Choosing a title is an art. It\u2019s a bit like being able to write poetry, or to paint as an impressionist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good title is also a paradox<\/em>. You\u2019re aiming to convey something a bit esoteric and ineffable with your title, and yet it needs to give your potential reader a very strong sense of what the book is actually about, and the experience they\u2019ll have in reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some titles practically write themselves. Consider The Da Vinci Code<\/em>, which is both an intriguing title and one that is obvious, if you\u2019re the writer (and once you\u2019ve read the book). The story is about<\/em> a secret code hidden within the works of Leonardo. Doesn\u2019t get much plainer than that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or The Hunger Games<\/em>. This one is fun because it does have the esoteric quality that makes it intriguing\u2014the reader does not immediately know what a \u201chunger game\u201d is, so it sparks some curiosity. And curiosity is the author\u2019s best friend when it comes to marketing books. But the author, having written the book, knows exactly what a hunger game is, and she\u2019s realized that the phrase is the best choice for her title because while it feels<\/em> esoteric, it\u2019s actually succinctly practical<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But look at what happens over the next two books in that series. Now that the author has established the what\/when\/where of a \u201chunger game,\u201d the titles that follow becomes even more<\/em> esoteric: Titles such as Catching Fire<\/em> and Mockingjay<\/em> will only<\/em> make sense in the context of the first book. They\u2019re just as intriguing as The Hunger Games<\/em>, but less obvious in their connection to their respective stories. Less practical, in other words. But that intrigue, along with the brand recognition of these being \u201cHunger Games Novels,\u201d is enough to hook the reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there are books that just start from the beginning with a title that doesn\u2019t make much sense. Titles like Hidden Figures<\/em> or The Catcher in the Rye<\/em> or (ahem) The Sleeper\u2019s War<\/em> are only going to make sense once we\u2019ve not only read the book but thought about the title in context. They work as titles, though, because they are, again, intriguing.<\/em> They\u2019re like a little mystery the reader gets to solve. They cause a question to arise in the mind of the reader, something along the lines of \u201cWhat the heck is that?<\/em>\u201d And that question, maybe along with a good cover and a well-written book description, will often be enough to get the reader to buy and to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do you come up with an intriguing, impractical, esoteric title? <\/p>\n\n\n\n One method is to start with determining what the metaphor of your novel might be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Hidden Figures<\/em> has a nice double meaning that makes for a great metaphor\u2014it\u2019s referencing the hidden role mathematics plays in science and engineering, but it\u2019s also referencing the unsung heroes at the heart of the story\u2014the brilliant black women who were an integral part of making the space program successful, but got no credit because race and their sex. The metaphor of mathematics being the hidden and unseen foundation of science and engineering pairs perfectly with the idea that these women were doing work that should be praised, not swept under the rug because of bias and bigotry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So basically there are two paths you can take for creating a good title that hooks the reader. First, name the book for it\u2019s subject<\/em>, in the most succinct and intriguing way possible. Second, name the book for its metaphor<\/em>, in a way that feels like an exciting discovery for the reader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both of these take some practice, and I recommend examining the titles of bestsellers and books that are popular with your target readers, and working backwards to figure out how the author arrived at that title. It\u2019s a study worth the time. Make notes, speculate, and practice. Eventually, like learning to write poetry or learning how to paint an abstract painting, you\u2019ll master the skill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Choosing a title is an art. It\u2019s a bit like being able to write poetry, or to paint as an impressionist. A good title is also a paradox. You\u2019re aiming to convey something a bit esoteric and ineffable with your title, and yet it needs to give your potential reader a very strong sense of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[469],"tags":[506,47,135,475,284,577,665,451,337,513,514],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-2309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-author-how","tag-author","tag-author-marketing","tag-best-practices","tag-how-to","tag-marketing","tag-reader","tag-readres","tag-title","tag-titles","tag-writer","tag-writing"],"yoast_head":"\n