Has your attention been snagged by a book based solely on
its title? Have you skimmed past books with titles you found blasé?
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as
sweet.”
For Shakespeare’s Juliet that might make sense. But for a
book title? Not so much. We don’t want to write sweet-smelling books and give
them stinky titles.
Hardworking writers wrestle story ideas to the ground to
find the one best deserving of our writing time and efforts. We get to know our
characters—their goals, motivations, strengths and weaknesses. We write and
rewrite and rewrite some more. Shouldn’t we put that same work into giving our
books titles a reader can’t skim past?
So how do you go about catching the eye of the person with
the power to say “yea” or “nay” to your submission or published book? Here are
a few things to think about as you ponder ideas:
Dig deep and find
something special. Maybe your setting or a character’s interest/hobby
provides immediate interest to like-minded people. Work it into the title. (How
many “cat” books have you seen?) Maybe you want to highlight the tone/emotion
of the book. Give it something emotionally evocative. Maybe your title is a
metaphor. I was asked in this
interview why I chose A Reluctant
Melody for the title of my latest release. Frankly, it seemed a natural match
for the musically-inclined heroine’s feeling about reuniting with the hero
years after he abandoned her.
Make it bold.
You’ve studied the rules about passive writing and know you must grab the
reader with specific nouns and active verbs. Do the same with your title.
Don’t shortchange
your story. I’ve had titles elude me even after the book is written. In the
latter case, it can be tempting to give up and slap any old title on a
manuscript so we can get it off to an agent or publisher. After all, they’ll
change it anyway, right? Maybe. Maybe not. Don’t rush the process and use the
first title idea that comes to you. Take the time to brainstorm various
possibilities and let them percolate for while. Find the one that will make an
editor say, “Perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing!”
Avoid “A” and “The.” I’m
speaking from personal experience. I titled my books A Reluctant Melody and The Yuletide Angel. If I were to do it again, I would take those words
off. Readers do. The books still come up in a search, but I always feel inclined
to say, “It’s A…” or “It’s The…”
Go for unique. You’ve
come up with some ideas. Now, do an online search for other books by the same
names. While you don’t want something so unique a reader can’t remember it, don’t
make them scroll through a page of same-titled books on Amazon, looking for the
one written by you. This goes along with the next point.
Be careful. Another
reason to do an online search is to protect yourself from titling your book the
same as something you have no desire to be associated with. Don’t shock your
sweet-romance, Christian readers by sending them to a book page for an erotica title
or a page for a song/album you find offensive. Don’t let another product
tarnish your reputation in a reader’s eyes.
Of course, this is not a complete list of suggestions. I know you have more. So share your ideas for coming up with that perfect book title.
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Sandra Ardoin writes inspirational historical romance. She’s the author of The Yuletide Angel and A Reluctant Melody. A wife and mom, she’s also a reader, football fan, NASCAR watcher, garden planter, country music listener, antique store prowler. Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com and on the Seriously Write blog. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Join her email community to receive occasional updates and a free short story.