Many thanks for your many responses to my “Éirinn Poll.” :)
Depending on your expectations, the results are either no surprise, a big surprise, or surprisingly varied. Just fyi and in case you’re curious, here’s how it all panned out…
Query #1: Should I relaunch [my first novel] as Hunter of the Light? Or should I take this opportunity to restore my original title, The Hunter of Éirinn?
– The Hunter of Éirinn beat out Hunter of the Light by a wide margin, almost 3-to-1.
– Everyone in favor of leaving well enough alone first encountered the book as Hunter of Light. Some simply prefer this title. Others brought up the issue of name recognition, suggesting that changing the title could negatively impact my future sales. Still other HOTL readers voted in favor of switching back to The Hunter of Éirinn.
– People who read the book, a draft of the book, or even knew of the book prior to its publication — and therefore first encountered it as The Hunter of Éirinn — voted almost unanimously to make the change.
– Two voters advise that if I am launching both my Éirinn novels as a series, the title change is a good idea. Conversely, if I am only re-launching the already-published novel, they suggest I leave it as Hunter of the Light.
– One voter is equally happy with either title.
Query #2: Should Feargna Óg remain “The Necromancer”? Or can I exploit this opportunity to re-name him “The Ghost”?
– “The Necromancer” retained its hold on the Wizard of Sliabh an Óir by garnering slightly more than half the votes. Half the definitive votes, anyway. This question elicited a fair sample of ambiguous or qualified responses.
– Mr. B strongly dislikes both titles. Ms. J doesn’t just prefer “Necromancer;” she loves “Necromancer.” Ms. L wishes I’d given her a third choice. Ms. E is ok with “Ghost,” but wonders if there isn’t a better “ghost-oriented” option out there. And, yes, one voter says she’s equally happy with either title (and no, it’s NOT the same person who is equally happy with HOTL and THOÉ).
– The true Celts and most serious Celtophiles among my readership want to drop “the Necromancer” for “the Ghost” (or for Taibhse — “ghost” in Irish). “The Ghost” is also preferred by the respondent who noted that when Feargna Óg finally uses his gift at the Battle of Márrach, his pale “ghost” leaves his body and drifts away to speak with the fallen, then returns and reinhabits his seemingly lifeless flesh.
– Many of you contend that “necromancy” so exactly describes Feargna Óg’s gift, it makes no sense to drop it.
– Some of you dislike “the Ghost” because it’s not in keeping with my other Wizardly titles — the Dancer, the Destroyer, the Weather-Worker, the Flyer, etc. (Point taken… though there are ex-Wizards of Éirinn mentioned in HUNTER whose titles don’t end in “er” — Dáithí Two-Winds and Eochaidh the Stone-Eye, to name but two.)
Go raibh míle maith agat! A thousand thanks for your time, attention, votes and comments. I’ve taken them all to heart. Best regards,
–risa