8 Points To Consider When You Name Your Book

We have put together this list of eight points to consider when you name your book.

This book is your baby. The title you give it will have a life of its own. It is the first thing a reader will notice. You need to think about agents, editors, plot, characters, readers, and market trends.

8 Points To Consider When You Name Your Book

1. It should suit your genre.
2. It must have something to do with the plot.
3. It should be easy to remember.
4. It should appeal to the reader on an emotional and an intellectual level. [Read The Author’s Promise]
5. It should be easy to pronounce.
6. Short names are better. As a rule, most book titles are three words. Most books do not have a title longer than five words.
7. Visual titles work well.
8. The title should also reveal a bit about the soul/theme of your book.

Examples:

1. The Firm by John Grisham – It suits the legal thriller genre. The plot is all about The Firm. It is easy to remember and easy to pronounce. It makes you wonder what it’s about. It creates an image in the reader’s mind. The impersonal name suits the sinister thread of the plot. It is two words.
2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy – It suits the literary genre. The spiritual implications are intrinsic to the plot. It is also unusual but not so unusual that you would forget it. It is easy to pronounce. It is five words. It is incredibly descriptive and reveals the lyrical quality of the book. It is five words.
3. The Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris – It suits the crime genre. It is eerie and unsettling. It is easy to remember and easy to pronounce. It has immediate intellectual and emotional appeal. Why are the lambs silent? What does it mean? As you read the book you realise how the title impacts the main character. It is five words.

Seven Great Places To Find Titles

1. Shakespeare
2. The Bible
3. Lyrics
4. Poetry
5. Famous Quotes
6. Thesaurus
7. Flip Dictionary

Or you can use our generators for these genres:

1. Fantasy Book Title Generator
2. Literary Book Title Generator
3. Thriller Book Title Generator

Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.

by Amanda Patterson

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