so exhausted by the process that I said, "Yes, go for it." Readers always remember that title, even if it doesn't fully cover what ends up happening in the series. But hey, there's A LOT going on in the series, so could one title cover it all anyway? Hard to say, and that's what the individual book titles are for.
And now you're probably wondering...what were those titles that got rejected? So glad you asked. For the first time ever, I give you all the suggested and rejected titles for the Vampire Academy series.
Now you can see why I was so exhausted by the process... :)
BLOOD ANGEL
GUARDIAN ROSE
BOND OF SPIRIT, BOND OF BLOOD
THE SPIRIT AWAKENED
BLOOD ROSE
BLOOD OF THE GUARDIAN
BLADE OF THE GUARDIAN
SHADOW DANCERS
DARK SPIRIT
GUARDIAN RISING
HALF ROYAL
HALF BLOOD
HALF BLOOD ROSE
TAINTED BLOOD
TAINTED PRINCESS
TAINTED ROSE
ROGUE PRINCESS
DAUGHTER OF THE BLOOD
THE MARKED DAUGHTER
DAUGHTER OF SHADOWS
AVENGING ROSE
BLOOD DESTINY
BLOOD PRINCESS
BLOOD SISTER
SISTERS IN BLOOD
ROGUE GUARDIAN
BLOOD ACADEMY
BLOOD SECRETS
DARK ELEMENTS
SHADOW OF THE PRINCESS
THE PRINCESS' SHADOW
THE BLOOD CHOSEN
FATED BY BLOOD
HEART OF THE GUARDIAN
THE ACADEMY
LADY GUARDIAN
ROSE REBORN
ROSE ASCENDING
VAMPING
ROSE IN THE SHADOWS
LIVING WITH VAMPIRES
CONCERNING VAMPIRES
DEATH IN A BLACK DRESS
HYBRID
HYBRID ANGEL
THE SWEETEST BITE
THE SPLENDID BITE
THE RADIANT BITE
RAISED BY VAMPIRES
SHE WHO PROTECTS
HOT BLOODED NIGHTS
CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE BODYGUARD
ROSE HATHAWAY, VAMPIRE BODYGUARD
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO PROTECTING VAMPIRES
ROSE THE DHAMPIR
PLAYING WITH VAMPIRES
THICKER THAN BLOOD
VAMPIRIC VOWS
HOT AND HOT BLOODED
FANGS NOT REQUIRED
DEAD TO BITES
BITE CLUB
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE VAMPIRES, BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT
A BEGINNGERS GUIDE TO GUARDING VAMPIRES
CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE GUARDIAN
THE BLOODLUST RULES
ILLEGITIMATE CONFESSIONS
CONFESSIONS OF A VAMPIRE'S DAUGHTER
THE DHAMPIR CONFESSIONS
HOW TO GUARD A VAMPIRE PRINCESS
CONFESSIONS OF BLOOD AND LUST
LUST, BLOOD, AND OTHER TABOOS
LUST, BLOOD, AND OTHER INSTINCTS
SINS OF THE GUARDIAN
PRIMAL CONFESSIONS
LOST IN INSTINCT
THE TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION
THE TRUTH ABOUT FLIRTING WITH VAMPIRES
I'm guessing some of you will look at these and think, "That never would've worked!" But I guarantee if an alternate title had been chosen, and then I told you Vampire Academy was a possibility, there'd be people saying, "That never would've worked!" :)
What would you have called it?
message 1:
by
Bess
(new)
Mar 26, 2014 07:34AM
BLOOD OF THE GUARDIAN
reply
|
flag
Wow, lots of possibilities. I actually like "Kissed By Shadows" best. Sounds very mysterious.
There are so many titles. I read about the first five, scroll down to long this list was, and decided I rather not use five minutes reading the list. Honestly, if I had to deal with a list like this and people trying to mess with my book, I would be pissed! How did you do Richelle?
As much as I love the original title now that I have read the first three books, the publishing house was right when marketing the book, Vampire Academy definitely drew me to pick up the book and read the back, which led me to buy the book, the other titles would not have!
Tainted Princess wouldn't have been terrible.But then,looking back,Vampire Academy was the title that drew me to the books in the first place.
I don't think it would have been that great of a title, but can I just say that "Death in a Black Dress" is the most perfect description of Rose ever?
I can't think of this book being anything, but Vampire Academy. I only picked up the book because the title looked so weird. I expected it to be horrible by the title, but that only fueled the curiosity to read it. I feel in love with the Vampire Academy, not any other name.
woah, that is a lot :p tbh, i think more than half of those are better than vampire academy but whatever lol
VA was the best, but some of the others made me smile, one particularly made me lol...Vamping! Hehehe. I find it encouraging that you, (a writer that I sincerely think of as very talented) had to work at finding a title;)
I would go with GUARDIAN ROSE, SHE WHO PROTECTS or even HOW TO GUARD A VAMPIRE PRINCESS. Those three are my favourites among the above listed.VA is not the best name but it titles the best series so it still deserves some respect. :)
WOW! That is a lot of spit balling. lol. I really like Kissed by Shadows and think it goes with the whole series but see why VA was picked. I am surprised not to see something like Guarding My BFF Vampire Princess. Some of those titles seem inappropriate for a YA series. Crazy how much a title can make you want to read something or not. No wonder it took so long to settle on one.
haha i think Bite Club would've been hilarious!
Actually in Brazil, the first book is called Shadow Kiss, something like this. Vampire Academy is the name of the series only. And the 3rd is called Touched By the Shadows, I like it better this way. :)
How about just Guardian? The Guardian Series. ;)
I just looked at that list and went, "Woah."
I totally loved kissed by shadows best out of them but I still love vampire academy! Some of the others wouldn't have made me read it because they sound a bit sarcastic or something so good choice with VA!
wow...some of them are reeeeeeeeeally cheesy... But I like the "blood of the guardian" :)
Lol, "So, you want to be a Guardian".... JK I suck at this :-D
There's a book called "Bite Club" it's from the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Cain.... that would have been weird for me.... :-D
I like Blood Sisters and Kissed By Shadows
personally I read shadow kissed first and then vampire academy...
I actually liked Sisters in Blood and Daughter of Shadows but otherwise they really wouldn't sound right.
I like Lost In Instinct. Guardian Rising is not bad either.
Confessions of a Vampire Bodyguard,(or A Beginners Guide To Protecting Vampires) sounds like that would make an Amazing little short story/spin-off title for Dimitri or another one of the characters~ I really do like Kissed By Shadows. That has an really cool, mysterious, sound to it, but Vampire Academy does kinda tie it all together.(Although I love that you were able to 'kinda' use KbS for a title for one of the books anyway. "Shadow Kiss" Awesome. Really.)
I'm going to go with "Vamping!" no "You don't have to like Vampires, but it wouldn't hurt!" LOL Richelle!!! love it!! ... Actually, i love your original title "Kissed by Shadows!" ... Oh well vampire academy it is! At the end of the day its the words within the covers that really matters.
Wow, that is a long list of finagling to go through. I feel the Vampire Academy worked very well. It drew my attention and curiosity at first glance. Yeah, maybe some of the others were a more descriptive title for what the series was about, but overall I think VA says it well enough. I can hope the box office is worthy enough for the producers and investors to go for a second movie...whatever they call it...LOL
I like some of the titles, like "Rose Hathaway, Vampire Bodyguard". But, I think using that would have made it sound more like an adult-oriented urban-fantasy series.*Vampire Academy* really suits it best, since it sounds YA, and is easy to remember.
My best Friend Veronica, and I loved the movie and will be devastated if the second one isn't made. ;(
I really liked 'Confessions of a Vampire Bodyguard' and 'Confessions of a Vampire Guardian'!!!
I like LADY GUARDIAN and FANGS NOT REQUIRED lol! xD
Shadow Rose would have been pretty cool
Blood Rose really stuck with me but then again I really like the very original :)
I like Shadow Rose, but I haven't read the whole list- there are way too many, plus some of them are books now.
hehe while I am still in love with Vampire Academy, I find a few of those titles pretty groovy ;PSpirit Awakened sounds pretty awesome, and I love The Dhampir Confessions hehe...
idk if I could come up with a name..hmm...Blood High? you know high as in high school, and high as in the rush of being fed off of? yeah...
Maiden of Sacrifice...or Guardian of Sacrifice considering their mantra is "They come first"...Beacon of Spirit and Fire...obviously those two being Lissa and Rose...idk that's all I can think of..
Eighty titles that got rejected and I see that a lot of those titles would have work but I will go see the movie and read the books. Have ever wanted to do a joint writing with another author on a book?
I love the original title but you ever decide to write another books couple of the titles from the list you have could be used. I love these titles:Blood Angel
Shadow Dancer
Blood Destiny
Blood Sister
Blood Princess
Dark Elements
Death in a Black Dress
A Beginners Guide to Protecting Vampires
Fangs not Required
I like The Academy and Blood Angel :)but I'am happy it whas Vampire Academy :)
THE ACADEMY worked best, it sounds mysterious. However, as much as I love this series the other titles were crap. Honestly.
Does anyone know if the movie is coming out in the UK at all?
'She Who Protects' is certainly my favourite from the list.
I like Vampire Academy! Even though a lot of the series doesn't take place at the academy, that's where Rose trained to be a guardian, which is very important to the series.. and I think it's a perfect title because it's intriguing and fun at the same time.
So true Sarah. I was drawn to the series because the title Vampire Academy and was very interested from then on.
I love Vampire Academy and it would be weird if it was anything else but Death in a black dress is brilliant. :D
The other titles were really horrible. Good thing, it was given the title Vampire Academy at the end. This titles won't do for me. Especially... okay, all of them. They all sound basic. And, would attract no attention. Only one sounds good, "Blood Sisters"
"Avenging Rose", "Bond of Spirit, Bond of Blood" and "The Princess' shadow". And I liked them more than "Vampire Academy".
