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A good title is a key factor in selling your book and needs to be eye-catching, memorable and original. Your title should be appropriate for your chosen genre and should reflect the book's content. If you have a publisher, you should be aware that they may change the title; however, the better the title you provide, the more likely it is to be used. Begin by reviewing the current best-selling titles in your chosen genre. Ask yourself what it is about these titles that appeals to you and to other readers. This will vary across genres but could include factors such as humour, emotive language, an air of mystery or a promise of what will be learnt. You can now develop some criteria for selecting your title. Make a note of any words which appear frequently, for example the titles of self-help books often contain the words achieving, confidence, and overcoming. Although certain words may have been over-used and are best avoided, this exercise highlights the typical vocabulary for the genre. You can also see if there is a common title structure for your chosen genre, for example non-fiction books often have the form Main Title (short): Sub-title (longer). Now compile a list of words and phrases that reflects the content of your book. These may appear in the book itself - such as people's names, places, and events - or may be key themes. Be as wide-ranging as possible and note everything down, however silly these may seem. You can now look for common themes and discard irrelevant items. This will you give you a shortlist of the key words and phrases that reflect what your book is about. You may find there are already possible titles in this shortlist, or you can use this list to develop other options. Consider using common expressions, a play on words, phrases with a hidden meaning, and quotations. Use the criteria and vocabulary you identified earlier as guides. Once you have a selection of prospective titles, return to the list of best-selling books in your chosen genre. Imagine your titles appearing in this list - select the ones that fit your goal of being eye-catching, memorable, original, appropriate for the genre and reflecting the book's content. Once you are satisfied that you have some potential title options, get feedback from friends, family and colleagues. As a final check, search for these titles on the internet to make sure that they aren't already in use and don't have any unwanted associations. Finally, make your choice! If you need help with any aspect of your writing, Words Worth Reading Ltd offer a full writers mentoring service and manuscript proofreading.
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