That book you’re writing, perhaps your first book; the title that you select for it is of vital importance.
It’s the first thing the readers will see upon its publication.
A strong title will spark the interest of a potential reader to buy your book. A good title tells in just a few words (or hints strongly at it) what your book is about. A good title sticks in the reader’s mind. It should be short, pack a dramatic punch and avoid the abstract or the vague.
Be aware that if you have a publishing company to publish and promote your work the editors there might throw out your title and install their own. Because they believe their title has more market appeal. For example the title they choose probably has key words in it to help search engines on the internet locate the book and thus maximize sales potential.
My book “Infested Waters” about giant sea spiders attacking swimmers in the British Virgin Islands; my original title for it was “Disemboweled.” I thought my title (a person’s entrails being ripped out) would scarily appeal to readers. My publisher however thought this was too blunt and non-descriptive. Since it’s an ocean story, they opted for a more detailed title. I went with their advice and the book is among my most popular to date.
Often enough authors will write their books with a working temporary title. This is usually a good idea because it gives you time to think up a better title later as the book nears completion. Or it gives your publisher the flexibility to reconsider the title.
If you have a publisher it is usually best to follow their advice. Remember you and your publisher are a team. Do not express anger if the publisher wants to change your title (they make their living selling books and you don’t).
If you’re self-publishing you will have to be your own editor and go with your own title. You should choose carefully.
First off, type your proposed title on an internet search. Are there seven other already published books with basically the same title? You don’t want that. Your title should stand out, be as unique as you can make it.
A successful title tells the reader what the genre of your book is (romance, mystery, horror, other). It grabs attention. It’s easy to remember and hints at conflict that makes the reader want to turn pages and find out more.
Here are some examples of horrifically bad book titles. These are from real books.
Cooking with Poo (Poo means crab in the Thai language but to everyone else it means human body waste).
Games You Can Play with Your Pussy (a toy and recreation guide for cats that creates an inappropriate double entendre).
Eating People is Wrong (a satire novel about a character’s struggles to face a changing world. But the vague and misleading title seems childishly stupid or perhaps a story about cannibalism).
Natural Bust Enlargement with Total Mind Power (two separately incompatible activities).
How to Avoid Huge Ships, or its subtitle, I Never Met a Ship I liked (a serious topic about small craft sailors avoiding collisions with larger ships, but with a title that is ridiculously moronic).
And of course who could forget the unforgettable, Outwitting Squirrels, 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriations of Seeds from Your Birdfeeder by Squirrels (the title takes longer to read than it does a squirrel to steal a seed).
What is an example of a good title?
You should aim for two to four powerful evocative words that will stick in the reader’s memory.
For example, To Kill a Mockingbird….
This is poetic…it conveys perfectly the theme of the book, that it’s a sin to harm something innocent (the tragedy of racism).
Make your title search-friendly, clear, easy to read aloud and remember, and instantly recognizable for the kind of book that it is.
John Sammon is a freelance writer and the author of 41 books, many of which can be found here on Amazon. He is a resident of El Dorado Hills. His commentary is part of a series on the journey of self publishing.
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