I get this question all the time over on WikiAnswers … “What is a good title for a story/book about _____?”
So how do you find a good title for your book? Here are a few tips:
- Finish the book first (unless the perfect title “just comes to you” along the way) – the best titles come from something within the work, so unless you’ve finished, you might miss the perfect line or phrase that creates your title
- Try a double meaning – the most memorable titles are ones that can mean several things depending on how you look at it
- Be sure the title matches the story – sometimes you have what seems to be the perfect title, then when you’ve finished the story, the title doesn’t fit any more. Be sure to check the fit before you slap the title onto the cover
- Make it short – your title should be short enough to type, tweet, or say easily
- Remember your voice and POV – if you’ve written in third person point of view, don’t title the book “The Day I Learned The Truth”
- Use precise nouns and active verbs – while there’s no actual algorithm for writing book titles, you can be sure that “Desire Under the Elms” beats “Love Under the Trees” as a title
- Grab their attention – your title should be something that “hooks” a passer-by and interest them enough to make them pick up the book and check it out
- Give an idea of what’s to come – your title should hint at what’s in store for the reader inside your book, but not give away any important plot points
- Make it easy to say – the title should be simple, easy to remember and say, and not something that would embarrass your friends to ask about in a bookstore
- Make it something you can say 1,000 times – you’re going to be saying your own title thousands of times, so make it something you don’t mind repeating