Q&A for How to Come Up with a Good Book Title

A lot of writers know what they're going to name the book from the start. If you get to the end of the book, though, and you don't have a title yet, ask yourself how you would summarize the book in one phrase or word.

Sure, you can come up with your title at any point - before, during, or after writing the book.

In most cases this would be a good idea, so yes. You want the title to tell the reader slightly what it's about, without spoiling it. It can be the setting, a character's name many things. Try to come up with different titles relating to it and pick your favourite.

Look at what the story is about. When you have a love story, it is likely that you show that somewhere on the cover. There are also different styles of covers -- there are the ones that have a picture on them and drawn or computer-made covers. It is totally up to you, but make sure that if you use pictures, that they are entirely your property.

Think about which title suits the plot of your book better. If you still can't decide, ask a friend which one they prefer.

No, although you should take the suggestion to focus the title on the main characters into consideration. All of these are suggestions and not hard and fast rules. In "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" the Wizard is a relatively minor character, Dorothy is the main character. So exceptions exist.

Most people wouldn't, but it's your book and you can do it if you want to. However, it's a little less lazy and more elegant to create a new title or subtitle for the sequel instead of tacking on a number.

What you must do is brainstorm. For example, the first thing that pops to mind, but try to stay on topic with the book. Make sure the text is relevant. Once you get your title, take some of the tips in the article such as searching to make sure it won't be confused with another.

Oklahoma is a good place to write in. It's not as crowded as LA but it does have people. And Van Buren and Ft Smith, Arkansas are great towns.

Try mentioning the setting or say something mysterious. The reader will, for example, immediately be able to figure out his "evil-ness" if the title mentions that, but the setting will not be too revealing. For example: "The deadly marshes of Cottington".

In a simpler way: Don't make long or confusing titles. If you want to make a fiction book, have a mysterious title, but not with non-fiction. You can also put the character's name as a title. Try not to make boring names and make the names pop out.

Think about the contents of your book. What are the main ideas? Are there any important (or just good) bits of dialogues that may be potential candidates for your book's title? If you have already come up with a few ideas, narrow them down. Remember, you'll want to think of an original title that will grab the publisher's, and the readers' attention.

Sure, as long as you're okay with people knowing that you wrote it and that it's about your life, that's a great idea.

You can incorporate the setting into the title. This is especially a good choice if your book is fantasy and the setting is a place you made up, i.e. The Chronicles of Narnia.

You could name it after yourself, or an important event/location in your life.

I think all of that depends on who your audience is and what you are exploring with the narrative. You should write the story you want to write.

Some titles could be Malice in Wonderland, Best Malfunction Ever; Paradice Found.

Probably not. A string of numbers such as coordinates are hard to say and remember, so you won't get much word-of-mouth advertising, and people who see your book may not be able to remember the title either. It would get attention, but coordinates are a bit over-the-top.

It's okay to do that, plenty of people do, but it's a little vague, it really doesn't give the reader any idea what your book is actually about.

You don't need to be able to draw to write a book, you could always ask someone else to draw if you want illustrations. But if you want to improve your drawing, the best thing to do is practice.

Yes, you certainly could use an image of your friends as the cover for your book as long as the image made sense with the story. However, if you intend to have your book published professionally, there's a chance they would want to change the cover image.

Sure, you can do that. A lot of books get their titles from an important quotation in the book. Just make sure it isn't too long - a few words or a short phrase should be sufficient.

I don't think the negative impact on your book would be very strong (if it occurred at all), so I believe it would be fine to use a title that's similar to the titles of other books.

No, but if it is a well-known show, you might want to change it, since people may think of the show, and not your book.

You could research facts about a certain animal to help you brainstorm, or you could go for a more straightforward approach, and just incorporate the name(s) of the animal(s).

Yes, as long as it is catchy.

A line from your novel that describes your story could work, or you could call it something like "The Deceiver" or "Love of a Liar."

Yes, as long as the title isn't SO long that it's rambling.

Copyrights cover works fixed in a tangible format, but because titles are typically short, they don't fall under copyright protection. So no, titles of books do not have copyright. Although some book titles are trademarked, that will not always protect those book titles.

Get input from other people; even just getting a fresh perspective can help.