How to pick a title for your novel.
The title of my first novel, although still tentative of course since authors don’t necessarily have the power of veto, is Capture The Tide. But it was not always so.
Through the years I have gone through a dozen titles, each time returning to the same one. Which incidentally is not this one. So how do you choose a title? Or working title?
This is what I suggest:
First, finish your book. Duh. Then sit and really wrap your head around the message of your work, the essence and soul of it, then make a list. This is sort of an emotional, cathartic type thing that will butt up against my next suggestion. Which is to look up books similar to yours. Look in your genre, subgenre, age group, ect… Whats selling? What’s hot? This gives you an objective viewpoint to create a second list of titles.
Now you should have 2 lists to work from. From there you can narrow down your choices reflecting on whether you want to focus on figurative meanings or literal meanings. Does your novel work with a single title? A noun? Or do you need a more poetic phrase?
Mine is a little of both, and I hope it stays.
What does your rose smell like?
Cheers, Amy
Abstract oil on canvas by me.
Amy-Westphal.com 