Would Gone with the Wind be half as popular or widely read if it had been published under its original title, Pansy (the original name for Scarlett O’Hara)? What about The Great Gatsby? Would it be considered a classic today if it was still called Trimalchio in West Egg? Probably not, because no one would’ve bought it!
I have this topic on the brain because I recently had to brainstorm new titles for a Carina Press book with another member of the team. Good lord, it’s tough! Trying to find something that relates to the story but is also clever and unique is both daunting and frustrating. It’s also given me a whole new respect for authors who struggle to find the perfect combination of words to encapsulate their story.
Part of our job on the Carina Press team is to make sure the fabulous books we publish have equally fabulous titles. Yes, it’s important to create beautiful covers and compose compelling cover copy, but choosing the best title for a book is another key ingredient in its overall marketing plan. In fact, it may be the most crucial part, because it could mean the difference between the book’s eventual success or failure.
The first things we see on our acquisition meeting agendas are the title, genre and word length of the manuscripts. We also hear a bit about the story and characters, but that comes after we have already formed our first emotional reaction to the title.
Have I let someone else volunteer to read a manuscript because I thought the title sounded cheesy or cutesy or just plain clichéd? Yes. Do I still take on some books despite the cringe factor of what they’re called? Yes, but I have to say I’m a lot more excited to dive into a story that stimulates me or attracts my attention right from the start.
So what makes a good title and why is it so darned important? Well, before you can regale readers with your amazing voice and vivid characters, you need to get them to buy your book. Your title should be simple, brief, audience-appropriate and above all else, interesting! Oh, and it should sound good out loud. Making it memorable will also help readers remember it for future word-of-mouth possibilities.
Think of titling as an introduction to your book, an opportunity to get across its promise in the mind of the prospective reader. If you’ve written a medical romance, don’t choose a title that makes your book sound like a steamy romantic suspense. This will only anger readers and make them feel they didn’t get what they thought they would.
Titles may not be copyrighted, but choosing one that’s original is a better idea than going with something generic-sounding. If you’re unsure whether a potential title has been used before, do a quick search online. You want people to find your book when they type in the title, not somebody else’s from 1983.
Choosing the right title also plays a huge role in tempting a prospective reader to hit the buy button. This is even more important when it comes to ebooks. Once your book is for sale on an etailer’s site, it’s not just the story of your heart anymore. It’s a marketable commodity, a product, and should be treated as such. That means that in order to make your book appealing to potential buyers, it has to have a title that reflects the value of what’s inside the pages. Remember: you only have those eyeballs for a few seconds, so it’s important to ensnare and engage them immediately.
I thought I’d finish up with a list of my top 5 Carina Press titles so far (in no particular order). They all possess that something-something that makes me want to read the book, even if it’s not a genre I typically immerse myself in.
1. The Debutante’s Dilemma – alliterative, elegant-sounding.
2. Rakes & Radishes – unexpected, whimsical.
3. Trash Course – clever connection to editorial.
4. Overdue For Pleasure – to the point, sexy, fits editorial.
5. Should We Drown in Feathered Sleep – makes me think of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – intriguing, unique.
So what are your favourite book titles? And why?
