skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Lately I’ve been coaching several of my clients through the process of coming up with a good title for their book, so I thought I’d share my tips with you.
Let’s start by acknowledging a few things. The publisher is usually responsible for the final decision on title, and in the query stage, it’s not that important. In fact, some agents have said they don’t pay any attention at all to titles. But at some point, you’re going to want to think seriously about this. Your title is part of the overall impression you’re creating about your book. It can set a tone and create an expectation. Whether you’re pitching to an agent, or your agent is pitching to publishers, I think you want to have the strongest title possible.
Think of it this way: the better your title is, the better your chance that the publisher will decide to use it, rather than changing it.
So here’s what I recommend when you need a title, for either fiction or non-fiction.
First, make sure you know the genre of your book, and identify what kind of feeling or tone you want to convey with the title. Write it down. This is important, as I’ve seen humorous books with dead-serious titles, contemporary books whose titles say “historical romance,” novels that sound like self-help books… you get the picture. Be clear on what your title needs to instantly communicate.
Time to start brainstorming:
→ Find twenty books on Amazon that are in the same genre as yours and whose titles you like. Write down their titles. Try to get a feel for what works with your genre. What do you like about the titles? What don’t you like? Then put the list away for awhile.
→ Sit with a pencil and paper (and maybe your critique group and a white-board) and free-associate, making lists of words related to your book. Put them in columns: nouns, verbs, adjectives. If it’s a novel, list words that describe or suggest the setting. Then think about each of your major characters and write down words that relate to them. Think about the action in the story and write down verbs that capture it. If your book is non-fiction, list words that capture what you want your reader to think, feel or do after reading it. And words that describe what your book is about.
→ Nothing is off limits—write down anything you can think of that conveys anything about your book. Use visual words that suggest a scene. Other words that evoke an emotion. A sensation. A location. A question. You should have at least 100 words.
→ See if any of the words would work as a single-word title. Then start experimenting with different word combinations. Adjective-noun, verb-noun. Keep a thesaurus handy and look up other words. Write down as many word combinations as you can. Try not to self-censor at this stage.
→ From these lists, come up with at least 20 possible titles. Then put them away for 24 hours. Two things will happen: your subconscious may still be working on it; and when you come back to your list, you’ll have fresh eyes.
→ Go back to your title list. Add any new ideas you’ve had. Then narrow it down to three to five possibilities. Run them by a few people. (This may or may not help, depending on if there’s a consensus or the opinions are all over the map.) Take a little more time before narrowing it down to one. If you can, wait another day or two.
→ Remember your list of titles from Amazon? Go back to it. Ask yourself if the title you’ve chosen would fit the list—without being too similar or generic.
A few more questions to ask about your title: Does the tone of the title match the tone of the book? Does it convey the right genre (including time period if applicable)? Would it attract attention? If the book were spine-out on the shelf (so the cover and sub-title were not visible) would it still attract attention? Would a reader have any idea what the book is about just from the title? (Sometimes important for non-fiction.)
Once you’ve made a decision—celebrate!
Q4U: How have you decided on titles for your books? Do you find yourself emotionally attached to the one you’ve been living with since you first thought of the book?
Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
LINK
Guest Blogger: Kathi Lipp
When I first started writing, I took advantage of every opportunity to find time to write and to learn the craft. I spent some of my lunch breaks with my writing journal, jotting down ideas for future projects. While waiting at the doctor’s or dentist’s office, I read writers magazines instead of People magazine. While driving to and from work, I listened to CDs about the writing process instead of the Top 40 station. While my kids swam at the community pool, I outlined articles and researched magazines I would like to write for someday.
When my kids were asleep, I wrote. It may have been only two sentences or an idea for something that I wanted to do someday, but I wrote. I knew that I may not finish an actual article, but I also knew it was important to lay the groundwork for the career I was dreaming of.
Was it selfish to yearn for writing time when I had so many other things going on in my life? Many people may think so. I saw it as honoring the dreams God laid on my heart.
One of the biggest challenges we have is assigning importance to our dreams. We figure, why spend the time now when the things we want to accomplish are so far off?
Invest
We need to make the commitment to invest in ourselves. If we have a passion to do something, whether it’s open a business, write a book, or learn to dance, what is one little thing that can get us closer to accomplishing that goal?
It’s time to invest, time to lay down the groundwork, so that when the season comes to live your dream, you are ready.
In one of my favorite movies, Under the Tuscan Sun, there’s a scene where the lead character, Francis, is kicking herself for buying a villa in Tuscany. It’s a big, beautiful house—perhaps too big for a woman who is single and has no children. She cries to her friend and real estate agent, Martini, “I bought a house for a life I don’t even have.”
I will never forget the words Martini encourages her with: “Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains. They built a train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. They built these tracks even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew some day, the train would come.”
That is the kind of faith we need for our dreams. To know that someday, the train will come. To know that someday, we will have time to live out our dreams. To put down visible, tangible signs saying, “This is the life I’m going to lead. I am preparing the way for what is going to happen. I know that God is faithful to finish what He starts, and He is faithful to complete this in me.”
Laying down track looks different for each of us. It may mean signing up for a class or subscribing to a magazine related to your passion. For some people, it is just admitting to a friend (or even to themselves) that they do have a dream, and that they want to see it become a reality.
What is the next length of track you need to lay down?
Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
LINK
Some of the Basics First:
Full Name --
Meaning of Name --
Nickname --
Birth Date --
Astrological Sign and Details --
Birth Place --
Age --
Race --
Hair Color --
Hair Style --
Shape and Features of Face --
Eye Color --
Skin Tone --
Any Scars or Distinguishing Marks --
Build or Body Type --
Height --
Weight --
Family and Childhood:
Mother --
Father --
Parents' Occupations --
Family Finances --
Brothers --
Sisters --
Other Close Family --
Best Friend --
Other Friends --
Enemies --
Pets --
Home Life During Childhood --
Any Sports or Clubs --
Schooling --
Favorite Subject --
Popular or Loner --
Important Experiences or Events --
Health Problems --
Culture --
Religion and beliefs--
Your Character's Character:
Bad Habits --
Good Habits --
Best Characteristic --
Worst Characteristic --
Proud of --
Embarrassed by --
Driving Style --
Strong Points --
Temperament --
Attitude --
Weakness --
Fears --
Phobias --
Secrets --
Regrets --
Feels Vulnerable When --
Pet Peeves --
Conflicts --
Motivation --
Goals and Hopes --
Sexuality --
Exercise Routine --
Speech --
Tag Words --
Gestures --
Day or Night Person --
Introvert or Extrovert --
Optimist or Pessimist --
Special Abilities or Powers --
Likes and Styles:
Music --
Books --
Magazines --
Foods --
Drinks --
Animals --
Sports --
Social Issues --
Color --
Clothing --
Jewelry --
Games --
Websites --
TV Shows --
Movies --
Greatest Want --
Greatest Need --
Where and How Does Your Character Live Now:
Home --
Household furnishings --
Favorite Possession --
Most Cherished Possession --
Neighborhood --
Town or City Name --
Details of Town or City --
Married Before --
Children --
Relationship with Family --
Best Friend --
Other Friends --
Enemies --
Car --
Pets --
Career --
Dream Career --
Dream Life --
Love Life --
Sexual Turn Ons --
Sexual Turn Offs --
Hobbies --
Guilty Pleasure --
Sports or Clubs --
Talents --
Finances --
Greatest Strength --
Greatest Weakness --
Health Problems --
Culture --
Religion --
Your Character's Life Before Your Story:
Past Careers --
Past Lovers --
Biggest Mistakes --
Biggest Achievements --
a) If your character could have two whole weeks for vacation and go and do anything he be and why? (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
c) If your character could bring one person back to life and spend a whole day with him or her, who would it be and why?
d) If your character won a three-million dollar lottery, what would he or she do with the money?
e) If your character could change one thing about him or herself, what would it be?
f) What would your character do to relax after a bad day?
g) Where would your character go to hang out if he or she wanted to feel comfortable?
h) What does your character do when he or she is angry?
i) Does your character have a secret passion? What? Why is it a passion? And why is it a secret?
k) If your character were asked to describe him or herself, what would he or she say?
l) Where does your character want to be in his or her life, ten years from now?
m) A tear jerker is on. How would your character react if alone? How would your character react if with others?
n) Deep down, what does your character really think of his or herself? Do they think they are fair, moral, honest, etc...?
o) What does your character think would make a perfect first date?
p) What does your character consider romantic?
THE 100+ QUESTIONS
Welcome to over one hundred of the dumbest questions about your character. These are things that, if someone were to ask you in real life, you could answer without giving it any thought whatsoever. Most characters, however, can't answer this because authors never think about it - it's unimportant. Well, these things are going to help you define you character more.
Some tips: Answer these in character, but only in a situation where your character would be 100% honest with themselves and with the person asking the question. Otherwise, answer as an author, and still be 100% honest.
Mandatory Questions
1. What about you is heroic?
2. What about you is social? What do you like about people?
3. Of what benefit could you be to the current group?
4. Why would you choose to join the current group?
5. Invent an adventure/plot that your character would actively undertake (as opposed to just tagging along)?
Personal Questions
1. What is your real, birth name? What name do you use?
2. Do you have a nickname? What is it, and where did you get it?
3. What do you look like? (Include height, weight, hair, eyes, skin, apparent age, and distinguishing features)
4. How do you dress most of the time?
5. How do you "dress up?"
6. How do you "dress down?"
7. What do you wear when you go to sleep?
8. Do you wear any jewelry?
9. In your opinion, what is your best feature?
10. What's your real birth date?
11. Where do you live? Describe it: Is it messy, neat, avant-garde, sparse, etc.?
12. Do you own a car? Describe it.
13. What is your most prized mundane possession? Why do you value it so much?
14. What one word best describes you?
Familial Questions
1. What was your family like?
2. Who was your father, and what was he like?
3. Who was your mother, and what was she like?
4. What was your parents marriage like? Were they married? Did they remain married?
5. What were your siblings names? What were they like?
6. What's the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? What's the worst thing you've done to one of your siblings?
7. When's the last time you saw any member of your family? Where are they now?
8. Did you ever meet any other family members? Who were they? What did you think of them?
Childhood Questions
1. What is your first memory?
2. What was your favorite toy?
3. What was your favorite game?
4. Any non-family member adults stick out in your mind? Who were they, and how did you know them? Why do they stick out?
5. Who was your best friend when you were growing up?
6. What is your fondest, childhood memory?
7. What is your worst childhood memory?
Adolescent Questions
1. How old were you when you went on your first date?
2. It is common for one's view of authority to develop in their adolescent years. What is your view of authority, and what event most affected it?
3. What were you like in high school? What "clique" did you best fit in with?
4. What were your high school goals?
5. Who was your idol when you were growing up? Who did you first fantasize about in your life?
6. What is your favorite memory from adolescence?
7. What is your worst memory from adolescence?
Occupational Questions
1. Do you have a job? What is it? Do you like it? If no job, where does your money come from?
2. What is your boss or employer like? (Or publisher, or agent, or whatever.)
3. What are your co-workers like? Do you get along with them? Any in particular? Which ones don't you get along with?
4. What is something you had to learn that you hated?
5. Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why?
Likes & Dislikes Questions
1. What hobbies do you have?
2. Who is your closest mundane friend? Describe them and how you relate to them.
3. Who is your worst mundane enemy? Describe them and why you don't get along.
4. What bands do you like? Do you even pay attention?
5. What tape or CD hasn't left your player since your purchased it? Why?
6. What song is "your song?" Why?
7. What's been your favorite movie of all time?
8. Read any good books? What were they?
9. What do you watch on the Television?
10. When it comes to mundane politics, do you care? If so, which way do you tend to vote? If not, why don't you care?
11. What type of places do you hang out in with your mundane friends?
12. What type of places do you hang out in with your normal friends?
13. What annoys you more than anything else?
14. What would be the perfect gift for you?
15. What's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
16. What time of day is your favorite?
17. What kind of weather is your favorite?
18. What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?
19. What is your favorite drink? (Coffee, Coke, Juice, Beer, Wine, etc.)
20. What's your favorite animal? Why?
21. Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind?
22. What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.)
23. What habit that others have annoys you most?
24. What kind of things embarrass you? Why?
25. What don't you like about yourself?
26. How would you like to look?
Sex & Intimacy Questions
1. Would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? Why?
2. Who was the first person you had sex with? When did it happen? What was it like? How well did it go?
3. Do you currently have a lover? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them?
4. What is the perfect romantic date?
5. Describe the perfect romantic partner for you.
6. Do you ever want to get married and have children? When do you see this happening?
7. What is more important - sex or intimacy? Why?
8. What was your most recent relationship like? Who was it with? (Does not need to be sexual, merely romantic.)
9. What's the worst thing you've done to someone you loved?
Drug & Alcohol Questions
1. How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like?
Did anything good come out of it? Did anything bad come out of it?
2. Do you drink on any kind of regular basis?
3. What kind of alcohol do you prefer?
4. Have you ever tried any other kind of "mood altering" substance? Which one(s)? What did you think of each?
5. What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any people should not do? Why or why not?
Morality Questions
1. What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? What one act in your past are you most proud of?
2. Have you ever been in an argument before? Over what, with who, and who won?
3. Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?
4. What do you feel most strongly about?
5. What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?
6. What trait do you find most admirable, and how often do you find it?
7. Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or art (sex, violence, greed, etc.,)? If so, what and why, and if not, why not?
8. Do you have any feelings in general that you are disturbed by? What are they? Why do they disturb you?
9. What is your religious view of things? What religion, if any, do you call your own?
10. Do you think the future is hopeful? Why?
11. Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure? Which is more valuable? Why do you feel this way?
12. What's the worst thing that can be done to another person? Why?
13. What's the worst thing you could actually do to someone you hated?
14. Are you a better leader or follower? Why do you think that? If you think the whole leader-follower archetype is a crock of shit, say so, and explain why?
15. What is your responsibility to the world, if any? Why do you think that?
16. Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?
17. Is it okay for you to cry? When was the last time you cried?
18. What do you think is wrong with MOST people, overall?
Post-Supernatural Awareness Questions
1. When did you go through whatever made you supernatural? What was it like (in your opinion)?
2. What do you think now of being supernatural? Is it cool, or have you been screwed?
3. Do you have a mentor? Who are they? How did you become their student?
4. Do you have any magical items? Where did you get them?
5. What do you think of the other denizens of the World of Darkness? Why for each? (If you haven't met something, do you think it exists, and if it does, is that bad or good?)
6. Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. What was it?
7. What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it?
Miscellaneous Questions
1. What is the thing that has frightened you most? Do you think there is anything out there that's scarier than that? What do you think that would be?
2. Has anyone or anything you've ever cared about died? How did you feel about it? What happened?
3. What was the worst injury you've ever received? How did it happen?
4. How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
5. What is your current long term goal?
6. What is your current short term goal?
7. Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they, and do you plan to get rid of them?
8. If you were a mundane person, what would you do with your life? What occupation would you want, and how would you spend all your time?
9. What time period do you wish you had lived in? Why? (Looking at this as an attempt to change history doesn't count.) What appeals to you about this era?
10. How private of a person are you? Why?
11. If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money (via an inhertiance, a lawsuit, a lottery, or anything else) what would you do with it?
12. What would you wish for if you found a genie?
13. What do you do when you are bored?
14. What is the most frightening potential handicap or disfigurement you can conceive of? What makes it so frightening?
LINK
