What do you think is the most important part of a book? The story? The cover? Or the title? The answer is the title. Forget the story line first. Without a catchy title, potential readers won't even notice your book on the shelves along with dozens of other books. A catchy title will also encourage editors to read the contents of your book. Therefore, choose an interesting and memorable book title; make sure your book will be the first choice by readers and potential publishers!
Step
Part 1 of 2: Discussing Ideas
Step 1. Finish your story first before thinking about the title
Some writers are too busy thinking about the perfect title before they even finish the story. Such a mindset is not productive. If absolutely necessary, the author will usually only make a "rough title" which is temporary and can be changed at any time.
Once you've finished your story, things will be much clearer. But as you write, make sure you also write down the title idea that suddenly pops up, no matter how ridiculous the idea is
Step 2. Discuss title ideas with expert editors or your friends
Believe me, discussing with other people is much more effective, efficient, and fun than having to think alone. Before starting the discussion, ask the person to read your book first.
Discuss in a comfortable, quiet, and quiet location so that each party can concentrate more. Play some relaxing music if it helps you think. Sometimes, listening to music (especially relevant to your story) can inspire you. Feel free to write down a lyric or two that could be developed into a book title
Step 3. Determine the main purpose of the book
Reread your book and find out its identity. Think of titles that represent the main topic or emotion of your book. Tell your friends what/who inspired you, and how you felt when you wrote the book. These conversations can guide you to find a title that fits your story and personality.
- Everyone interprets your work in a different way; let each party involved in the process of finding the title of the book write down their ideas. After all the ideas have been collected, start discussing the most suitable title to use.
- If the title search process stops, collect keywords that can represent your main theme and story.
Step 4. Make a list of your favorite quotes in your book
Write down all your favorite phrases that could be used as book titles. If it's not possible to make a title, at least you have raw material to develop from. Some book titles are based on quotes by other authors, such as "The Beginning of Everything". The title of this book is inspired by a quote by renowned author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Did you find a quote that was able to describe the whole story? Maybe you can start developing a title from there.
Step 5. Create a title based on the name of the character in your book
There are many novels that use this approach. Think of a book title that features the name of the main character (or group of main characters) in your story. If the focus of your story is on the main character, try this approach. For example:
- Supernova: Wave
- Sitti Nurbaya
- Harry Potter
- Kang Sodrun Seduces God
- Percy Jackson
Step 6. Create a title based on the setting in your book
This option is appropriate if the setting you choose is unusual, unique, or is a major element in your story. For example:
- Palace Man
- Stilt House at the Foot of the Hill
- The Jungle Book
- 3 Color Realm
- Winter in Tokyo
Step 7. Choose a title that is poetic or mysterious
Create an implicit title and do not explain the contents of the book clearly. Try choosing a title that simply gives an idea of the theme or feel of your book. Trust me, a mysterious title will attract readers who are looking for unique, unusual, and poetic readings. For example:
- Dust Blanket
- Supernova: Knights, Princesses and Shooting Stars
- You, Me and an Angpao
Step 8. Balance the elements of confidentiality and clarity
Like the cover of a book, the title of the book must also be able to provide information about the contents of the book. The information provided should not be too little (so that the reader can understand) and not too much (so that the reader is curious). The way the author balances these two elements really depends on the type of book. For nonfiction books, clarity is much more important (especially for books that focus on a specific topic). As for fiction books, secrecy or mysterious elements usually take precedence.
Step 9. Stimulate the reader's interest with a short and interesting book title
This approach is especially widely used by nonfiction authors. The title of the book should at least be able to provide an overview of the overall topic to the reader. For example:
- Think Like Sherlock
- Money Market Smart Book
- Young Travel
- Think Fast and Practical
Step 10. Target readers whose life issues are relevant to the content of your book
Think of a book title that reflects the life experiences of many people, especially one that can provide solutions to the problems of its readers. Books with titles like this are widespread, ranging from motivational books to fiction novels. For example:
- 10 Ways to Be Happy
- Difficult Age
- Books That Are Dangerous to Women
- If necessary, add subtitles to avoid misunderstanding the reader. For example, the title of the main book “How to Be a Man” could be expanded to “How to Be a Man: A Memoir about the Rocky Mountains”, “How to Be a Man: An Autobiography of a Transgender Doer”, or “How to Be a Man: A Study of Gender, Adolescence, and the Media in the 1950s in America”. All three titles start from the same main title, but can attract readers from completely different groups.
Step 11. Look at the titles of other books of the same genre
Search internet pages, bookstore catalog lists, or library catalog lists to find them.
- Use an existing title as a guide to create another title that is just as good (or even better). Do not copy the title outright!
- Find out what makes the title interesting, then look for a title with similar characters for your book.
- Create an original title. Remember, the title of your book will compete with dozens of similar novels. Make sure the title you choose will really stand out in the eyes of the reader.
- The similarity of the title of the book is not a copyright infringement. However, if the title of the book is a substantial part of a work, the courts may rule it as a form of copyright infringement. This way, you can use a popular phrase (which dozens of other books may use) as your title. But remember, the similarity of these titles can cause confusion in the minds of potential readers in bookstores.
Step 12. Try to come up with a unique and unusual title
- For example, readers who like math will usually be attracted to books that feature mathematical expressions, such as 4-1=0.
- Try creating a foreign title. Books with English titles have a lot of interest, mainly because of the international impression they give. You can also insert characters, place names, ideas, or events that could be better described in a foreign language.
-
Always remember who your target audience is. The book title chosen for astrophysics fans will certainly be different from the book title chosen for romantic novel readers.
- Avoid confusing titles. Remember, there is a very clear line between “mysterious” and “confusing”.
- If your title is hard to spell, potential readers will have a hard time finding it in bookstores or the internet.
- Foreign language titles may be confusing for readers. For some Indonesians, English is still difficult to remember, spell, and sound too complicated. However, there are some words or phrases that the majority of people probably already understand (such as “love”. “déjà vu”, or “saranhae”). But make sure you remain careful in using foreign terms. In general, you should still make the title in Indonesian.
Step 13. Find as many title ideas as you can
Using the technique above, look for at least 25 (or even 50) possible titles! Even if your ideas are not good, at least they can provide a glimpse of a better idea and can be used as a material for discussion with other parties.
You can also combine more than one of the ideas listed above. For example, the title "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" combines character names and story settings, as well as giving a hint about the story's climax
Part 2 of 2: Making Adjustments
Step 1. Narrow down your idea
Go through the list you've created and pick 10 title ideas that you like the most. Follow the steps below before judging each idea. If you still can't find the best title, narrow it down again to 4 or 5 ideas and repeat the process.
Step 2. Critique your title
Discuss the title with the editor, publisher, or someone close to you whose opinion can be trusted. Does the title sound appealing to them? Does the title make sense and easy to remember? Is the title relevant to the content of your book?
Step 3. Say your title out loud
How does that sound? Is the title easy to pronounce, easy to remember, and easy to hear? If your title sounds weird, hard to pronounce, or just doesn't feel right, it's a good idea to start looking for other ideas.
Step 4. Make the title as concise as possible
Titles that are too long and complex will be difficult to remember. Try to imagine yourself as a potential buyer in a bookstore. Can an overly long book title catch your eye right away? Certainly not. Therefore, keep your title as concise as possible (no more than a few words).
If you want to create a very detailed title, try showing the subtitles. For example, the title of your main book is “Rain Woman”. Since “Rain Woman” is the main title, choose an attractive typeface with a larger font size. Below that, you can add a subtitle with a much smaller font size, “because the rain will always come back to earth, real, in the atmosphere around you”
Step 5. If you are involved in making a cover design, try putting your cover idea into a rough sketch
Several writers were involved in the design of the cover; if you get the chance to do so, try to visualize a suitable design. Create a simple rough sketch that represents the title of your book. Try tweaking the position of the title and author's name; did you find it helpful to find a suitable design? Is there a particular image or design that blends in perfectly with your book title?
- Be careful not to get too hung up on the details.
- If you have an illustrator in charge of doing the work, always remember that they will be working with graphic elements. Trust me, the title of your book will be printed with the right typeface and design.
- Basically, your involvement in the creation of the cover design is highly dependent on your publisher's decision.
Tips
- Once you've found the best title, search the internet to make sure it hasn't been used by another author.
- As a last resort, imagine that you are reading your own history. Is the title of your book interesting enough to be mentioned in the history?
- Usually, the titles of biographies and memoirs are deliberately ambiguous: mentioning the name of the subject, but the subject's life will only be mentioned briefly or implicitly.
- Seek inspiration right before you go to sleep. Usually, people will be much more creative at these times. If you're lucky, this action can trigger a dream that can contribute more ideas to you.
- Imagine the title of your book is used by another author. Could the title encourage you to buy and read the book?
