They say one should not judge a book by its cover, but let’s face it, we all do! And on that cover is a title and if it stinks, people are turned off. So, what should authors do when it comes to naming a book?
First, for your genre, sample titles that are out there. Notice patterns. See what sticks out. Borrow and steal what you like.
Second, short names rule. Five words max! Less is best. But you also don’t want it to be so short that no one knows what it’s about or they mistake it for another book of the same name.
Third, it must be short words and ones that are easy to spell, easy to pronounce. You don’t want to stumble on a word or struggle to write it.
Fourth, rely on a good sub-title to help non-fiction books stick out. A novel, children’s books, poetry, or books of essays may not necessarily have a sub-title.
Fifth, avoid violating trademarks, using profanity or terms/names that could be censored/banned, and do use a name that would double as a website landing page name.
Sixth, don’t use names that mean nothing to anyone else or words that are foreign, niche, or jargon --unless that is the effect you want.
Seventh, determine the vibe you seek to give off -- humor, power, fear, love, shock, or other.
Eighth, are you selling alliteration, rhyme, or some other cute way of making a statement?
Will your title have an exclamation point, question mark, or odd use of capitalization? Will the book title be part of the visual design of the cover, where a letter turns into an image?
Even when you use made-up names, like a fantasy or sci-fi book, please don’t use these obscure names that are long and take a double-take in order to say them properly.
To shorten the number of words or length of a title, use contractions, numerals, and the shortest possible word to convey a concept.
Some of the best or most famous books go by
one-word:
- 1984
- Lolita
- Dracula
- Hamlet
- Dune
But 2-4-word titles are the sweet spot.
What else can people name?
- Hotels
- Boats
- Dogs
- Children
- Companies
- Movies
- Songs
- Drinks
- Blog posts
Can you copy from them?
A popular trend has been to use shit, bitch, fuck, and other such words in a book title. I think it’s lazy and at times not reflective of the book’s content and voice. Often the words have to be bleeped or spelled out with symbols, like Sh*t Happens or F**k This!
Titles need to fit onto business cards, book spines, press releases, and in lots of places, so again, go short and sweet!
I recall when naming our two children, my wife and I employed a number of guidelines. Nothing that rhymes with a negative -- Charlotte the Harlot. Nothing that can be turned into a bad nickname. No names that sound too ethnic or are gender ambiguous. We had a long list.
Your book is your baby. Use your brains and gut
instincts -- don’t be blinded by things that mean something to you but not to
another. In your bid to be unique and different, don’t go for obscurity or
stupidity. You’ll know when you find the right words and it will feel and look
right.
Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?
Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page
views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors like you to promote
your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of
experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him
be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian Feinblum
This
award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021
and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” Copyright 2025.
For
the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He
formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the
head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the
director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many
first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.
His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s
The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).
He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the
2024 IBPA Book Awards.
His
letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester)
and The Washington Post. His first published book was The
Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It
was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Born
and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids,
and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.
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