How to come up with a book title? What should it be? Why is it important?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Every author of literary works, regardless of what genre he works in, faces one problem, which is the need to come up with a suitable title.

According to the popular proverb, "they meet by their clothes." This expression can be attributed to the title of the book. The title is a kind of "clothes" by which editors and readers will meet the work. Don't underestimate its importance or use the first phrase that comes across for the name.

Why is the name so important?

The question of whether the title of a work is really important is asked by every author of a novel or a collection of poems, who is going not only to publish his work on virtual resources, but also to publish it in a traditional form, that is, to publish a real book.

The title is what one looks at before reading. It creates a certain opinion about the book even before getting to know its contents. In other words,the name forms certain expectations in the mind of the reader. And this is an extremely important point, because if the book does not justify the hopes placed on it, then a person will not take up the next work of the author at all.

An equally important nuance is the productive relationship with the publishing house, which every author of a novel, story, autobiography, collection of lyric poems or any other books counts on. This is especially important for aspiring writers who are approaching publishers for the first time. The title of the work is something that will be guided by in any edition. If it does not interest, then the manuscript may well not be read carefully at all.

What should the title be?

How to come up with a book title, the only one that will not leave you indifferent, will catch your attention and interest? What should it be? Of course, the title of the book should attract attention, that is, be catchy, memorable, bright and intriguing.

However, these are far from all the criteria that should be followed in how to come up with a book title. The name should also reflect the essence of the work, not run counter to its content. And, of course, correspond to the literary genre of the book. That is, one should not call a collection of lyrical poetry about love with the phrase "Fundamentals of the mechanical device of star cruisers and features of the technique of flying between black holes", but it is quite possible to title a fantasy novel about space pirates.

What to be guided by when choosingname?

As paradoxical as it may seem, the first thing to consider when choosing a title for your publication is the titles used by other writers. Before you come up with a book title and send it to the publisher for consideration, you should carefully study the examples that other authors working in a similar genre use.

It is especially important to familiarize yourself with the titles used by writers whose books are published by the publisher of your choice. You should evaluate not only the meaning of the title, but also the length, style and other parameters, as well as find out how successful the book is on sale and in what circulation.

Besides, you should be guided by the content of your work. The name must match. After all, if the publisher or the reader has a strong interest, which the book cannot justify from the very beginning due to the discrepancy between the text and the title, then the work is unlikely to be read to the end.

As a rule, each writer has readers who get acquainted with his work at the stage of creation. Usually these are family members or close people. It makes sense to ask them how they see the title of the book. Quite often, the ideas of loved ones become a kind of impetus in how to come up with a book title that suits both the author himself and the potential publisher, and, of course, intriguing readers.

What are books usually called?

Often, works are titled with the names of the main characters. For example, Anna Karenina, Boris Godunov,"Eugene Onegin". This type of book title is well suited for a series of works united by one character or setting. If, for example, several detective stories are written in which crimes happen in the same town, then it is quite appropriate to mention it in the title. The title of the first book may look like this: “Vologda. A bloody footprint near a house with a carved palisade. The second work from the series will again contain the name of the city and reflect the content, for example: “Vologda. Shots in the alley." Instead of the name of the place of action, the name of the character can also be used if the series of books is united by it.

However, such titles are not suitable for a finished work that does not imply a continuation. Of course, if we are not talking about coming up with the name of an autobiography book or the title of a novel about famous historical figures.

Also often books are called mysteriously, beautifully or interrogatively. This attracts attention and causes a desire to find out what is written in the work. Examples of such names:

• "The Secret of the Forgotten Crypt".
• "For whom the bell tolls".
• "Doesn't move you."
• "Let the lumberjack wake up" and others.

Often, only one, but the most biting word is used in the names, which immediately evokes any associations - "Riot", "War", "Blood", "Silence".

What other names are there?

Another fairly common variant of the design of the title of the book in modern literature is the use ofabstractness. Such names are not particularly clear, which is why they win in comparison with others. Examples of such names are: “Geographer drank his globe”, “Order of the yellow flag”, “Monday starts on Saturday.”

Much less often, authors resort to names invented under the motto "feelings should be offended." Of course, such titles immediately catch the eye, however, using such an artistic device, it is extremely important not to overdo it and not cause rejection or embarrassment instead of curiosity. Example of similar titles: "Vicious Youths".

Which books are important to name correctly?

Of course, the title of a work of any genre should correspond to its content and arouse the interest of the reader. However, some books are practically doomed to obscurity in the absence of the correct title. These are, of course, works written in the most popular genres in the writing environment - fantasy and romance novels.

Competition among novice writers in these genres is very high, besides, there are quite a lot of authors who have been writing for a long time and consistently. Therefore, no matter how good the book is, without the right title that shoots right on target, it is unlikely to be in demand.

It makes sense to name a fantasy novel in such a way that it is clear what it is written about. That is, looking at the title, the publisher, as well as the reader, should immediately understand whether he is waiting for reading about elves, giants, necromancer magicians and gnomes, or about space marines and robots. Coming up with such a name is not an easy task, but it isrequired.

What do you call a romance novel? Beautiful and atmospheric, without specifics. The most successful titles for such books are Gone with the Wind, The Thorn Birds. Women all over the world cried over these works long before they were filmed. Using character names is not a good idea for a title. You should also avoid those names that will give a resemblance to the detective genre. For example, if you call the novel "Svetlana in a Hurricane of Passion", then quite a lot of people will decide that they have a work in the genre of an ironic female detective story.