Blogger: Rachel Kent
During some conference appointments, I’ve heard authors say that they didn’t work very hard on their title because they’ve heard that the publishing house will change it anyway. It is true that the title is frequently changed by the publisher, but there’s good reason to put some effort into the title even when you’reΒ trying to find representation or a publishing home for your book.
When I read query letters, one of the first items that jumps off the page for me is the title of the book. I don’t stop reading the query at the title, but a poor title might sway me to feel negatively about a project even when the book is great. The most common issue I see is titles that don’t match the genre of the writing. Other times authors will just use the main character’s name as a title. Rarely are books published with a name as the title, so it’s best to try to think of something more creative that has to do with the plot.
Even though a title might not be used on the final product, it still gives the publishing house an idea of what kind of title you’d like to see on your cover, and it can start the brainstorming off in the right direction. For example, the original title on Sarah Sundin’s book A Distant Melody was Better than Sacrifice. Both of these titles are three word titles with a similar rhythm. Her title idea of Better than Sacrifice set the title “tone” for all of her following books as well. We just brainstormed the title for her next book and it has a title that fits with the rest, too. She’ll be revealing the new title on social media soon, so be sure to follow her! π
Kathleen Long Bostrom’s next book is going to have the title she proposed for it because she worked hard on finding a great title when she turned in her manuscript. You can check out Will You Be Friends With Me? here.
I’ll put a little disclaimer in here. Some books do very well with just a first name as the title. For example, Christy by Catherine Marshall. There’s no hard and fast rule to find the right title, but it’s a great idea to put some thought into the title instead of throwing one on the book with hopes that the publishing house will find the title for you. Your work on the title will be a great starting place for the titling committee when they meet to discuss your book.
What tools do you use to come up with your title?
How do you start your title brainstorm?
Kristen Joy Wilks
Titles are so important! They tell me what kind of book I’m looking at and I might not even pick up a book if I’m not in the mood for the genre that the title claims the book is.
Carol Ashby
Good question, Rachel. I pick a title when I start writing that won’t be the final title, but it will be the name used on the related Word documents as I write. As I’m in the process of writing, I consider the theme, the characters, and the defining events in the story. When I’m about half-way through writing, I generate several possible titles. I share those titles with my beta readers and critique partners who have already read part of the book, and with some author friends. That usually helps me choose a title that can be an effective hook for the final book. I write historicals that men as well as women love. So, even though a difficult but ultimately successful romance is woven through each, I avoid titles that emphasize the romance. So Love Triangle, where God was the 3rd person as a believer chose her faith over the man she loved while he was still pagan, became Blind Ambition because the first sounded too romance-y. Invisible Man, where the hero is a Christian slave unnoticed by the wealthy woman he serves until his heroism saves her, became True Freedom because it sounded too much like scifi instead of historical. An uninspired title that’s a simple label, like Ariana’s Tale, became Hope Unchained with a cover chosen to capture the quiet desperation of the male lead at the beginning. As an indie, I get to choose the final title, but until I start the advertising just before release, it’s still subject to change. It’s important not get too attached to any version of the title before you get feedback from lots of other people to be sure it will hook.
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser
You’re asking, what is in a name?
How much can one word mean?
The answer’s words are not the same,
and depend on how they’re seen.
If “Sheldon’s” what you name your boy
while the TV show is nigh,
it’s a bow tie he will enjoy
and you can kiss ‘cool dude’ goodbye.
You can’t escape the reference
modern culture has decreed,
and must bow in deference
and serve creation’s need
to find a living moniker
to which time dare not defer.
Star Ostgard
Sometimes I start with a “working title” – it reflects the general idea I’m starting with, but isn’t necessarily the “final” choice. Mostly, though, I like to find a title that will really set the tone for the story; it tends to rate in importance with the first sentence/paragraph. It also helps keep me on track with the original direction I wanted the story to go (nothing worse than getting side-tracked into writing something you find you aren’t as excited about as that first idea!).
Morgan Tarpley Smith
Great advice and insight, Rachel! Thanks! I love coming up with titles even when I change my own mind for something better which I have done. π
Sarah Sundin
Thank you for featuring my titles, Rachel! And everyone…RACHEL is the one who contributed “A Distant Melody” to the list π
I always work hard to find a working title I absolutely adore. But I also work hard not to become emotionally attached to it, because my publisher has chosen maybe a quarter of my working titles as official titles.
Janet Holm McHenry
Janet has taught me to think of the reader’s felt need for the title and to offer a promise that would address that felt need.
MaryAnn Diorio
Thank you for your insightful post. Interestingly, the first thing I write when beginning a new novel is the title. I find that I need the title to help me focus on premise and plot as I write my story. I spend a good deal of time deciding on the title before I begin to write the story.
Blessings,
MaryAnn
Rich Gerberding
I had originally had carried over the title of the original conference workshop, but after several years of and many discussions (plus 2 writers conferences) transitioned into one I like better, even if it loses the original analogy.
Vegetables of the Spirit: Like Them or Not: They’re Good for You
became
Forgotten Fruit of the Spirit: When Following Christ Doesn’t Feel Christian
JoAnn Durgin
Thanks for the wonderful, thought-provoking post! Coming up with effective titles can be a challenge, but it’s one I embrace. In order to find the “perfect” title, I list the most important concepts of the book in terms of plot, characters, theme, reader takeaway–almost as soon as I start the actual writing. Then boil it down to the fewest words possible. In my longest series, I have mostly one-word titles. In other series, the titles are three or four words. Just as babies seem to “grow into their names,” I’ve found the same theory applies to book titles. Similarly, that’s one reason I like to have the title in place even before I begin writing. I’ve rarely changed an original working title (and my publishers have kept my titles; I’m a hybrid author now). One thing I’ve noticed in my genre (contemporary Christian romance) is that even though a title might be romantic and catchy, there’s a risk of it being generic. I might remember a certain author and a book cover, but I can’t tell you the title. Not that it can’t easily be found in an online search, and those types of titles can work quite well for a series. However, this is my personal guideline: what title will make this book stand out from the rest? It can be difficult to come up with something unique and also creative. But that’s also a big part of the fun!