A Great Title Won't Make Your Book a Bestseller
But it Can Help
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Where the Wild Things Are, A Wrinkle in Time.
The above books are beloved classics, but they also have another attribute in common: memorable titles.
If a book was a house, the cover and title determine its curb appeal. A careless, ineffective title is less likely to attract readers.
New York Times bestselling Jennifer Weiner writes wise and witty novels, and, because of that, her debut novel became a bestseller in a crowded market, but I’m sure the provocative title didn’t hurt. Many readers couldn’t resist a book called Good in Bed.
Titles should arouse curiosity, give a hint about plot or themes or suggest tone.
The Summer I Turned Pretty is an excellent title. Right away, you know it’s a light-hearted, young adult novel that shows a character on the verge of change. It also raises intriguing questions: What was the character like before she turned pretty? How does she handle the change?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a great title that signals genre (sci-fi) and tone (funny and promises an intriguing journey). Or what about The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires? Readers will be curious about the mix of Southern women and the undead.
If you traditionally publish, the publisher has the final say on the title, but if you’re looking for an agent, an effective title can strengthen your pitch.
How do you come up with titles?
Research titles in your genre.
For instance, Southern fiction titles often refer to nature or place. A quick glance at recent Southern novels shows titles like When Crickets Cry, When the Jessamine Grows, and Whispering Winds of Appalachia. (Where the Crawdads Sing still has a big influence on packaging Southern novels.) Domestic thrillers have terse titles with a hint of intrigue like The Wrong Daughter, First Lie Wins, and None of This is True.
Have Pun with Your Title
Forgive the subtitle, but wordplay like puns and tweaked idioms can elevate a title. One of my favorite word play titles is Legally Blonde, and writers of spicy hockey romance have naughtily played around with the word puck. Same with witch books and hex. (Hex Appeal, Best Hex Ever, and so on.)
Get Feedback
Authors often get stuck on a title, thinking it’s great when it’s mediocre or even awful so it’s important to get feedback. I used the title Who’s My Daddy? for my debut, set in a dollar store, and thank God, it was vetoed and replaced with the much better Bet Your Bottom Dollar.
Also, google your title to make sure it’s nit already taken. Titles can’t be copyrighted but you’ll want to check out who might be using the title. You don’t want to confuse readers.
Here's some more suggestions:
Save the Cat Writes A Novel Author Jessica Brody has ideas on brainstorming titles as does Writers Digest.
Goodreads lists the best titles of novels to inspire you.
Fun Title Facts
Trimalchio in West Egg; Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires; On the Road to West Egg; Under the Red, White, and Blue; Gold-Hatted Gatsby; and The High-Bouncing Lover were all possibles titles for The Great Gatsby. Ugh!
They Don’t Build Statues to Businessmen was the original title of Jaqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls.
Dracula was first named The Dead Undead
THIS WEEK IN PITCHING
Where I take a peek at pitches in Publishers Marketplace
THE BEHEADING GAME, in which Anne Boleyn awakens hours after her beheading, sews her head back on, and then sets out to seek revenge on Henry VIII, with a queer romance along the way, pitched as a cross between Kelly Link and Hilary Mantel, a researched feminist retelling of one of history's most egregiously wronged women,
Such a fresh premise and nicely written pitch. Pitch contains a clear desire and the obstacles and stakes are implied and we even get a taste of the subplot. Comps are particularly apt. Kelly Link writes speculative stories, and Mantel’s work is always meticulously researched. Bravo.
WHERE TO BEGIN
Where I take a look at first paragraphs from the novels that were published this week
The man steps through the door and into the library, no coat despite the late-spring rain. He stops to cast his gaze around the room. Maybe it is the way he focuses on people and not books that first catches her attention. Or maybe it’s the question in his eyes despite his confident demeanor, the look of a seasoned hunter in an unfamiliar wood. Whatever the pique, it is enough to hold Hana’s attention.
Author immediately establishes settling and season. I find myself curious not just about the man but about the narrator, Hanna who’s so observant. Also “seasoned hunter in an unfamiliar wood” gives me a taste of a dark tone. This is a fine example of how a novel can start quietly yet urge the reader onward. This is from The Quiet Librarian, a mystery by Allen Eskens.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Another informative article from
on the correct use of POV.Hardly anyone likes writing a synopsis, but
lessens the pain. provides a healthy list of writer residencies. helps you make plans for your pub date.
"THE BEHEADING GAME, in which Anne Boleyn awakens hours after her beheading, sews her head back on, and then sets out to seek revenge" Whoa. Assuming this pitch is in earnest, it's hard to see how such fantastic, grisly remake involving a beloved figure would impress any agent. I mean, what's the cover gonna look like : )
Thanks for the tips. I think you’ve inadvertently cut off Jeffrey’s link at the bottom.