Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Correct format for short story title?

This is topic Correct format for short story title? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Troy (Member # 2640) on :

Hi guys, I am working on a short story which I would like to be called something like ...

'King Guider, Or Conversations By The Lake'

Or 'The Collector King, Or Conversations By The Lake'

Or 'Conversations By The Lake, Or The Death Of King Guider'

Well, you can see I don't have the specific title worked out yet, but you get the gist. It's the something -- or the something.

What would be the correct format for such a title? Where do I include commas? Do I break the title up into two lines? Should there be one of these: : ?

Thanks.

Posted by RavenStarr (Member # 2327) on :

I have no idea... the only reference that I have for this type of titling is from Batman... and I don't think that really helps you much...

Posted by EricJamesStone (Member # 1681) on :

In looking at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (www.isfdb.org) it seems a number of different formats have been used in the past:

"King Guider, or Conversations by the Lake"
"King Guider, or, Conversations by the Lake"
"King Guider: or Conversations by the Lake"
"King Guider; or Conversations by the Lake"

The first seems most common, based on my unscientific sampling. I would suggest going with that format.

Posted by Troy (Member # 2640) on :

Thanks.

Posted by ely (Member # 2558) on :

Don't forget:

The Hobbit: or There and Back Again

That might be the way to go, Troy.