The Title – what it’s for

 

The purpose of the book title is to let the reader know what to expect from the book. Readers when looking for a book to read usually know what they want. Even if they think they don’t, they do. A reader may be looking for something to read and think they don’t have anything in mind but they probably want something like something they read, and liked, previously. So, if I read cosey mysteries, non-fiction on food, and short stories I probably want more of the same. If they like funny, or scary, or romantic, or any other genre, the title should say to them “here I am.”

Now, I believe the final title of a published book is decided by the publisher. This may disappoint some, but it is what it is. Still when submitting your manuscript to an agent or editor you want to make the title you give your MS signal to your reader what to expect.

Think about a title which is a woman’s first name like:

Emma

Rebecca

Carrie

Matilda

All famous, wonderful books of very different genres. All different reading experiences. So, should they have been titled something else? No, but you might want to think twice about doing that, particularly if you are as yet unpublished or not a household name.

Check out these titles:

Do You Want to Start a Scandal

Beasting Beauty

In Bed with the Devil

Mine till Midnight

They are all romance novels. No surprises here.

 

Take a look at these:

House of Flame and Shadow

Quicksilver

The WingFeather saga

The Magician’s Nephew

If you guessed fantasy, you nailed it.

 

More:

Alien Clay

The Killing Star

The Third Rule of Time Travel

Sifi here.

 

More:

In A Dark Wood

None of this is True

Alienist

Against all Enemies

Only the Dead

Thriller here.

 

More:

A Study in Scarlet

The Hunter

Book Scavenger

Destination Unknown

The Mystery of the Yellow Room

Yeah mystery.

 

What are these?

Bossypants (so obvious)

Birdie and Harlow

This Book is Perfect

Bury My Heart at Chuck E. Cheese’s

The Stinky Cheese Man

It’s humor. (I guess cheese is inherently funny)

 

Now when you get into literary fiction things get trickier

To Kill a Mockingbird

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Crime and Punishment

By Any Other Name

James

The Evolution of Annabel Craig

One thing about these titles they don’t scream any of the genres. Even Crime and Punishment is just too in your face to be a thriller, or mystery, or detective novel. But it might be a non-fiction sociology book.

In my humble opinion the best way to go is not too obvious, not to obscure, something with a bit of poetry or mystery to it. Like:

Brave New World – not too obvious but very euphonious

The Unbearable Lightness of Being – I never read this, but I adore the title

East of Eden – I have read this. I’m not a fan, but the title is great (it's from the Bible)

The Tale of Despereaux – I love this book, and the title is great because of the name Despereaux, any other name would not be as good. Now if the name was funny, like “Dippy Dawg” it would work also for a humorous book.

If you are not yet published, you might want to error on the obvious side; nothing wrong with obvious if it is also done well.