Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Brainstorming
• Part 2 of 2: Making adjustments
• Tips

The most important thing about a book is its title. Forget the content. Without a good title, no one will pay attention to your book. A good title can also persuade an editor to read your manuscript. Give your work the best chance to be chosen and read by coming up with a title that will make your publisher head over heels.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Brainstorming

1. Write your book first and then focus on the title. Some writers get stuck in the belief that an author must come up with the perfect title before he can start. However, most authors do not consider this to be a productive mindset. Most writers come up with a "working title" that is basically a rough draft of the final title - temporary and almost guaranteed to change.
   • After writing the book, everything becomes clearer. Just make sure to write down any ideas that come to mind, no matter how ridiculous.
2. Ask a friend or editor for help. Ask someone to join a brainstorming session. Brainstorming with someone is faster, more effective and more fun than just thinking about it. Ask the other person to read your book first.
   • Meet in a quiet, relaxed location so you can both focus on brainstorming. Play some background music if it helps you think. Sometimes music, especially if it is relevant to your book, can give you inspiration. Don't be afraid to choose one or two music lyrics as a possible title.
3. Determine the main purpose of the book. Read your book and think about its nature. Think of titles that have to do with the central message, or with the main emotion that it inspires. Talk to someone about what inspired you to write the book and how you felt when you wrote it. These conversations lead you to a title that fits the story and your personality.
   • Different people can interpret your work in different ways - let each person involved in the brainstorming session list their ideas. Share the lists of ideas with each other.
   • If you're stuck, brainstorm keywords related to the main themes and story of your book.
4. Make an overview of favorite texts in the book. Write down favorite phrases from your work. These may or may not function as book titles, but they can provide raw material to play with. Some books have the title of a quote from another book. Such as "The Beginning of Everything". The title of this book is inspired by a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald. Do you have a quote related to your book? This may be the best title you can think of.
5. Consider naming the book after the main character. Many novels simply choose the name of the main character. Think of titles that mention the main character of the book, or a group of characters. This is especially true for books in which one character plays the leading role. For instance:
   • Jude the Obscure
   • Anne of Green Gables
   • Harry Potter
   • The Hobbit
   • Percy Jackson
6. Use the setting or background to create a title. This can be a good choice if the setting is an important part of the book, or if it is an unusual setting that draws attention. For instance:
   • The little house on the prairie
   • Through the Looking-Glass (Alice in Spiegelland)
   • Jungle Book
   • 50,000 Leagues Under the Sea
   • Wuthering Heights (Savage heights)
7. Consider poetic or mysterious names. Your title may refer to the themes or inspiration of the book, rather than its exact content. Mysterious titles intrigue readers looking for something poetic or unusual. For instance:
   • The Shadow of the Wind (The shadow of the wind)
   • Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
   • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The enchanted land behind the wardrobe)
8. Look for a balance in mystery and clarity. As with book covers, book titles should provide enough information about the subject of the book, without giving too much away, to make the reader curious. The way the author deals with these two elements - clarity and mystery - really depends on the type of book. Clarity is more important for non-fiction (especially for books that focus on a very specific topic). Mystery is more important to fiction.
9. Awaken the interest of those with a short, powerful title. This is a popular approach for non-fiction books. The title should give the reader an idea of ​​the subject of the book, but it does not have to be an exact description. For instance:
   • Think, fast and slow
   • Make no mistake
   • From good to great
   • Made to remember
10. Arouse the interest of readers with a particular problem. Think of titles that relate to common life experiences, especially titles that promise solutions to the reader's problems. Books with these titles range from self-help books to literary novels. For instance:
    • Become happy
    • The awkward age
    • The dangerous book for girls
    • If necessary, use a subtitle to overcome and clarify any ambiguities. The title How to be a man may interest another reader than How to Be a Man: A Memory of the Rocky Mountains or How to Be a Man: The Autobiography of a Transgender or How to Be a Man: A Study of Gender, Adolescence, and Media in 1950s America.
11. Look at other book titles in similar genres. Browse book titles online or in bookstores and libraries.
    • Do not copy an existing title, but be inspired by good titles.
    • State what appeals to you about the title and brainstorm ideas for your book with similar characteristics.
    • Be original. The title of your book has to compete with many other similar novels, so come up with a title that stands out from the crowd.
    • Titles are not copyrighted, at least not in the United States, but unique phrases may be trademarked. Picking a familiar phrase probably won't be a problem, but you still risk confusion in the bookstore.
12. Think about titles written in other codes. In some cases, a unique title can be used.
    • Think of readers who are interested in math and have general knowledge of it - they might be drawn to a book with a math expression, for example. Example: 4-1=0’
    • Try a foreign language. Books with a title in another language can give your title an international look.They can also relate to a character, place, idea or event that may not be properly described in Dutch.
    • Consider your audience. If you are writing for people interested in astrophysics, this is probably a very different target audience than for a Christian novel.
      • Avoid confusing titles. There is a blurred line between "mysterious" and "confusing".
      • If your title is difficult to spell, it can be difficult for potential buyers to find your book online or in bookstores.
      • Titles in a different language can be confusing. For some, they can be difficult to memorize, spell or they can be considered overly scientific. Some words, phrases or the like can be relatively well understood by the general public ("deja vu", "et cetera", "hasta la vista") but be careful when using them. In general, it is better to translate a title if possible.
13. Aim for a large number of titles. Use all the above techniques until you have 25 possible titles or even 50! Even if the titles are not good, they can spark more ideas and discussions.
    • You can combine more than one of the above techniques. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, for example, mentions both a character and a setting, and offers a preview of the height of the novel.

Part 2 of 2: Making adjustments

1. Limit your choice. Go through your list of ideas and pick out ten favorites. Follow the steps below to evaluate each title. Study each title. If there is no clear winner, limit yourself to your favorite four or five and repeat the process.
2. Take a critical look at your title. Review the title with your editor, publisher, or a friend whose judgment and research you can trust. Would it get the attention of people who would enjoy your work? Does it have any meaning? Is it memorable? Does it relate to the content of your book?
3. Say your title out loud. How does it sound? Does it have a good flow and rhythm, making it easy and pleasant to say? If the title sounds strange, is difficult to pronounce, clumsy, or is in some way incorrect, this is probably an indication that it is not a good title.
4. Keep it concise. Keep your title as short as possible, no longer than a few words. Long titles are difficult to remember and will rarely catch the attention of a passing reader.
   • If you think more detail is needed, add a subtitle. For example: the cover of Wild Swans shows the short, powerful title and adds the informative subtitle Three Daughters of China but in a much smaller font.
5. If you're involved with the cover, try sketching a cover for your book. Authors may or may not be involved in the cover. But if you are, many feel that a little visualization can help. Sketch a simple book cover to get an idea of ​​the impression the title makes. Play with different arrangements of the title and your name. Do you think it would stand out if it were on the shelves of the stores? Is there a drawing that could go particularly well with the title?
   • Be careful not to sink into details at this point.
   • If you have an illustrator to do this part, keep in mind that he or she will work with the graphics. Your title can look perfect with the right font or a smart design.
   • Depending on your publisher, you may or may not have control over the cover design.

Tips

• Once you've chosen a title, look it up online to make sure it can't be confused with another book.
• As a final test, imagine that you are reading your own obituary. Is this the title of your book you would like to have listed?
• Biography and memoirs are often a bit ambiguous, stating the person's name, but with an unusual look at the person's life.
• Brainstorm right before bed. People are often more creative at that point, and if you're lucky this effort will trigger dreams that can lead you to more ideas.
• Try to think of a title for your book that you would want to read if someone else wrote the book.
• Finish writing the book before coming up with a title. Read through the book and pick out important details that make up the story. If necessary, keep a journal and pen handy so that if you have an idea, you can write it down. Then go through the ideas again and see which fits well with the story.
• Choose a character or use the book as a whole, and ask a friend (or someone who has read the entire book) what he / she is thinking about in direct relation to the book. Compare it with your own thoughts. Maybe it will be a title, or at least a line of thought leading to a title.
• If you really get stuck coming up with a title for your book, think about what inspired you and move on from there.