What's in a Name? How to choose a title for your book

Barbara White Daille

By Barbara White Daille

What's in a Name?

Hey, everyone! It’s a pleasure to drop in and visit again.  As always, I’m looking forward to a fun and lively chat—and some delicious goodies, of course! I’ve brought along homemade chocolate-chip and blueberry muffins, so let’s fire up the coffeemaker, heat up the teakettle, and settle in.

Today we’re talking about titles.

Coming up with the right title for your book is an important process. If you’ve ever picked up—and even purchased—a book based on the title alone, you’ll know how true that is. Finding the right title, the one that speaks to you and to readers, that gets the gist of the story across, and that conveys something extra about your book, can be both challenging and fun.

These are just some of the many things to think about when naming your story.

Who is your audience?

If you’re writing to share your stories with others, then obviously, you need to catch the interest of an audience. To attract new readers or to hold the interest of your current readers, you’ll want your title to feature keywords that grab their attention.

For example, I’ve been a lifelong mystery reader, and even in grade school, I was drawn to any book that included adventure, mystery, secret, or clue in the title. Anyone remember the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys? What mystery lover could resist a title such as The Bobbsey Twins at Mystery Mansion, The Clue of the Broken Locket, or The Secret of the Old Mill?   

As an adult, I love to read mysteries and romantic suspense and still search library and bookstore shelves—and websites—for titles containing those mystery-related words.

Many of my own books have rancher or cowboy or sheriff in the title because my publisher knows those are heroes our readers love.

What’s your book about?

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This can encompass many things, including:

1. Your subject matter. The type of book you write—whether contemporary or historical fiction or nonfiction—will determine how you tell your story and how much background material and research you weave through it. But writers of any type of book can touch on similar topics:  small-town life, the settlers of the American West, life-threatening illness, blended families.

2. Your theme. What is the book about—that is, what is its underlying message? Forgiveness? Revenge? Reclaiming your faith? The power of love? Belonging?

Finding the right words or phrases to convey these themes will help you catch readers who love the topics as easily as those childhood mystery titles reeled me in.

How can you make the most of your title?

1. Play off the tone of the book. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but usually, the tone of a gentle, heartwarming romance will be very different from that of a thriller. A romantic comedy won’t read like cutting-edge science fiction. Whatever the tone of your story, you can use the appropriate words to match.

2. Use your setting. In the books I’d read as a child, an adventure usually involved a mystery. But it can also be connected to travel and exploration, two topics some readers love. Again, this works for fiction or nonfiction. Instead of the generic adventure, use descriptive words that indicate the setting of your story…that tell your reader exactly where the adventure will take place. A spaceship. An antiques emporium. A cathedral. The Adirondacks. Davey’s Diner. Wyoming.

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3. Make the title do double- or triple-duty. Here are some examples using my own titles.

A Rancher’s Pride is a perfect fit for its story. This title does triple-duty, as my hero is a very proud man whose pride took a beating after his ex-wife abandoned him. Since then he has let that pride get in the way of accepting help from his many friends. Finally, as the book opens, he learns he’s a daddy, and as he grows to love his little girl, she becomes his pride and joy.

In Family Matters, my heroine is the one person in her family who can always be counted on to come to their rescue over anything involving…well…family matters. In this story, she has a choice to make between her immediate goal and her family’s needs. She makes a great personal sacrifice because, to her, family matters.

The title of my current book, A Rancher of Her Own, also does double-duty. Jane’s cousin, who recently found the man of dreams, makes a reference to Jane finding (you’ve guessed it) a rancher of her own. The irony is, city-slicker Jane is determinedly single and happy to remain so. The last thing she wants is a man of her own—especially one as contrary as solitary rancher Pete.

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I hope all this will have given you some ideas to help you create titles for your own books.

Now, let’s see the results of a good title in action. This involves a little homework on your part…and a giveaway from me!

Tell us the title of a book that would catch your eye and share why it would make you pick it up for a closer look. (Please choose a book other than your own. ;) )

 

Three winners will receive their choice of an autographed print copy of A Rancher’s Pride or Family Matters.  One of the villagers here at Seekerville will draw and announce the winners’ names.

And now, Seekers, let the chatting begin!

~~~

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom.

Barbara’s new series, The Hitching Post Hotel, features a matchmaking grandpa determined to see his three granddaughters wed. The series began in April 2015 with The Cowboy’s Little Surprise and continues with A Rancher of Her Own in July and The Lawman’s Christmas Proposal in December.

You can find more info about Barbara and her books at the following locations:

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Newsletter ~ Blog ~ Amazon ~ Harlequin ~ Goodreads

A Rancher of Her Own

A REASON TO STAY 

Ranch manager Pete Brannigan has no interest in playing tour guide to a city slicker like Jane Garland. But spending a few days with the headstrong photographer is a small price to pay for everything her grandfather has given the single dad. Though Pete's drawn to Jane's sharp wit and striking beauty, he won't hurt his young children by falling for another woman who puts her career before family. 

Jane's seen the world through her camera…and used it to shield her emotions. With Pete, she can finally let her guard down. If only he could do the same. Despite their powerful bond, Pete still can't trust Jane with his kids or his heart. But if he keeps pushing her away, he may ruin any chance their relationship has to develop.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Books-A-Million ~ Harlequin ~ IndieBound ~ Kobo

Tips and Tricks for Terrific Titles

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

True, but . . . bad titles don’t sell books.

For fun, I Googled “book titles that were changed,” and here are a few well-known books and their original titles that, um, didn’t quite cut it:

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, was first called Something That Happened. Really???

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, had several alternate titles, one of which was Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires. Not quite the same ring, huh?

For his novel Dracula, Bram Stoker first considered The Dead Un-Dead. Not bad, but . . . not great.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, was almost called First Impressions. Would that title have made a good first impression on readers?

William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies started out as Strangers from Within. Boring . . .

And (in honor of Julie Lessman) the working title of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind was Tomorrow Is Another Day. A great line for our dear, memorable Scarlett, but as the book title? Not so much.

So far, I’ve scored pretty well in keeping the titles my manuscripts were submitted under. Of my 10 traditionally published novels currently (or about to be) in print, the biggest change an editor requested was adding two letters to my original title One Perfect Christmas, making it One IMPerfect Christmas. A tiny change, but an effective one that more fully reflected what the story was about.

But let’s face it. Coming up with a killer book title is hard work. You want it to be memorable, evocative, enticing. Your title should not only match the kind of book you’re writing, but it should also strike an emotional chord with readers.

“The point to remember is that the primary function of a title is not to provide the locus of a story, but to entice the reader.”—Sol Stein, Stein on Writing

Also worth noting is that the best titles hint at more than one meaning. Mary Connealy’s book titles like Out of Control, Over the Edge, Swept Away, and Stuck Together describe not only the romance in each story but also imply something important about the central characters and their inner struggles.

As you’re casting about for title ideas, here are a few suggestions:

Song titles. Mary Higgins Clark is known for using nostalgic song titles as the titles of her novels, including I’ve Got You Under My Skin, The Shadow of Your Smile, and Let Me Call You Sweetheart. Since titles cannot be copyrighted, borrowing is perfectly acceptable. However, be careful with lyrics, which are copyrighted. The titles in my Abingdon Press historical romance series, When the Clouds Roll By, Whisper Goodbye, and Every Tear a Memory, are taken from the old World War I-era song “Till We Meet Again” (also the name for the series), but before using the phrases, I checked to be sure the lyrics were in the public domain.

Quotations. Biblical phrases or lines from famous quotes can be shaped into intriguing titles. Examples of biblically inspired titles include John Grisham’s A Time to Kill and Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars. Steinbeck’s title Of Mice and Men is taken from Robert Burns’s poem “To a Mouse.” A helpful source for quotes is http://www.bartleby.com/quotations/. Enter a keyword or two based on some element of your story and see what pops up.

Word association. Quickly jot down a list of thematic words, symbols, settings, descriptions, etc., associated with your story. These words may suggest other ideas—synonyms, metaphors, word combinations. Play around with your list and see if a meaningful word or phrase stands out. The working title of my next Heartsong Presents, set in the Big Bend Country of West Texas and featuring the tiny border town of Candelaria, is Candles in the Desert.

Titles using the main character’s name. Missy Tippens used both the character’s name and alliteration in her title A Family for Faith. Pam Hillman’s novels Stealing Jake and Claiming Mariah combine a strong action verb with the central character’s name.

Titles of similar books. Examine book titles from your target publisher. Is there a common tone or phraseology? Do certain themes or images crop up often? What’s the average length of their titles? For example, a quick perusal of Love Inspired titles reveals they are usually three to four words in length, may refer to a specific character (occasionally by name), and may include an action verb related to the development of the romance. Look at Tina Radcliffe’s Mending the Doctor’s Heart and Glynna Kaye’s A Canyon Springs Courtship. Love Inspired Historical titles follow a similar pattern, including Janet Dean’s Courting Miss Adelaide and Jan Drexler’s A Mother for His Children. Debby Giusti’s Love Inspired Suspense titles such as The Captain’s Mission and The Officer’s Secret suggest an element of danger facing the central character.

Brainstorm with your friends. Toss out your synopsis or a brief story description to a group of trusted friends (the Seekers do this regularly). You might be pleasantly surprised (or at least get a laugh or two) at the insights a fresh set of eyes and some vivid imaginations will generate!

“Most important, titles must arise from your book and reflect its theme. Titles must come from within rather than from without.”—Elizabeth Lyon, The Sell Your Novel Toolkit.

Once you have the beginnings of some title ideas, here are a few questions to ask:

Is the title easy to remember? Make sure your title is short enough and catchy enough that readers won’t forget it when they look for it in the bookstore or search online.

Is the title easy to pronounce? Avoid foreign words and phrases or difficult names that might not be familiar to most readers.

Does the title reflect the tone and genre of your book? Cutesy won’t cut it for a suspense-filled novel, nor do you want an overly dramatic title for a humorous book.

Is your title too similar to that of a book already in print? Search for your title on amazon.com or Google. As I mentioned earlier, titles cannot be copyrighted, but current titles that are too much alike can cause confusion for the book buyer. You also want to avoid any negative connotation between your book and a similarly titled book that your readers might find offensive.

Let’s talk! Name a few book titles that stand out in your mind. What makes them memorable? Why do you find them appealing (or not)? Do you have other suggestions for coming up with a great book title? One lucky commenter today will win a $10 Amazon gift card, so chat away!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Award-winning author Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. Myra is a two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards, and her Heartsong Presents romance Autumn Rains (November 2009) won RWA’s 2005 Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript. She’s also thrilled that her novel When the Clouds Roll By won the historical fiction category of the 2014 Christian Retailing’s Best Award! Her current release, Whisper Goodbye, received a 4 1/2-star review from Romantic Times.

Married since 1972, Myra and her husband are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters who, along with their godly husbands, have huge hearts for ministry. Seven grandchildren take up another big chunk of Myra’s heart. Originally from Texas, the Johnsons moved to the Carolinas in 2011. They love the climate and scenery, but they may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered doggies who don’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.”
 
Find Myra online at www.MyraJohnson.com
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Seekerville Guest Blogger Janet Lee Barton: Learning to be Flexible

Myra here. Please welcome my friend and former Oklahoma compatriot, Janet Lee Barton! I was blessed to have the chance to get to know Janet through cross-visits of our Oklahoma ACFW chapters. She’s a prolific author, a wise mentor, and an all-around lovely lady.

Today Janet brings her expertise to bear on one absolutely essential trait of a successful writer: learning to be flexible. Janet, take it away!

~~~~~~~~~~~   

Janet Lee Barton

Oh, you may be finished with the manuscript—as it is right now.  You may have gone over it multiple times—had critique partners, family and/or friends read through it several times, too. Then you send it out. But it still doesn't mean you're finished.

You may have an agent or publisher interested in it, and even get an offer of representation or better yet, a contract!  But you still aren't finished.  In fact, you've only just begun.  And now is the time to learn to be flexible. In this instance and according to my dictionary, it means to be "ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances or conditions."

For instance, you may be asked to change the title of your book. I can hear several gasps from here.  I've actually heard writers say they'll never change their title. But really, one should never to get too attached to a title—and especially not so much that you'd refuse to change it.  If you are in this for the long haul the chances of you needing to change a title are quite high.  But it is not worth putting your career on the line for, nor is it worth giving your editor the idea that you might be hard to work with. 

So make that change and get ready for the next one--because there will be more. Believe me—I know. You might be asked to change a scene, take out that favorite paragraph—the one you worked days to get just right. Or maybe you're asked to take out a plot line—or add a new one—what can possibly be better than the one you've been asked to take out? Or you might be asked to take out a secondary character you love, or all of the above. Yes, I can see that isn't what you want to hear.  None of us do. But it can and does happen.

Yes, sometimes you can ask to keep something in just as it is. But most times you need to think about it first. If the requested change is something you know your character would not do, or something you truly feel strongly about, you can say so—nicely of course. Then you and your editor might need to talk things through to get to a mutually satisfying decision. It can be done.

Learn what to stand firm on and what to give way on.  The most important thing to remember is that your editor wants to help you make your story the best it can be.  Sometimes your ideas on how to go about that differ, but you should always be flexible enough to listen to what your editor is saying, then think about it—really think about it—and see if the editor's idea might make for a better book.  I've found that most times they do, if we are flexible enough to take their ideas to heart and work with them. 

Janet Lee Barton was born in New Mexico and has lived all over the South. She and her husband now call Oklahoma home. She writes both Historical and Contemporary romance, and loves writing about faith, families, friends and, of course, falling in love. Visit her at www.janetleebarton.com

Janet’s current releases:

Making Memories

When Amanda Forrester moves to Oklahoma City to escape her matchmaking family, she has no intention of falling in love. But when neighbor Josh Randall befriends her, she finds not falling love is easier said than done. But what if a romance ruined friendship?

When Amanda’s family insists she come home for Christmas, Josh offers to go along to keep them from setting her up with every single man they know. He isn’t about to let Amanda fall prey to some back-home Romeo. Should he tell her how he feels?

Will this Christmas be their first for making memories?

This e-book is a WhiteRose Publishing reprint/re-edit of a Christmas novella and is currently available at all the online bookstores, just in time for Christmas! Order for your Kindle here, or for your Nook here. Also available at CBD.com here.



I'd Sooner Have Love

Unable to give her husband children, Faith Anderson watched his love change to disappointment before he died in a riding accident. She's determined never to marry again, and instead plans to build a new life in Guthrie, Oklahoma, with thousands of other settlers who have rushed to the area.

But that was before she met Gabe Logan...

If the past were different, Gabe and Faith would sooner have love. But now they must decide: will they let fear of disappointment and rejection keep them from accepting the love God has placed in their paths?

Leave a comment on today’s post to be entered in a drawing for a copy of I’d Sooner Have Love.

Name That Book!!!!!!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Weekend Edition to bring you this breaking news story...

This just in from 233 Broadway, Suite 1001....

Waiting for satellite feed....

And it's a go!!! Gretchen, we're over to you, you're live in Seekerville.




"Walter, thank you, happy to be here in front of 233 Broadway, the historic Woolworth Building in the heart of the world's biggest financial district where we have word that Steeple Hill Publishers has just offered a new contract to none other than Ruth Logan Herne, one of their hot new authors."

"Gretchen, isn't she the author of that 4 1/2 Star book she's been bragging on for months?"

"Well, Walter, actually it's been weeks... But, yes, she has been talking about it. A lot. Although I'm told that's what authors are supposed to do, the new ones especially. Talk it up. Create an Internet presence."


"Internet?"

(Gretchen smiles) "Never mind, Walter, let's see if the news reports hold true. Someone's coming out of 233 Broadway. Why, it's Melissa Endlich, the illustrious senior editor of Steeple Hill Books. Melissa, good morning!"



"Gretchen Carlson? Of Fox News?"

(Gretchen smiles. Gosh, she's got the greatest smile. And really good hair. But then that Endlich gal is no slouch, you know what I mean???)Melissa, forgive me for interrupting your weekend, but we just heard that Ruth Logan Herne has been offered a brand new contract with Steeple Hill. Is this true?"

(Melissa beams, which is waaaaay better than cringing) "It is. I just got off the phone with her wonderful agent, Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary (shameless plug, I know, but hey, who's writing this gig??? HUH????) and we're delighted to be tucking Ruthy's first Joy in Jamison novel into our April Love Inspired line-up."

(Gretchen smiles) "I can't wait to read it! I just finished her debut novel, what was that called again???? Spring's Beginning? Springing Forth? Spring has Sprung?"

(Melissa's smile thins slightly) "Winter's End. Her debut novel is titled Winter's End."

(Gretchen smiles) "Oh, of course! That's it. I loved it from beginning to end, couldn't put it down. That Marc DeHollander... He was a hottie! And with Derek Jeter eyes, too!"


(This gratuitous picture of Derek Jeter contributed by author)

(Melissa nods) "Well, since your husband is Jeter's agent, you're probably way more familiar with his eyes than I am. But Ruthy seems to have a Mom-mance going on with him."

(Gretchen smiles) "He's a sweetie! So, tell me, Melissa." (Gretchen leans in) "What's this new book called?"

(Melissa shakes her head sadly). "We don't know."

(Gretchen's smile dims) "You... WHAT?"

(Melissa shrugs, discomfitted) (fyi, discomfitted is the word of the day, try to use it in a sentence, starting....NOW!!!) "It's as yet untitled."

(Gretchen hesitates, looking for some good in this situation, then just plain gives up) "Why, Melissa? Why?"

(Melissa sighs) "We need help. We have all the earmarks of a great romance novel. We have a secret baby, a Gift of the Magi type sacrificial love, mistakes made, a West Point graduate, military hero... Gretchen, this book has it all. A great son who wants the best for his mother, a darling, Shirley Temple-type daughter..."

"And no title?"

"No." Melissa draws a deep breath. "But that's where the friends of Seekerville come in."

(Gretchen turns) "Where?"

(Melissa sighs, a little heavier this time) "Euphemistically. I mean we need their help to name this novel."

(Gretchen's smile perks up) "Really? You'd let them help?"

(Melissa nods sagely) "They do, after all, put up with Ruthy and her particular brand of nonsense each and every day. And they're salt-of-the-earth good people, of the race that knows Joseph, if you get my drift."

(Gretchen nods in return) "The backbone of America, motherhood and apple pie."

(Melissa agrees wholeheartedly) "You nailed it. The people of Seekerville know a good book when they see it. So we're enlisting their aid to come up with title possibilities for Ruthy's first 2011 release. Some key words they might want to consider are 'hearts', 'edge', Alyssa, Trent, soldier, military, Jamison. And this story evokes feelings of redemption. Forgiveness. Second chances."


"I just know I'm going to love it, Melissa!!!!"

Melissa smiles full agreement as she opens her umbrella in the face of a brisk April rain. "So do we, Gretchen. So do we."


Ruthy here, pleased to have brought you that late-breaking news flash!!!! It's another party in Seekerville!!!! YAY!!!!!





So yes, today you get to help Name That Book.... Alyssa and Trent's incredibly beautiful romance has just been officially contracted by my BFF editor, Melissa Endlich of Steeple Hill.

So jump in everyone. Run the gamut. Here's a mini-synop to help you along...


Four-year-old Trent Michaels was dumped by his parents alongside a busy interstate in Western New York. The town of Jamison took the boy to heart and raised him with pride and hope, going the distance for a little boy lost, a child of hope and promise, a pre-schooler who'd been left for dead on a bitter cold, snowswept November day.

Alyssa Langley never meant to fall in love with Trent Michaels, Jamison’s pauper to prince icon. Trent’s rocky beginnings should have spelled trouble, but Trent’s intellect and football skills made him an ideal West Point candidate, his boyhood dream fulfilled. When Alyssa discovers she’s carrying his child after high school graduation, she keeps the secret to herself, knowing Trent’s integrity and faith will push him to do the right thing, marry her and declare the child. Cadets cannot be married or responsible for a child.

Alyssa breaks things off with Trent, moves west and maintains her silence through years of bad choices until family circumstances force her to move back to Jamison with her eleven-year-old son and three-year-old daughter.

When Alyssa comes face-to-face with a now successful Trent in her family-run restaurant, she realizes the time of reckoning has come. Old feelings resurge as proximity and strengthening faith push Trent and Alyssa together, but when Alyssa’s little daughter becomes gravely ill, Alyssa’s re-found faith is shaken to the core. Can she hang on long enough to become the family Trent never had?


And hey, be sure to leave your e-mail addy for me if you'd like a chance to be entered in a drawing for either Winter's End (NOT SPRING HAS SPRUNG, DAGNABBIT!!) or my upcoming release Waiting Out the Storm...

Breakfast today is courtesy of The Edge, the Langley family's beautiful hillside restaurant, set along a ridge overlooking the sweet town of Jamison, New York, nestled below. Try Susan's homemade strudels, Rocco's egg-n-bacon sandwiches on thick, homemade bread and a lovely selection of buckwheat pancakes and real maple syrup from The Maple Tree Inn.

And feel free to party-hearty. It's celebrating time in Seekerville once again!!!

Now let's Name That Book!!!!! (Oh, hint: We can't use the words family, small, daddy or hometown... Now that I've said that, that's all you'll think about, LOL!!! And I'm tippin' me cap in thanks to ye', I am!) We'll announce the title (picked by the esteemed and illustrious and all-too-cute Melissa Endlich of Steeple Hill Books) and the winner in NEXT SATURDAY'S Weekend Edition!

Ruthy