WRITE-BYTES

WRITE-BYTES
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August 18, 2023 - #49 – Topic: BOOK TITLES and TAGLINES

In this digital age, getting your book title right is probably much tougher and more important than it was fifteen or twenty years ago. It’s a lot more complicated now and not just a matter of a book cover or title grabbing a reader on the bookstore shelf.

Most readers go on-line to see what book titles might be inviting and yea they might judge the book by its cover, especially by its title. 

If a friend recommends a book, the reader must either write it down immediately or remember the title long enough to follow up and order it. And what they will likely “brain-retain” will be an easy to recall or unique-sounding title. So, crafting a book title that draws a crowd is tricky. I usually go with my gut and invent my book title when I have a rough skeleton outline for my novel or short story. And then that working title inspires me to write it from start to finish. It drives me. DREAM BEACH and ENDANGERED WITNESS, and FINDING SANDY STONEMEYER are examples of some of my suspense novel titles. I selected each one early on in my writing process and stuck with them through publication.

Some authors take a different approach to designing a book title. They may NOT title their novel until they’ve completed the first draft of the entire manuscript. I can see why that might work well. Because at that stage, they have the holistic story in their head, from beginning to end, ready to title the work appropriately. 

One thing I didn’t know until I did some research on this topic is that many well-known authors have actually had their book titles changed right before publication because their publisher didn’t like the author-selected title. Here are some examples:

George Orwell’s The Last Man in Europe was changed by the publisher to 1984.

Ernest Hemingway’s Fiesta was changed by the publisher to THE SUN ALSO RISES.

Carson McCullers’ The Mute was changed by the publisher to THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER.

Actually, those were probably excellent changes made by publishers, right? Of course, it could go the other way where the publisher makes a poor change of title. The author had it better! I didn’t find any specific examples of this but I’ve heard published authors say this in writer association presentations and webinars, describing their dismay at their book publisher’s final selected title. But they had to go with the publisher’s decision because of their contract. Of course, self-published authors wouldn’t have this problem because they control most everything to do with their book, including title, tagline, format and pricing; but then have other challenges in terms of distribution and publicity.

So, what are the guidelines for selecting a “best fit” book title?

Here are some tips to keep in mind when thinking about your next book or short story title:

- Attention-grabbing – jumps out at the potential reader scrolling titles on a computer or phone
- Different/unique – contains a catchy, few words, even contradictory or controversial, alliterative or intriguing 
- Easy to understand – not too complicated but hints at the specific genre or theme
- Memorable – something that sticks in the mind, is recognizable, not forgettable
- Easy to find in a search – does not contain skewed spelling, weird punctuation or a proper name that would be difficult to Google or locate on Amazon
- A line of prose or poetry, or short quote that’s intriguing and eye-catching 

Also recommended is to get feedback on your top 3-5 brainstormed book titles. Ask your beta readers. They have read already read a complete draft of your manuscript and are in the perfect spot to give you a gut reaction for book title. And a beta reader may have an even better book title recommendation than you’ve considered.

Once you’ve finalized your title, put it to the Google test. Seek to find out if any other author has used the same title. Look internationally, including in other languages. It doesn’t mean you have to change your title but know that when a potential reader is doing a search for your book, another author’s book may come up and confuse them enough to not search further for yours.

Shakespeare is also a rich resource for authors looking for catchy book titles such as BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley. My most recent suspense novel was titled DEATH IS A GREAT DISGUISER, also a Shakespeare quote. 

Another interesting point I came across is that usually only well-known authors get away with a one-word book title. It’s often difficult to capture the essence and flavor of a story with just one word. Examples of some incredible best-selling authors who have done it with one word are: Stephen King – IT, Toni Morrison – BELOVED, Bram Stoker – DRACULA and Ian McEwan – ATONEMENT.

I’d like to also mention something here about book title ‘taglines’. A ‘tagline’ is best described as a subtitle for your book, most often 10-15 words or even less that follow your title. The ‘tagline’ usually appears on the book cover but can instead be at the top of the back cover.

Some tagline examples from my novels are: ENDANGERED WITNESS…A San Francisco Veterinarian’s Life Turned Upside Down With Murder, Mayhem and Betrayal, DREAM BEACH…A Romantic Suspense for Dreamers, Lovers, and Troublemakers, and TEN STEPS FROM THE HOTEL INGLATERRA… A Woman’s Romantic Adventure in Havana, Cuba

The purpose of the tagline is to further pique the potential reader’s interest, pull in the target audience. If well-crafted, it will reassure the reader that the book is the right selection for them.  A tagline that I truly admire is from THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, “Winning will make you famous. Losing means certain death.”

Let’s face it. Readers make a decision about whether to buy a book in a matter of seconds. And so, the book title and tagline chosen by the author are both critically important. Choose wisely.

Stay tuned for next week’s topic: Juggling Multiple Projects without Going Bananas.

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