I’ve been blogging for *clears throat* years now and I’m finally getting around to tackling how to choose a book title.
Choosing a good book title is not a topic that lends itself to an easy, universalized how-to. There are lots of different ways to go about it, few hard and fast rules, and every book and genre are different. For every rule you can come up with, there will be ten exceptions.
But after thinking about this for quite a while, I’m finally ready to tackle it. I can do this.
Here are some do’s and don’ts on how to choose a book title:
Do: Be true to your book
Above all, your title should reflect the spirit of your book. No one should see the title, open up the book, and find something drastically different than what they were expecting.
If you’re choosing between one title that’s catchy but doesn’t really have much to do with your book and another one that’s a bit subtler but more in line with the spirit, I’d choose the subtler one.
The title and the book should feel cohesive. Evoke your book with the title.
Don’t: Choose a book title that has already been used in the last 20 years
Millions of books have been published already so unless you’re drawing upon a fictional world, it’s unlikely you’re going to pick something that’s never been used before. Particularly with the explosion of self-publishing, it’s pretty hard to think of something completely new under the sun.
I wouldn’t rule out titles that have been already been used, but I’d try to steer clear of any book title from a major publisher in the last twenty years. There are SEO considerations for picking something that’s been used relatively recently and it might confuse people who are searching for yours.
Do: Make sure your book title feels genre appropriate
So many times I see authors choose a title that inadvertently makes their novel sound like it’s horror novel, fantasy novel, or something otherwise completely different from what they’ve written.
For instance, if you wrote a literary family drama you probably don’t want to go with a title like Swords and Armor, which is going to make it sound like it’s fantasy.
Consider how the title might sound to someone who isn’t familiar with the underlying source material.
Don’t: Use a vague or drab title
While I don’t think you always have to have the world’s flashiest title, I would at least try to punch it up a bit.
Now, caveat, we can all think of quiet book titles that ended up being beloved and/or bestsellers, but I would still aim to make your title stick out.
Particularly in this time of distractions, I think it helps for people to remember it.
Do: Draw upon songs and other pop culture
While you may need permission if you’re going to quote song lyrics within a book, publishers do not generally seek permission for use of lyrics in book titles. For instance, Sarah McCarry’s incredible Metamorphoses trilogy all draw on Nirvana lyrics.
Even if you don’t end up using them, song lyrics are often great analogues for what you want evoke through a book title, so search music that’s adjacent to your book for inspiration.
NOTE: I’m not an attorney so don’t construe this as legal advice, consult an intellectual property lawyer if you’re unsure.
Don’t: Worry too much about your book title if you’re pursuing traditional publication
Even if you’re not totally psyched about your book title, I wouldn’t let that stand in your way and delay you from submitting to literary agents.
Authors only have so much say over their book title (it’s often subject to mutual approval in book contracts), and an agent or publisher may ask you to change even a title you love. Agents understand that the title is tentative when you’re submitting and they’re not going to pay endless attention to what you chose.
When I was an agent, about half of the novels I represented were submitted to me under a different original title. So as long as your title is not actively terrible I would just go ahead and submit and know that it’s provisional anyway.
Remember that at the end of the day, a title only matters so much. It’s the book itself will carry the day.
Do you have any advice on how to choose a book title? Take to the comments!
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Great post. Also, DO push back if your tradpub editor insists on a stinker of a title.
It’s the cover, not the title, that will be the big draw for most readers. Some may not even notice the title until they see if they are familiar with the writer then read the book description. In other words, a weak title isn’t the end of the world.
If you are writing a series, you/your publisher will need to find some type of gimmick to link the series titles. Dick Francis’ horse racing thrillers had two-word titles that had double meanings from a horse racing use and real world use. Cozy mystery writer Donna Andrews had bird types in her mystery titles. I used pop standard titles when I wrote category romances, and, no, I was never called out about it because song titles are almost never trademarked and can’t by copyrighted.
When I struggled for a title, I would reread my book, and a series of words would often jump out at me, and in a frisson of awareness, I would recognize the title had been there all the time. Simply, ask for a title, and the universe will often provide.
Excellent post! I self-publish, and five years ago I released a novel titled “Best Seller.” Yes, optimistically titled. It sat on Amazon for years, until this past November, when I was informed by Amazon that my title was misleading. For weeks I tried to explain that it was a novel (it said an novel’ beneath the title). Nope, it’s gone until I can put it back up with a different title. Lesson learned.
Interesting, Martha. I’ve heard that Amazon can do things like this, though not this particular one. Good luck in getting it ironed out.
This is great advice, Nathan. I gave my fourth book a title I thought was perfect for a private detective novel centered on a series of barn arsons. Sadly, I discovered that most of the people who land on A TASTE OF BLOOD AND ASHES are looking for books about vampires.
Hi, my suggestion would be don’t worry too much about the title or cover design until the writing is complete, and then often the best title emerges on its own. Books develop in layers, not in a linear fashion that starting with the title, cover, and first chapter, tends to assume. Quite often they start in the middle, and they should be given the space to develop without being governed by a title. Things change. In traditional publishing, this extends into the editorial and design phases where the book can develop further, which is why tentative titles and cover designs are used until things firm up. Working as a publisher, editor, and book designer, I can never focus on titles and cover designs until I have somehow absorbed the entire project, although I am probably mulling over things in the background.
So this trips me up. In high school, we talked about stories like The Interlopers and how the title related to the story’s meaning. And the double meaning in Lamb to the Slaughter. Or titles I’ve come across as an adult, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Ella Minnow Pea. I could go on. There are so many great titles. It’s a bit daunting. I usually just pick something simple or I’d spend hours on it. It’s like looking at a blank page and getting writer’s block.
I love to come up with book titles (for probably never to be written books)! As much as I like to come up with band names for bands I will never be in (despite my belief that my bongo skills are excellent). I like the idea of having the title before the story, even.
Totally disagree on referencing song titles. Think it’s the worst.
Thanks for the article, Nathan. My recommendation to fiction writers is that the title be significant in relation to the story, reflect the mood of the story, not be overly long, and be intriguing in itself. Not always easy to do, but certainly worth trying!
First thing I do when I think of a title for a new project is stick in Amazon search bar and see if someone got there first. Second thing I do is try Google.
Great advice. I pride myself on good titles, overall, for my short stories, blog posts, etc. It’s such a personal thing; it needs to be just right.