r/PubTips•
Break-n-Fix

[PubQ] Are subtitles dead and/or to be avoided?

I'm just finishing up my first proper length story (noir fiction 92k) and I've had the idea for the title for a while. It's the name of the protagonist with a subtitle that speaks to the tone and theme of the story. I feel like it channels a certain noir vibe and I have read stories with subtitles, but I'm seeing a lot of places advising against it unless it's a sequel or a true crime story.

I realize if anyone ever took interest in this thing that they might not like the title anyways. I'm more concerned with if it's going to kill my chances out of the box because it will seem ostentatious on the skim.

I've only ever written short stories for website submission, so this is new to me and daunting. Apologies if this this isn't the proper way to ask, but I'm trying to learn.

Posted Jun 26, 2026, 8:56 PM UTC

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