Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I was talking with a writer who mentioned she hadn’t worked too hard to come up with a great title for her book. When I asked why, she said she’d been to a workshop taught by an editor at a major publishing house, who said, “Don’t get too attached to your title — there’s a good chance the publisher will change it anyway.”
So the writer interpreted it as “Don’t bother to come up with a great title.”
That’s not what it means!
“Don’t get too attached to your title” is good advice. The corollary is, “Still, come up with the best darn title you can think of!”
It’s true that your publisher might want to change your book title to something they feel is more marketable to your target audience. However, failing to put your due diligence into your title is a big mistake. It’s crucial to present your book to agents and editors with the best title possible, and here’s why:
Your title sets the tone for the project they are about to read.- The title hints at the genre or style of book, preparing the reader for what to expect.
- The title can draw the reader in and pique their interest before they even see page 1.
- The title is your book’s “first impression,” and your very first opportunity to market your book and make someone want to read it.
- The title can make the difference between a person wanting to read your proposal — or not.
Don’t underestimate the importance of your title! See my post “How to Title Your Book” for tips on how to brainstorm a good one.
How much do titles play into your book buying decisions? How much effort have you put into titling your own book?
TWEETABLES
Make the effort to give your book the best title possible! Click to Tweet.
Don’t get too attached to your title – but come up with the best one you can! Click to Tweet.
Image copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo
I have a hard time creating titles for my books. 🙂 I love getting input from writing friends and then mulling them over to see which one seems like the best fit for the story.
When I’m looking at buying a book, I do consider the title, but it’s not the main influencing factor in the decision of whether or not to purchase.
Thanks for clarifying the reason it is important for us to title our books well. First impressions do count! 🙂
Rachelle, I thought I had a pretty good title for my first published novel, but the editor pointed out that the one I’d chosen didn’t identify the genre of my work. I didn’t make that mistake again, and so far they’ve accepted all the titles I submitted. Authors can have their titles accepted, but it requires some thought.
While I’ve bought books for their covers, I can’t recall a single time where I bought one because of its title. Still, a good title can stick in peoples’ minds, and that’s never a bad thing.
I’m too close to the title of my WiP to be a good judge. I intend to ask my beta readers their opinions of the title after they finish reviewing the manuscript. And I’m going to try to brainstorm up a list of alternates, just so I can be sure I’ve got the best one I can think of.
My title on this current WIP was the first thing to really come to my mind as I began to ponder my story.
Here lately, a title hasn’t had an impact on my purchasing. I’ve been reading works from writers I am acquainted with … to learn from them, experiencing their writing voices. And I’ve been so blessed. 🙂
For my first ms. I had an entire document full of terrible terrible titles before I found one I liked at a writer’s conference while I was pitching. Someone pitching her book told me “That should be your title” after I’d used a certain phrase to describe my protagonist. I’m glad she said something because I distinctly remember having a title at one time that included “The Sea-Soaked Seer” somewhere in it!
A good title will get my attention at the bookstore, but I am a cautious book purchaser and usually know exactly what I want before I go into a store, but while I am deciding at home what to purchase or if I am looking at books at the library, the title can be a huge factor.
Precisely, Kristen. A great title grabs your attention—and that’s all it can do.
My book idea came from an image I dreamed: a lamp post with street signs that said Nit and Picky. It haunted me until I got out of bed and began writing. I haven’t stopped. My working title is “Nitpicky Corners: The Doppelgangers” and it is a middle grade speculative fiction. I recognize that it is a clunky title.
I would be a touch sad to lose the title since if felt like a divine appointment, but I know that publishers have lots of good reasons for changing titles.
In choosing a book, I have no idea how much influence the title has – I think it is a subliminal thing that if you noticed it, then it is not working.
One ugly title that i picked up and read was “The True Meaning of Smekday” and I am in love with that book. I have not laughed out like that since reading “Cheaper by the Dozen” or “My Sister Eileen”.
Rachelle, I think an intriguing book title that hints at what’s inside is critical–it’s kinda like painting your front door red. Come on in. I’m probably guilty of having too much fun making up book titles. And then, of course, I drive my family crazy listing them all off. But soon they catch the bug and start dreaming up a few of their own. I’ve got more titles and taglines than manuscripts (I’m storing them all… just in case).
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
I’m more apt to buy a book for the author, not the title.
For my first completed book, think it had 5 titles.
My almost finished one has had 2.
I googled potential titles and discovered that I’m not very original [sigh]. I read far enough into those similarly titled books to judge that my content is more original than my proposed title.
As for book buying: I don’t think I’d buy a book just because of the title. But I might decide NOT to buy just because of the title.
I put a great deal of thought into my titles, both for individual books and series. Since I’ve gone indie, coming up with the right title is entirely on me and it’s become even more important.
When I’m book browsing, a title is the first thing I notice. If I like the title, I look at the cover and read the blurb. Since I do most of my browsing on Goodreads and in two ebook newsletters I get, title is the first thing I see. And since I read 99% romance, I can usually tell from the title what the book is about and if it contains a trope I’m not fond of.
What a timely post! I popped over to read it while taking a short break from coming up with title ideas to send my editor for my next book. I’m off to read the linked post and refresh my memory so I can create a list with strong possibilities.
This will sound petty, but this is one of the things that bothers me about being traditionally published. I invest a lot of thought and time in my titles–before I finish the story, often before the end of the first chapter or two! The title reflects the story, and by the time I finish the story, the title is so integral a part of the story that changing the title would mean rewriting bits and pieces throughout the book. To change it would be to change the tone of the story as well. That’s not to say I wouldn’t do it for the right agent or the right publisher or the right advance, but…well, I don’t have to worry about that in the foreseeable future now do I? 🙂 Maybe by the time I feel like I can meet someone else’s deadline and write stories that are ready for prime time, I won’t be as dedicated to my titles. Maybe.
As for buying books, yes, the title needs to grab me even before the blurb does. Cover art comes in a distant third.
Today I saw a glaring example of what can happen when an author chooses a bad title. While reading a brief bio on a social media site, I noticed the title of this person’s upcoming book and cringed. I think I knew the real message of the book, but I still couldn’t get over the thought, “How offensive! I would never read that!” I chose not to follow the person based on the title of that book. Maybe it just pushed my personal buttons. (I’m sure that played into my reaction.) Even so, it reminded me how important it is to word titles wisely and take into consideration how they might come across to those who are ONLY reading the title.
If I’ve come up with two titles I like, is it better to choose one and stick with it, or keep saying I’m torn between the two?
Not titling my work in progress would be like not naming my daughter because someday she’ll get married and change her last name (maybe). Still, I love titles. They are handles. I come up with one I like working with while writing the book. But I hold it loosely in my hand so fingers don’t fall off when/if the publisher changes it.
Titles will often catch my eye, and play more of a role in the decision to at least look at a book in greater depth. I do spend an inordinate amount of time selecting titles for my work; I go on the assumption that the title I choose will be permanent, even though it’s not likely. My favourite title is that of a painting, JMW Turner’s seascape “Sunrise With Sea Monsters”. And yes, there are sea monsters.
A book’s title seems a lot like a boat’s name. Both tickle the fancy and incite imagination to the point that you want to know more before you either accept it or reject it. For boats, now that I’m too old to own another one I have the perfect name: Knot Home. Book titles should be taken as seriously as naming a boat, which means that you’re hooked at looking into what’s inside the gunwales or a book’s covers. So, this means that a writer ought to approach the title with similar ingenuity. I always thought that if I were going to write a murder mystery, one title I’d consider would be “Death of a Duck.” It would arouse the necessary curiosity so the looker would NOT dismiss it out of hand.
What if I have a working title that’s great for a series, but maybe not for the first book in said series? I’ve been referring to it as the title of my manuscript any way. In a query should I pitch the series title as the book title knowing the series might not even get picked up?
This is my first time here.
I like what Davalynn says.
When reading, I always look for the clue in the book that reveals the choice of title.
Though I love mine for my current manuscript I’m sure it’s too obvious.
Choosing the right title is tough and frustrating. I found I had several titles that were okay but not quite right. When I found the right title, there were no more questions I knew it was right. Let’s hope my audience agrees.
I believed in my title and so did my agent. He worked it into my contract with the publisher. I will always be grateful.