How to Title Your Novel: The Complete Writing Guide

Titles shine a spotlight on the heart of the novel, directing readers’ attention to an important element that thematically ties the story together. For some writers, coming up with a title is even harder than writing the book itself! After analyzing a few hundred novels, I’ve noticed seven categories that might help you brainstorm ideas for a musical, memorable, and marketable title—one that sounds like poetry to the ear, that readers will easily remember, and that captures people’s attention.

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Book Title Generators:
https://kindlepreneur.com/free-book-title-generator-tools/
https://blog.reedsy.com/book-title-generator/

Sources Shown in Video:

“How to Find Good Novel Titles” on Novel Writing Help: https://www.novel-writing-help.com/novel-titles.html

Interview on Read at Midnight with R.F. Kuang about _The Poppy War_: https://readatmidnight.com/2018/05/23/interview-with-r-f-kuang-on-the-poppy-war/

“Q&A with Neil Gaiman” on Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/8769-q-a-with-neil-gaiman.html

“The Legal Use of Song Lyrics in Books from the Perspective of an Indie Author” by Jonathan Westwood: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/the-legal-use-of-song-lyrics-in-books-from-the-persepective-of-an-indie-author/

“Here’s How Tupac Inspired The Hate U Give” on Epic Reads: https://www.epicreads.com/blog/tupac-thug-life-hate-u-give/

“Another Story About Me and Some Guy” by Kathy Fish: http://fictionaut.com/stories/kathy-fish/another-story-about-me-and-some-guy

Anthony Marra: The Powells.com Interview: https://www.powells.com/post/interviews/anthony-marra-the-powellscom-interview

“Can You Trademark Your Title?” on The Authors Guild: https://www.authorsguild.org/industry-advocacy/can-trademark-title/#:~:text=The%20law%20is%20clear%20that,the%20role%20of%20a%20brand

Stephenie Meyer FAQ on _Twilight_: https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-books/twilight/twilight-faq#title

“Commonly Used Words in YA Book Titles” on Brin’s Book Blog: http://brinsbookblog.com/commonly-used-words-ya-book-titles/

“Best of the Decade Data: Common Words in Titles” on Tor: https://www.tor.com/2011/03/11/best-of-the-decade-data-common-words-in-titles/

“When Advertising Tried to Create the Perfect Woman, Thriller Writers Rebelled” on CrimeReads: https://crimereads.com/when-advertising-tried-to-create-the-perfect-woman-thriller-writers-rebelled/

“How to Name Your Bestseller” by Michael Tauberg: https://medium.com/@michaeltauberg/how-to-name-a-bestseller-6f7313fbb9e6

_Why Not Catch 21? The Stories Behind the Titles_ by Gary Dexter: https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=554#m3701

Title and End Music:
“Clockwork” by Vindsvept - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zl4EGLoiI8&t=83s

Background Music by Vindsvept:
+ “Keeper of the Forest”
+ “The Fae”
+ “Woodland Lullaby”
+ “Voyage to Nowhere”
+ “Hearthfire”
+ “Winter’s Tale”
+ “Skymning”
+ “The Forgotten Forest”
+ “Iluminate”

Introduction (0:00)
Key Plot Event or Element (2:23)
Character Name or Role (5:00)
Important Setting (8:16)
Allusion (10:36)
Symbol or Metaphor (15:12)
Theme (16:47)
Phrase (19:14)
Marketing Considerations (21:27)
Brainstorming Exercise (27:35)

Видео How to Title Your Novel: The Complete Writing Guide канала Diane Callahan - Quotidian Writer