Doesn’t that sound old-fashioned? In truth, I don’t really want to cyber-squat, I just want to have a website that’s fairly static and may not see much action for a few years.
Some time in the future, the powers that be are likely to turn Steven King’s seven-part masterpiece, The Dark Tower into a movie or HBO-type mini-series. As I’m a fan of the books, I thought it might be fun (and eventually profitable, in terms of ad revenue) to start a site dedicated to the potential movies. Today, in terms of search results, there’s Stephen King’s own site and the good-looking TheDarkTower.net.
What URL do you think I should use? As I said, the book series is called “The Dark Tower”. The first book is called “The Gunslinger”, a term used prominently throughout the books. Obviously you’d want to include something about a movie in there. The obvious URL is something like http://www.thedarktowermovie.com, which is available (in fact, I already registered it, for safe keeping). Do any SEO experts have any suggestions? Any fans of the books have a snappier alternative?
And for your father’s sake, don’t put any damn spoilers in the comments. I’m halfway through the last book.
UPDATE: I was talking about this to Monique, who knows a thing or two about publishers, movies adapting books and fan sites. She suggested that I not use a trademarkable word, as I’ll get my ass ceased and desisted when and if the time comes when they’re producing the movies. This makes sense. As I understand it, TheForce.net is the number one Star Wars fan site. Likewise, MuggleNet.com is the most popular Harry Potter site.
So, I need a clever, like-minded URL, probably related to or recognizable from the first book of the series, The Gunslinger.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Hurry up and finish, it’s got a great ending 🙂 Glad he finally finished, I’ve been reading the series since high school (that’s 15-ish years ago)!
slightly off topic. Have you read Stephen Kings, book, On Writing A memoir Of the craft? It is a typically, American rag to riches tale as well as offering some good writing advice.
Melanie: I have, and really enjoyed it (though, I felt its structure was a little dubious). Certain sections have real resonance with The Dark Tower books.
I’ve always enjoyed King’s introductions and postscripts–he’s got such a readable prose style.
I’d go with darktowerthemovie.whatever – i’ve seen the formula applied elsewhere, several times in movie urls, and am currently damned if i can recall one. It’s late though; forgive my sloppy capitalization.
Darren, is King your favourite fiction writer? How about posting your top ten.
Darren, is King your favourite fiction writer? How about posting your top ten.
In all honesty, is it worth it? Even if you snarfed every possible combo/wordplay/hyphenation between King, gunslinger and Dark Tower (“darktowermovie.com” strikes me as most logical, btw, but I digress slightly), the studio could just subdom it, as has been used *very* often recently. vforvendetta.warnerbros.com, and the like, for example.
I’m surprised that studios are still focusing so heavily on the domain itself matching. The cross-branding in subdomains makes far more sense, and if your domain is easy enough to spell/remember, the length of the URL isn’t that much of a hindrance.
Lincoln: In truth, I don’t actually hope to sell the domain to the studios. I’d just be happy to be a prominent fan site. I have wondered about http://www.thedarktowermovie.com vs. http://www.darktowermovie.com. The books are called “The Dark Tower” series, but I’m a little unsure which way to go. I could get both, but the ‘branding’ (such as it is) would have to be one or the other.
Ack, I see now, DB — “RTFA,” he mutters to himself quietly.
I would use redrose or something similar, for those who read the books know what I am talking about. Maybe even, Lone rose. You have an Imagination.