According to
a study on consumer behaviour, a potential buyer holds a book in his hands for
approximately 3 to 5 seconds. So your title has about 5 seconds to make an
impression.
So what
makes a great title? The basic rule says that it should be simple, catchy and
memorable. A title such as The Electric
Kool-Aid Acid Test is not really simple, but it is certainly catchy... with
regards to it being memorable... *shrugs* but this book is regarded as
“an American classic that defined a generation” and the 2003 edition of the book says "over 2
million copies sold"
Here is an
opinion, which I tend to agree with, on what makes a memorable title: “It’s
something that combines the familiar and the unfamiliar in a way that is both
visceral and verbally stimulating. Take, for example, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — a great title, as it combines these various
elements flawlessly. It offers a striking image and has great rhythm.”
Then you get
book titles that are an entertainment in themselves. Never mind the content. Consider this title: The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the
Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed, by Karen Elizabeth Gordon. Phew! This
conjures all sorts of images. Actually, this is a playful and practical grammar
handbook that addresses classic
questions of English usage with wit and the blackest of humour.
Some of the
world’s most famous books with great titles include: To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby and Lord Of The Flies
As a writer,
do you find it difficult to give a title to your book? How do you go about
doing this? What is your favourite book title of all time?
Titles are always a bugbear for me. Many times they just come to me and I love them. I jot them down and hope they'll serve the work long after I type "The End". Other times they are elusive.
ReplyDeleteMy writing mentor used to get so aggravated at me because I wouldn't name a book first. She said it was like having a child without a name. But I can't help it! Sometimes I get the story first, not the title :)
Jen
helpful suggestions,
ReplyDeleteI am blogging at
The Other Side for A to Z challenge
Sometimes the title is just right and it's there before I start the book. Other times I'm tearing my hair out trying to find a title that will do what you've just posted about.
ReplyDeleteUsually a title comes to me before I complete a book but my publisher has helped me with suggestions. Titles can be important for catching that first interest.
ReplyDeleteCan't tell you how often I first choose a book because of its title, then later wonder what the title had to do with the book. My first big impression was Bleeding Heart by the great Marilyn French. The Stone Angel by Margaret Lawrence, It's why I chose Broken But Not Dead. I thought it would attract a potential reader.
ReplyDeleteI have gotten into the habit lately that if a book has Saga, Trilogy, Series, Chronicles or Epic in the title, I automatically skip it. Blah Blah, First Volume in the Blah Blah Blah Chronicles... Nope. Sounds like you want a series-long commitment from your readers before they start reading :D
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Tales of colors
MopDog - The crazy thing about Hungarians...
I think coming up with a title is one of the most difficult. For a novel-"To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Call of the Wild". For my non fiction-"Inside Oscar" and film stars in general and the movies
ReplyDeleteI find it immensely difficult to title my stories. Thankfully I have clever CPs and a great writing group to help. I don't know if I have a favorite title of all time, but ones like The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy stand out for me.
ReplyDeleteI find it very difficult. On my debut book, I thought the title was a great tongue in cheek/compliment to the story (Line 21) but alas, no one got it/understood it. Once the rights reversion goes through in the summer, I'll definitely be republishing with a title that makes more sense.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I'm having a problem coming up with a title for a finished novella. The block has going on for about a year now with no end in sight.
A-Z Challenge at Father Nature's Corner
For me, persistence pays off. I sat in front of my computer for two hours last night determined to come up with a good name for my new series. I typically search the potential name on amazon and goodreads. I want my titles to be unique. I found the perfect one, just when I was about to give up for the night.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved creating titles. My current title for my WIP is pretty kick-butt if I do say so myself. ;) As for favorite title... Women Who Run With the Wolves. Also my favorite book :D
ReplyDeleteSometimes I can think up a good title. Sometimes they are clunky.
ReplyDeleteWhen i'm browsing bookstores, I go Title, Cover, Blurb, Opening lines, but I also read about the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle .. I look for subject and type of book - usually I'm not looking for something specific .. but just to see what's around and I'll buy on impulse .. but they'll be historical, or have a reference base style, or biographical ...
ReplyDeleteTitle is important too - but as Denise says .. the rest are important to the purchase .. cheers Hilary
I wait til the story is over before titling something. I have difficulty otherwise.
ReplyDeleteMy friend has the best title. It's: no title needed
It s a play on what the mc is.