More than twenty years ago, I had an idea for a story called THE PIRATE KING. Then, Disney released THE LION KING, and I thought, “there goes that title.” Turns out, I was right (just for different reasons).
The only final draft of any book is the one that hits the shelves, and titles change more than anything. We ran through a lot of different options before settling on SEABORNE: THE LOST PRINCE, but I think we nailed it in the end.
I’ve written short stories before that came out so different from my original idea that the title made no sense anymore. It’s good that you can be honest and humble enough to admit that the title can be improved. Some people won’t ever let go of their first title idea.
Writing is re-writing, right? That’s kind of what happened here. I loved the sound of “The Pirate King,” but it just didn’t match what the book turned out to be. I have learned to be flexible with titles though… The title of my first book changed AFTER it was published! “The Accidental Hero” was originally published as “Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation.” I liked that title too, but it was kind of a mouthful. You gotta be honest with yourself.
Great books!