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Think about some of your favourite books. What stands out most about them? Is it the characters? The prose? The themes? Well, what about the title? I'd wager some of us have picked a random book off the shelves because the title alone sounded intriguing. As writers, we all know how important titles are when it comes to our books. Some of us (me) like to start with a title before we even begin writing. For others, it takes a little longer to nail it down. And as we all know, titles can change from the start of the project to the end, especially if you follow the traditional publishing route.
But if you're just starting out, how exactly are you supposed to come up with a catchy, memorable title that fits your book? Well, I have a few suggestions.
There are any number of ways to go about finding the perfect title for your WIP. If you're still stumped at the end of this, a simple #booktitlehere placeholder works until you figure it out. Read on for some of my tips to help you nail that perfect title.
Use an important phrase
In my novel The Fallen Star, that phrase is used many times throughout the book. It is, essentially, what Nova is as a character. She is a celestial fairy, a star, fallen from the heavens, fallen from glory, and fallen from grace. To be honest, I don't remember when the titles came to me, but all three follow the same pattern: The Fallen Star, The Last Star, The Rising Star (star (Nova), moon (Luna), and sun (Sol) respectively). In a similar vein, the series title Throne of Stars is an actual place/thing in the book.
Take a look through your book and pick out any phrases that stand out. Maybe it's an honorific - a title given to a certain character out of respect (or not) (Red Queen). Maybe a place name (City of Bones). Maybe it's an important object (the Goblet of Fire).
Choose images or symbols
Serpent & Dove comes to mind as a great example of choosing symbols as a title. In this case, the serpent and the dove are metaphors for the main characters. What's so great about this title, however, is that it twists the default expectation. I highly recommend reading this book if you're into witches and historic France.
Another great example is Girl, Serpent, Thorn (originally slated for a May release, but pushed to July due to...the world). Now, I haven't read this book, but the title grabbed my attention right away, and I've heard many great things from some of my favourite authors on the internet. I haven't seen many titles that use commas in this way, and I'm tickled. It raises so many questions. I haven't preordered this one yet, but I might bite the bullet. Plus, the cover itself is stunning (perhaps I'll write a post about eye-catching covers...).
Poll the internet
When I started writing Of Moonlight & Bones, I gathered a few of my favourite titles from a list I made & polled my Twitter followers for their favourite among three. To be honest, the one they chose (Of Moonlight & Bones was the most popular vote) wasn't the one I was leaning towards when I made the poll. My favourite was "A Bone Moon." But I'm so glad I didn't go with that. Of course I could have changed it, but I prefer having a title before I start. It feels like the one thing I can control since I'm a discovery writer to the core. If I have a title, I have a goal.
(Some of the possible titles for Of Moonlight & Bones
- The Moondrop
- Of Magic & Death
- Of Moonlight & Death
- A Deathless Magic
- Moonlight & Bones
- Moon Bones
- A Bone Moon
Perhaps you can see a pattern.)
Look at what's trending
There's a reason a lot of books follow similar structures. "A [Blank] of [Blank] & [Blank]" is a good example, especially in the YA market: A Court of Thorns & Roses. An Ember in the Ashes. Children of Blood & Bone. Girls of Paper & Fire. Daughter of Smoke & Bone. You get the idea. And don't get me wrong. I love these kinds of titles. Sure, they might sound a little repetitive, but they're some of the more poetic sounding titles. Think about the beats they're hitting, duh-DUN duh-DUN duh-DUN. There's a reason our brains are programmed to notice poetry, iambs, even if we don't realize it.
The "[Blank] & [Blank]" format is another good example. Shadow & Bone. Serpent & Dove. Eleanor & Park. Of course, I'm only using Young Adult titles, because that's the audience I'm writing for and that's where my books will be marketed, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are so many amazing titles, so many different ways authors are making their titles stand out against the trends. But it doesn't hurt to look at the trends, and see if it fits your book.
The most important thing when creating a title is to have fun! Try a bunch of different things and see what sticks. Who knows, maybe it'll be the one they go with when your book gets published.
What are some of your favourite titles? Not necessarily your favourite books, but what titles stick out to you? Leave a comment below and as always, happy writing!
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