How Do You Name Your Rose? by Sandra Ardoin

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.

Titles—Agony or Epiphany? by Gail Kittleson

Gail Kittleson

I hear titles in ordinary conversation every day. My memoir title came in a flash, on an evening flight from Des Moines to Colorado.

“We’re catching up with daylight,” another passenger exclaimed, and I thought, “That’s the story of my life.” 

But other titles don’t appear so easily, so I did a little research about this all-important banner on every book’s cover.

Ane Mulligan: I type whatever comes to mind, no matter how bad. One idea sparks another, and another, until you finally find what works. :)

Ruth Logan Herne: the story’s emotion inspires the title. "Red Kettle Christmas" was perfect for an industrious Salvation Army bell ringer and a WWII vet/NYPD cop.

"Try, Try Again" is a marriage reunion story.  And "Safely Home" for a Minneapolis cop who thought she'd never go home again, yet, here she is, fresh out of an abusive relationship.

Alison Stegert wrote a YA ghost story about a high school photography field trip to a historic cemetery. Weird things happen to some teens when they develop their photos...no matter what they do, they can't get rid of a certain ominous photo.

“One day I drove out of shade into blazing sun and needed my sunglasses. Photophobia popped into my head. I had my title!”

Dina Sleiman’s YA series Valiant Hearts—tough heroines in traditionally male roles—captures the heroine’s cover expression and indomitable spirit: Dauntless,reduced from Dauntless Love. Dina’s advice—“Don’t get too attached to your working titles.”

Lee Carver: Make your title brief, powerful and reflecting the genre. An agent once insisted on "Love" or "Romance,”, even though my books many friends wanted "Hijack" in the title, but that was a 3-chapter subplot, so we agreed on Love Takes Flight. It's so much more than a romance novel, and I feel it turns off male readers.

         My WWII novel, A Secret Life, involves hidden identity, romance, battlefield scenes, and Jewish persecution. The title fits on so many levels as the protagonist has dual citizenship and conceals his American background and U.S. sympathies.”

Sara Goff’s friend came up with her debut novel’s title, I Always Cry At Weddings—right to the key emotion.

Rachelle Rea: On my way to college my sophomore year, I heard this sparkly, cymbal-y sound at a song’s beginning. I remember thinking, The Sound of Diamonds, and spent the summer writing and figuring out what that title meant.”

I often try three or four working titles before finding the ONE. My first World War II novel started as A Time For Flowers, since my beleaguered heroine found joy in her garden.

But my final pick, In Times Like These, an old hymn title, fits the overall plot and story emotion far better. Still, I had fun creating a one-sheet with Addie and her victory garden vegetable basket!

Thanks, authors, and I hope you’ll share your favorite titles, or helpful title-creation ideas.

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Catching Up With Daylight invites readers on a journey into contemporary and historical women's lives, interweaving the author's own story, biblical insights and encouragement from the ancient mystics. Kittleson shares a simple Benedictine meditation process called Lectio Divina that revolutionized her prayer life. Why shouldn't Protestants use this tried-and-true method, too? This memoir is set in small-town Iowa after her husband's second deployment and during the renovation of a really old house. Readers may ponder its everyday anecdotes sequentially or use them as "bathroom reading" to cheer the mundane hours of an ordinary day.

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About Gail: Sometimes we learn what we've done only after we do it. I wrote my memoir Catching Up With Daylight over a ten-year period, but learned the term "spirituality writing" only after the book was published. Figuring things out after the fact is a life theme for me, but even though it isn't the easy road, I learn a lot in the process. My very patient husband (37 years) and I live in St. Ansgar, Iowa, where a small creative writing class meets in my home, and we enjoy our grandchildren. I facilitate workshops on creativity/memoir writing/aging with grace. My first fiction release with Vintage Rose, titled In This Together, will be released sometime in 2015. 

Connect with Gail at http://www.gailkittleson.com/ and www.facebook.com/gail.kittleson

Creating Catchy Titles by Karen Witemeyer

Karen Witemeyer

With jazzy titles like Stealing the Preacher and Short Straw Bride, how could I not ask Author Karen Witemeyer for her tips to share with you? Be prepared to take notes! Enjoy, and I'll see you on the other side!!  ~Dora

Whether you are hoping to catch an editor's eye with an unpublished manuscript or a reader's eye as she browses for a new book, the first impression you make is with your title. 

The split-second it takes a potential reader to scan your title can be the determining factor in their decision to pick up your book and examine it more closely or to move on to something else. A strong, catchy title can make the difference between a sale and a pass.

A successful title reflects a manuscript's genre, tone, and possibly a key story element. For example: romance titles often include words like bride, love, and heart; suspense titles, on the other hand, favor words like dark, danger, and death. These words create an expectation in the reader. They create a mood.

Don't follow the formula too closely, though. Your title still needs a unique twist to set it apart from all the others. Since I write light-hearted historical romance, I try to create titles that reflect that humorous/romantic feel. With my debut novel, I came up with a title that played on words. In Tailor-Made Bride, my heroine is a seamstress or tailor yet despite the hero's resistance, he eventually realizes she is tailor-made for him.

Titles should intrigue the reader and make them want to find out more about your story. My most recent two titles play on this idea. Short-Straw Bride and Stealing the Preacher leave questions in the reader's mind. What is a short-straw bride? Did men really draw straws to see who would marry her? Why would someone steal a preacher? How does that even happen? Both titles also hint at possible humorous scenarios or shenanigans going on and when paired with the right cover, create a vivid impression on readers.

My other two titles did not originate with me. My editors actually came up with the ideas. The title for my second book, Head in the Clouds, plays on a key story element as well as highlighting my heroine's dreamer personality. She always had her nose in a book and her head in the clouds. But what made this title so perfect was that throughout the story, clouds were used to symbolize ambiguity as well as God's leadership of his people, like the cloud by day he used to lead the Israelites through the wilderness.

My final title, To Win Her Heart, is probably the most generic of the five, but it fit my genre as well as my story and was well-received by readers.

Keep your titles short, usually not more than 3-4 words. Remember, it needs to look good on a cover and not take up too much real estate. Give it punch so it lingers in a reader's mind. And after you pour your heart and soul into crafting the perfect title, don't marry yourself to it. Editors are notorious for changing titles. After all, a title's job is not just to represent your story but to sell your story to readers. It's all about marketing.

Question from Karen: What are some of your favorite book titles?
And from Dora: How do you come up with your titles?

Stealing the Preacher
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On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can't believe it when he’s forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He's determined to escape—which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request. 

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

About Karen Witemeyer:
Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion and ACFW Carol Award, CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.