What We Talk About When We Talk About Book Titles

When a writing project has a good title, everyone can feel it. But getting there can be a struggle—for both the author and the publishing team, if your project happens to be a book.

When a writing project has a good title, everyone can feel it. It fits. It resonates. Nothing else will do. But getting there can be a struggle—for both the author and the publishing team, if your project happens to be a book.

I am good at coming up with book titles, if I do say so myself, though I can’t say I’m some kind of natural. Rather, it’s a talent I’ve developed over almost twenty years of working in book publishing as a literary agent. In this article, I’ll share what I’ve learned about what makes a good book title and how you can think about it for your next project. Much of this advice applies to short stories, if you’re not writing long-form—and I even trust that you essay writers out there will learn a thing or two.

Before we begin, it’s important to note that the author, the publisher, and the reader all think about book titles in different ways.

The Author

For the author, the title of their book is like the title of a painting or a song, directing the viewer/reader/listener to what’s important. They want it to signal, but not too loudly, how to think and feel about it. Artfully and subtly, of course. For some, it might even feel like naming a child. The author wants their project to be strong and hopeful and successful and not reducible to a silly nickname or crude initials. The author wants the reader to regard the title with reverence or joy or respect or curiosity. Or all of those things.

The Publisher

The publisher (and the reader, but we’ll get to that in a second) wants the title to be a billboard. They want the title to evoke the tone of the book but in an enticing way. It needs to be eye-catching but not distracting. It needs to be unique enough to remember but not confusing. It should be easy to say and not too hard to spell. (Ask me to spell rhododendron right on the first try while talking to a bookstore clerk.) It needs to tell the reader what’s inside without giving too much away. Sometimes the publisher wants it to feel like similar books but not too similar, which is why there were so many girl/wife/woman in the train/window/door books a few years ago and why there are so many title tropes in publishing in general, for better or worse.

The Reader

The reader wants a title that tells them what the book is going to be like and/or about—they want the title to signal what the reading experience will be. Is this a book for the beach or for when they are wallowing in dark feelings? Will it buoy them or ground them or inspire them or outrage them or inform them? Not all of this can be conveyed in a title and instead will be found on the back cover and conveyed through the cover imagery. But sometimes, more than anyone wants to admit, the reader doesn’t get farther than the title and cover to find out how or why that book is just what they’re looking for. It’s not always as dire as this sounds, but it underscores how important a book’s title is from a marketing and sales point of view and not just an art point of view.

Here’s your important note number two: If you want your book to sell, regardless of where—in a bookstore or online, indie or traditional—you have to pay attention to where art intersects with commerce.

The author, the publisher, and the reader all think about book titles in different ways.

How Titles Are Born

The author usually gives a book its first title long before they go through any publishing channels, and sometimes that first title is perfect and everyone agrees and it doesn’t change at all. And sometimes . . . it doesn’t happen that way. Some authors know their title isn’t right, and some authors haven’t considered the reader/marketing/sales side of things. (That won’t be you after reading this though!)

As an agent, I have frequently brainstormed a new title with an author, though of course not against their will. If the author and I don’t land on something that we both like, then we can go forth with the title the author likes best. There are some cases, however, when I advise clients that we shouldn’t submit a book to editors under a weak or lackluster title because something better that we can come to with a little thought can have a big impact. Before a publisher buys a book, everyone understands that the working title of a book is not final. (If you’re an author and did not know that—surprise!)

Once a traditional publisher buys the book, if the publishing team thinks the book needs a new title, they’ll talk to the author (and agent) and start brainstorming. The editor might have suggestions or even a perfect idea that everyone loves! Or not. There’s no one way a title happens. There are times when everyone loves a title except the marketing and/or sales teams, and they come back to the author and suggest it be changed. The bottom line is that once a publisher is involved, the title is reached by consensus.

If you’re self-publishing, the only one who has an opinion about the title is you! (And the reader, of course.)

In a book contract with a traditional publisher, it most often says that the author has consultation on the title, and it will be mutually agreed upon by both the author and the publisher. That means the publisher cannot force the author to accept a title they hate but also that the author does not get the absolute final say about the title. This often shocks authors! It’s their book, after all! And really and truly, though I am sure there are some horror stories out there, the publisher does not want the author to hate their title. I’ve brainstormed titles with editors and authors for weeks before we landed on something that worked for everyone. Titles are hard! But in traditional publishing, they’re also decided by committee.

So, What Makes a Good Title?

I’ve found that many good titles come straight from the book’s text. It’s often an unassuming line in a random paragraph, hardly ever on the first page. When I’m reading a client’s book, sometimes titles just jump out at me and I add them to a list to suggest to the author. Other times, and depending on the book, a good pun can go a long way in making a great title.

Very often, I will make a brainstorming list with the author and/or editor that riffs on the elements we want to get into a title and see what fits best. And I will suggest the most ridiculous things in those brainstorming lists, not only because sometimes those end up working but also because they signal what doesn’t work. If you’re stuck on a title, try it! Do not stop yourself from adding anything to that list, including iterations of the same thing.

Let’s pretend we’re coming up with the title for a historical novel about a flapper turned bootlegger turned millionaire patron of the arts, who is also hiding that she’s a lesbian in 1920s New York. (This isn’t a real book, as far as I know, but I sure would like to read it.) Here’s what a brainstorming list might look like for this book. Warning: Most of these are going to be cheesy, silly, bad, or cliché. Sometimes you have to get those out of the way.

All that Glitters

On the Fringe

All the Fringe

The Secret Life of [Character’s Name]

A New York Secret

All the Secrets in New York

The Speakeasy

The Speakeasy’s Secret

The Secret Speakeasy

All the Secrets at the Speakeasy

Spilled Secrets

Gin and Secrets

The Last Speakeasy on the Bowery

The Most Beautiful Millionaire in New York

The Blind Tigress (blind tiger is an old name for a speakeasy!)

Shaken Not Stirred

The Prohibition of [Character’s Name]

I told you most of these would be bad. But allowing all ideas a chance clarifies what you do and do not want in a title.

Titles are not copyrightable (and I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice), so someone can use “your” title and you can use someone else’s. But you probably don’t want to, to prevent confusion, especially in search results. Titles can, though, be trademarked, which is totally different and which is why you can’t use things like Chicken Soup for the ______ Soul, Idiot’s Guide to______, ______ for Dummies, or other trademarked things. I would not suggest you title your memoir something like The Official Book on How Coca-Cola Saved My Life, no matter how apt, funny, or poignant it might be. Someone’s lawyer is going to send you or your publisher a letter, and it’s not worth the hassle. There are many other better titles out there.

I’ve found that many good titles come straight from the book’s text.

The trickiest thing about titles, I think, is that the author and publishing team know everything about a book, so there are many titles that feel like they fit perfectly. It is too easy to forget that the reader has not read the book yet, so referencing something deep in the text that only makes sense after you read it is not an effective strategy in crafting a title. A good title hooks the reader before they read it and pays off even more after they finish.

But What If You Hate Your Title?

If you’ve got a book deal and the publisher tells you the title doesn’t work and you hate hate hate their suggestions, what do you do?

First, talk to your agent, if you have one, or your editor if you do not. Again, the publisher does not want you to hate your title, because they know it is your book and your work and you have to look at it for the rest of your life. Don’t take it personally. They are not giving a bad title at you. They are just looking at it from another angle than you are. But also, don’t feel guilty or shy about sharing your feelings. You are not bothering anyone. Your editor wants to know if you hate the title. Speak up for yourself! If you feel you can’t, ask your agent to do that for you.

Make sure you are considering the marketing side of titles, even if you do not want to. Yes, your book is art. But if you want someone to buy your art, they are going to need to be enticed to do so, and one way that happens is with the title. You may not like changing your title or what your publisher suggests, but they probably have at least one or two good points about why it needs to change.

I am afraid titles are not exempt from that old writing canard: “kill your darlings.” The more you might love a title, the more likely sales and marketing won’t (lol). My best advice is to not get too attached to a title and to let the right one find you instead.