In this video, I delve into the fascinating world of book titling. It’s a mix of science and art, influenced by your story’s heart and your audience’s expectations.
I share practical tips on how to listen for key phrases when explaining your book’s premise. We discuss how your protagonist’s deepest desires can inspire powerful titles. I also highlight how your setting can play a role, and the ways famous phrases can contribute.
The key is to experiment, learn from successful titles in your genre, and find what best suits your story.
Hello, Jane Cleland here! Interesting question: how do I come up with book titles?
Well, first of all, keep in mind that book titles are typically two to three words long. If there’s any question about whether it might be fiction or nonfiction, add “colon a novel.” For example, Nothing But The Truth by Avi is one of those titles where Nothing But The Truth sounds like it could be a legal treatise. So, the formal title is actually Nothing But The Truth: A Novel. That’s good, right?
So, how do you come up with good titles? I have several ideas.
First of all, pretend you’re explaining the premise of your book to a friend. As you’re saying it aloud, listen for key words and key concepts. Is there something thematic there that you can latch onto? That’s one approach.
Second of all, think about your protagonist’s chief longing. Books need conflict, and conflict relates to longing. Dan Pope said, “All literature is longing.” What is it your character is longing for? What are they willing to do to get it? And what’s the other guy willing to do to stop them? That chief longing can sometimes inspire a good title.
Is there something about your setting? For example, Trouble in Paradise by Robert B. Parker features Jesse Stone on an island called Paradise. Is your setting tropical? Is it exotic? Is it Escape from Paris? Is there something about the setting that can be a hook?
Look for famous phrases that apply to the theme or something important that’s going on in the book. Shakespeare or the Bible are good sources, for example. And Be a Villain, Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe story, is one such title—it comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, right? “And smile and smile and be a villain….”
Analyze book titles of other books in your genre. Are there puns in them? That’s common with cozy mysteries, for example. Do they tend to have a sweeping saga-like title? That might indicate an epic novel. Sometimes thrillers include words like “syndrome” or “code.” That may be a typical approach.
Good luck with it—I know you can do it! And if this tip had value for you, would you do me a favor? Would you subscribe to the channel? Would you share the tip or the YouTube shorty? Would you like it? I’d be most appreciative. Thanks so much!
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