Sequel to...

[Ken]

I may have a mental block about this, but I'm working on the cover for a sequel to "To Summon The Blackbird," and I have a problem with the word to appearing twice in a row. I'm wondering the best way to say "A sequel to To Summon The Blackbird. Or is that even a problem?

Suggestions welcomed.

[Jessica]

I don't really think it's a problem, but you could try:

The next chapter of To Summon The Blackbird
Book 2 of To Summon The Blackbird

[Ken]

I already have book covers made up for Book 1 and Book 2, with a series name. But I'm not sure that two books make a series, and until (and if) I write a third book, I'm thinking it might be best just to label the second one as a sequel. So far I've come up with "Sequel to" in a blocky font, and "To Summon The Blackbird" in a different font, italicized, just below it. Looks okay, but this is my first experience with sequels and series.

[Kat]

How about "To Summon the Blackbird - The Sequel"

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

Ken wrote: "So far I've come up with "Sequel to" in a blocky font, and "To Summon The Blackbird" in a different font..."

I think that's your best bet. If the "to"s are on separate lines and in different fonts, people aren't apt to to notice them so much. Readers often skim past the "little words" in titles. Feel free to post the cover in the cover workshop so we can see it and get a better feel for it.

[Ken]

Kat wrote: "How about "To Summon the Blackbird - The Sequel""

Something to keep in mind. But if I do have a series of three or more books, it might be better to have a different title for each one, and identify them as Book 1, Book 2, etc., with a series title. I have an aversion to TSTB I, TSTB II, TSTB III, TSTB IV...

However, I do use the word "Blackbird" in both of the titles, along with the same cover format, so that would be a recurring title theme. Also, they're stand-alone books, and I wouldn't want potential readers to think they would have to buy both books to get a complete story.

[Ken]

Dwayne wrote: "Feel free to post the cover in the cover workshop so we can see it and get a better feel for it..."

I don't want to release the cover and book title yet, but I'll probably do that when the book is finished and ready to go.

Thanks.

[C.B., Beach Body Moderator]

Just call it by it's own new title:
To Sequel the Blackbird

[Jane]

How about

The Blackbird's Feather (or whatever)

Follows To Summon the Blackbird

[Ken]

C.B. wrote: "Just call it by it's own new title:
To Sequel the Blackbird"

Great idea! (But maybe I'll pass just this once).

[Riley, Viking Extraordinaire]

Jonnathan wrote: "A Bookwhack and "Perhaps just put Book 1 or Book 2 on the spine, at the bottom right of the front cover or immediately after the title?"

Jonnathan, seriously, please quit inserting your book into every thread you respond in, or I will just start to delete your posts. Thank you.

[Owen]

Ken wrote: "I may have a mental block about this, but I'm working on the cover for a sequel to "To Summon The Blackbird," and I have a problem with the word to appearing twice in a row. I'm wondering the best ..."

I have tick about repeated words in sentences, but "A sequel to To Summon The Blackbird" does not bother me at all. To me it looks and sounds perfectly natural, and circumlocutions to avoid it might strike me as jarring.

[Ken]

As it stands right now, on both cover and inside title page, it looks like this:

Sequel to
To Summon The Blackbird

[Ken]

Jane Jago wrote: "How about

The Blackbird's Feather (or whatever)...

Hmmm. I'll keep that title in mind if I ever turn this into a trilogy.

[M.L.]

You could do what George Martin and many others do:

A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)

To Summon The Blackbird (Solar Empire, Book 1)
To Rise From Ashes (Solar Empire, Book 2)

I'm just putting in some placeholders but the idea.

[Ken]

Thanks, M.L. I was going to do that when I had a trilogy, but with just two books I thought it would be a bit confusing to have books 1 and 2 and leave readers wondering if there was already a book 3, a planned book 3, or no book 3. It's not a big thing, but I thought I'd avoid it by just calling it a sequel for now.

[C.L.]

I'm being quite open about my book series being a trilogy from the start. You go to my website and it says "its gonna be a trilogy" and I already have pages set up for the next two books even though the first won't be out until December.

That being said, you could try saying something like "The next adventure in the To Summon the Blackbird" series.

[Ken]

Trouble is, I'm not sure there's going to be a third book. I didn't even know there would be a second book until the idea came to me. It all depends on how the second book goes, and whether or not another idea hits that would make a continuation worth while.