Without any second thoughts, a book title is the first thing people would read while buying a book. Hence, with your book title, you can even persuade your editors to read your manuscript. That can help you find an agent to publish your book.
Well, it depends on writer to writer. Some authors start with a working title, which is a temporary title used until the book is complete. Do not stress out if you are an author and your working title is not perfect. It is not permanent and will be seen only by a few selected people. If you cannot write a perfect title for your book, go through our tips and ideas and hit the right spot for your readers.
Tips and Ideas on how to write a perfect book title:
Let’s walk through the guide to write the perfect book title.
1. Concise and Clear:
Whether you are a seasoned author or a newbie, your aim should be a concise and clear title. The longer the title, the more it will lose the interest of your readers.
Rule of thumb: keep your title between 3-5 words maximum.
The titles that exceed 6 words are difficult to remember and do not even attract readers. Also, you can just have a vague title like “Jason’s Life Dilemma.” The word count of the title is fine, but such a title will never connect with your audience. As an author, you must think carefully about your title.
Have you heard of the book, “Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist’s Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie Is Not the Answer.” Yes, such a book title exists, and I consider it one of the worst examples of a book title.
Your title should be concise and convey the goal of your book. Yes, we agree that it is difficult to convey the purpose concisely, but here are some factors you can keep in mind when writing the title of your book.
● The title must catch the instant attention.
● The title should be memorable, even if the reader is not buying; he or she must remember the title of your book.
● Do not trick the readers with your title.
● The title should not be embarrassing; it should be informative so that the readers can mention the book to their friends.
2. Memorable:
‘Word of mouth.’ A title should be memorable so that it can be passed on by word of mouth. The more difficult the title, the more the reader will forget it as soon as he steps out of the bookstore. Try to include the name of the main character, maybe a tagline of the book, or the book’s theme. A reader should be able to picture the idea of your story just by reading the book title.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the finest examples of a memorable title. Even if someone has not read this book, they know the title.
3. Think outside the box:
If you are an author, you must have a creative mindset. Hence, use your creativity and come up with an original book title. Something that should stand out from the crowd. Do not be afraid to try something new. You can even write your title in the form of a question, a command or a probing statement.
Your title must be inviting to the readers. It should make them curious to read the book. Leave it to the reader’s imagination. However, with your title, the illustration and the book cover should be equally intriguing.
4. Captivate the target audience:
You must have written your book for a specific target audience. Hence, while writing the title, keep the audience in your mind. For example, if you are writing science fiction, your title must captivate the readers who are into such books. Moreover, keep the niche in mind; the title should be knowledgeable and informative.
5. Sticky Notes:
You may agree with this; at times, while book writing, you come up with an amazing book title idea, but you forget it with time as your focus at the time was writing the manuscript. Writing a book title is not a step that should be done as a first step or last. You can write the title at any point in time. If you have an idea for the title, note it down at the very moment. Create a list of ideas, brainstorm and come up with an amazing title. You never know what will stick; therefore, keep on writing everything down.
6. Read your book:
Once you are done writing your manuscript, read it with fresh eyes. Give it a thorough read and think from a reader’s perspective. Take notes as you read on, try to picture the storyline or try to dig into a piece of dialogue that sits perfectly with the theme of our book. Think about the message that you are trying to convey with the set of emotions that you felt during the writing process. Mystery, happiness, fear, thrill, think about the key takeaways of a reader.
7. Informative Title:
Well, this does not sit well with fiction, but for non-fiction, your title must be informative. By informative, we mean the title should give an idea of what the book is about. The title must be on point, and people should immediately get an idea of what the book is going to propose. You can even use a phrase or a tagline that your audience can understand. We are not asking you to spell out the entire book, but hints should be included in the title.
8. Embarrassing or not?
The title of your book must be easy to understand; the readers must remember and respond well to it. In simple words, your title should not be socially awkward because if it is, people will never recommend it to others. Think about ‘word of mouth’ before writing your title. An embarrassing title will not take your book anywhere; the same goes for a hard-to-pronounce title.
In a Nutshell:
The right title can make or break your book’s success. Just like book editing is important, book title is of equal importance. It is more like a first impression that you are going to make on your audience. Your book title is also the deciding factor for your readers, whether they take it or pass it. Take your time with the process and the title is not just the name of your book, but it is also a steppingstone into the literary world. As you work on your title, remember that with professional Writers are experts in crafting compelling titles, book editing and book writing. Well, nonetheless your book title is an invitation to your readers.