by Debbie Burke
Today please welcome author Jane Corry, bestselling thriller author from the UK. Her books have sold more than a million copies in 20 countries. She’s also a magazine feature writer and columnist. For three years, she was the writer in residence at a high security male prison.
An important choice we authors grapple with is what to call a book. Jane graciously shares her experience in today’s guest post:
WHAT’S IN A TITLE?
‘Never judge a book by its cover.’ Or so the saying goes.
If I was re-writing this advice, I’d say, ‘Always judge a book by its title.’
At least that’s what many of us seem to do when choosing our next read (including me).
Before I got published, I never really thought about how titles were created. I certainly didn’t realise that they could take different forms and myriad conceptual stages between that first written line and the published baby.
They generally start off as a working title (the one which the author initially thinks of) and then metamorphosise during various meetings and edits.
Now, some 19 books on, I realise that THE title – the one which the book finally steps out in, ready for the ball – is a mixture of fluke, getting it right first time, and arduous, handwringing, plus increasingly urgent emails and discussions on behalf of both publisher and author.
To make it even more complicated, the various departments of the publishing company might well have different views. The sales team, for example, might like one title; publicity, another, and the editor yet a third. (Or 63rd as in the case of a friend of mine.) Then there’s the author who might well be feeling distinctly unsettled by the prospect of their baby being given a new identity. Who gets the final say?
Good question. In my experience, it may well be Sales because when all is said and done, it comes down to money. Sales have a feel for what they can sell which is why they are there in the first place. But are they always right?
You won’t know until the sales figures start coming in…..
Titles also often go through trends. First person has gone down well in the last few years. ‘I did this… I did that’ on the cover, can draw in potential readers by making them identify with that ‘I’. Two of mine were along those lines: ‘I Made A Mistake’ and ‘I Looked Away’.
Names in a title can also help because you feel you are going to be reading about a real person even though you know it’s fiction. Take ‘The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo’.
Maybe this is why my one of my favourite childhood books is ‘What Katy Did Next.’ If it had been ‘What a Little Girl Did Next’ it might not have had the same personal angle.
A question in a title is often a good bait. ‘Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?’ is screaming to be picked up. Indeed, it’s been in the top ten charts for months
The titles, which I feel have worked best for my books, include the ones which just fell into my head. For example, ‘I Died On A Tuesday’ came to me when I was cycling down to the promenade for my daily swim in the sea and nearly got knocked off my bike.
This is exactly what happens to Janie, my heroine. (Spoiler – she survives.)
Ironically, I’d already written this scene in the draft of the as yet untitled novel I was currently working on.
My near-miss as well as the irony, really shook me up. My life could have changed in a second. It was scary. But also inspirational. This, I realised, was my way of getting fear into my title – usually a good bait.
I also wanted the reader to wonder how the unknown ‘I’ in the title could be dead, if the protagonist is still talking?
The specificness of a certain day hopefully makes the story feel more real and relatable. But why a Tuesday and not any other day of the week? My gut instinct told me that the word had a certain tuneful lilt which lifted the spirits to balance the word ‘Died’.
I was very relieved when the publishers didn’t even discuss my ‘I Died On A Tuesday’ title because they liked it. Phew! It felt like scoring a strike in bowling – something I usually leave to my grandchildren. Early reviewers even said lovely things like ‘Great title’. Fingers crossed for sales when it comes out on June 6. (Details at the end!)
Sometimes brainstorming can help. When I started writing crime (without an agent or editor), I came up with ‘My Husband’s New Wife’. Then I floated the title past a friend, who suggested “My Husband’s Wife.’
Technically this isn’t quite accurate because the fictional woman in question is the new wife. But it trips off the tongue better and sounds more intriguing. I will be eternally grateful to that friend. In return, I help other authors brainstorm their titles too.
Every now and then, a chance remark can inspire a title. For some years now, I’ve been swimming in the sea every morning with a friend who lives over the road. One weekend, she turned up on a new orange bike. I admired it. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘It belonged to the dead ex.’ (Rather sadly, she’d had to clear out her former husband’s possessions after his death.)
‘Wow,’ I said. ‘May I use that as a title please?’ And so my third book ‘The Dead Ex’ was born.
If you are really stuck, you could try that old trick of putting words in different cups and picking some out at random. Or you could go through sayings/ proverbs/ favourite song titles and adapt them. Always keep your ears open for something that someone says which strikes a chord and has title potential.
Escapist titles are popular because it helps us remove ourselves from our everyday lives and problems. A friend of mine who isn’t a writer says she’ll buy anything with ‘sunshine’ or ‘mermaid’ in it.
Certain titles work even better when the ‘sell’ on the cover explains or amplifies the significance. I recently heard about a writer called Rebecca Paulinyi who’d had a stroke and went onto write a rom com. She called it ‘At the Stroke of 30’. The blurb explained that it was about a heroine who had to re-evaluate her life after having a stroke on the eve of her thirtieth birthday. Brilliant.
Alliteration is also catching. (‘The Secret Seven’ comes to mind as I write this sentence.)
So does a touch of menace. My current novel in the US and Canada is called ‘Coming To Find You’. It’s a time-slip set in the Second World War in a small Devon village and the present-day where Nancy is hiding in the same house, 80 years on.
Nancy’s stepbrother has escaped from prison and is about to break in through her kitchen window. My publisher, agent and I did have quite a lot of discussion about this title and I’m very grateful that they went for my own suggestion, ‘Coming To Find You’, which has, I felt, a combination of that sing-song childhood hide-and-seek game along with an underlying threat. That book got to number 7 in the Sunday Times.
Sometimes I think that maybe the best way to write a novel is to think of a really gripping title first before writing. Then use the title as a basis for the idea. It might certainly help someone who isn’t sure what to write about and will hopefully get some great sales!
Meanwhile, you can follow me at janecorryauthor on Twitter/X; Instagram; Tik Tok and Facebook. My website is janecorryauthor.com
The digital edition of I DIED ON A TUESDAY is out on June 6th. If you wanted to make my day and order, just go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Died-Tuesday-gripping-thriller-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0CNT62W14
The paperback edition is out on June 20th. You can find me in bookshops, supermarkets and online.
If you’re in the US or Canada, you can order on the following links:
Canada: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/735469/coming-to-find-you-by-jane-corry/9780385697880
US: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735469/coming-to-find-you-by-jane-corry/
Meanwhile, good luck with your next title. I hope this helps……
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Jane, thanks for these great tips! Best wishes on a successful launch!
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TKZers: How do you choose a title? Do Jane’s suggestions inspire you?
Nice post, Jane! I believe that titles are the most important thing on the cover. I don’t have a lot of experience with title selection, but my rule is to include at least one power word, two if you can manage it, and three if you’re ambitious. Power words include: Death, City, Storm, Moon, Mad, Mystery, Terror, Shadow, Dream, Quest, Castle, Strange, Brain, Lost, Secret, Zone, Mists, and so on. My master list has about 300 words, but there are others. My book titles more or less reflect the concept:
Moon Over the Lost City (poems)
The Perils of Tenirax : Mad Poet of Zaragoza (picaresque)
Tales for a Blue Moon
Sail Away on My Silver Dream (coming of age)
Sorcerer of Deathbird Mountain (high fantasy)
E_sex Chapel (the neon s in Essex is burnt out)
Something Wicked in Ichekaw (Western/Mystery/Romance, working title)
A True Map of the City (dystopian)
Some of my play titles:
Call of a Distant Song
Does That Voice in Your Brain Bother You?
The Five Hundred Goodbyes
Moon of Other Days
Mountain Where Rain Alltime
Prisoner of Suggins Holler
A Robot of Dawn
Roses in December
Secret of the Universe 9.80
Midnight in the Temple of Isis
J, thanks for sharing some great examples. The play titles are esp. compelling.
Thank you for reading my post.
I love the idea of power words. I realise that I’ve always tried to include one without actually categorising them as power words. However, perhaps I should’ve done.
I think your comment is great advice to writers, especially those who are starting up.
Power words work at an unconscious level for readers. And experienced writers probably employ them in the same way, without having to think about them.
Thanks again for a great post!
I’ve just finished the first “draft” of my manuscript and not a single title has come close to resonating. Maybe I should call it TBD.
LOL, Terry! I know that feeling all too well. Hope Jane’s suggestions trigger an idea
Thank you for reading my post.
I love the idea of power words. I realise that I’ve always tried to include one without actually categorising them as power words. However, perhaps I should’ve done.
I think your comment is great advice to writers, especially those who are starting up.
I do sympathise. How about using the elevator pitch idea by describing your novel in three sentences.
Write them down on paper and see if one or two words stand out.
Then play around with them. Good luck!!
I love working on titles! My WIP started as, The Serial Killer’s wife. But that’s been done, and I wanted something fresher. Next was, The Devil She Kbew. I finally settled on, the Devil She Didn’t Know – which is perfect, because she had no idea what her husband was doing.
Good point about avoiding a title that’s already been used, Laura. Titles are not copyrightable but you don’t want your book confused with multiple books of the same name. I search Amazon to see if a prospective title was recently published.
That’s how I learned the perfect title Deep Fake for my latest thriller had recently been used by a well-known author. Not wanting to look like a copycat, I changed mine to Deep Fake Double Down..
I agree with Debbie that it’s best to use a fresh title. How clever of you to put in a positive negative word like ‘didn’t’.
It reminded me of a book I read many years ago. I can’t remember what it was about, but the title was ‘The man who wasn’t King.’ Again, the negative makes it stand out. Good luck!
Interesting post and thanks for the introduction to an author new to me!
Titles usually pop into my head along with the full-blown story and how it ends. This is much easier than the actual writing of the novel. After one of Kay’s posts a while back, I came up with over 60 titles with clock, watch, or time in them. Although my first book was renamed by the publisher, I figured they bought it and could do what they knew would work. Oh, yes, I have a lot of great titles and the stories to go with them. Now, if only they would magically write themselves. 😉
Becky, I’m envious of your ability. I’d rather write the book and have someone else come up with the title.
Wow, Becky. Sixty titles with clock, watch or time in them! Glad to know one of my posts inspired that. (I’m not nearly as prolific with titles as you are. Maybe I should get with you before I write the next book in the Watch series.}
How about giving each one of your chapters a different sub-title? I seem to remember this happening in children’s books many years ago. it can really push the plot along.
‘What Katy Did Next.’ – This title made me smile. I was sure it was a follow up to Deb Gorman’s bug post of last Friday. LOL!!!!!
It may sound weird, but choosing a title for a book is one of the most fun things about writing. It comes easily and naturally sometimes, and sometimes I just have to stew about titles over the course of time as I write the book. And sometimes it’s pure torture coming up with just the right title.
An interesting observation I’ve noted–for the most part, my main gig is historical fiction, but am embarking on a first mystery novel. I found the process of naming a mystery novel to be easier than with other genres. I’m not sure if that’s because in mystery you expect a play on words more, or what. Of course I say that now. Who knows what it will be like after mystery number 5 or 6, etc… But I’d be curious if other writers find it easier to title mystery novels over other genres or not.
Brenda, I find mystery titles harder b/c they need to convey a hint of story with a sinister tone along with fear and suspense.
Haha! Nicely done, Brenda . . .
🙂
This is a really interesting discussion point. I was published as a romance writer before my mystery thrillers. I don’t think I thought so hard about my titles in those days. There are definitely some which I wouldn’t use again!
Thanks for a great post, Jane and Debbie. Excellent ideas.
I create a list of possible titles at the top of my outline. While I’m outlining, I keep adding titles. When I start writing, I begin ranking the titles and looking for the one I like best. This way I’m reviewing the possible title every day.
Good suggestion, Steve. After reading titles day after day, do you tweak them?
Yes, constantly. And reshuffling them with my favorites at the top.
I think this is a great idea. I have a writer friend who has a special notebook for titles. She’ll jot down, phrases that stand out when she’s reading the newspaper.- especially headlines.
Love your titles, Jane! Superb advice. One of my series has to have “Mayhem” in the title. When a series follows this trend, I find it’s easier to keep a list of possible titles. Every time I think or hear a good word or phrase, I jot it down for a future title. Makes life a little easier.
Sue, you’re smart to have a continuing theme with Mayhem. It does double duty, promising a conflict-filled story and serving as the name of your fascinating character.
I’m a great believer in writing down ideas as soon as they come to me, whether it’s for the plot or titles.
So I loved your post.
Alliteration is can be very eye-catching.
I’ve started thinking about words beginning with M to go with Mayhew! Great fun…
Welcome, Jane, and thanks to Debbie for inviting her. The subject of titles is always interesting to me since I seem to have a different process of picking a title for each book.
The working title for my first novel was The Watch on the Fencepost. I didn’t think it was catchy enough, so my husband and I went for a walk one day to find the perfect title. I offered about ten alternatives, but none of them seemed to be right. Finally, Frank suggested I leave the title as it was. He said that it had the benefits of being somewhat mysterious, identifying a watch as an important element in the story, and no other book would ever have that title. Ha!
Kay, your title raises a question: why is a watch on a fencepost? Coupled with your covers that feature clocks/watches, IMO, the theme works well.
This is a great example of ‘if it isn’t broken, why fix it?’.
You got the right title at the beginning, but needed time for it to settle. I often go for walks, by the way, to thrash out titles and ideas.
Thank you, Debbie and Jane! Great post, great comments and ideas from everyone.
I use a “placeholder” title, then it might stick or it might get changed as the novel progresses. (Not that I have lots of experience!)
My current WIP is entitled The Woodshop, but I’ve got a few other ideas rattling around in my head, too.
Have a great day!
Placeholders are a good idea, Deb. My not-very-imaginative placeholder is “Tawny #9.”
🥳🥳
I like the idea of a placeholder title. It actually made me think of physical placemats and wondered how it would work if you wrote a title on a ‘stick on note’ and put it on a placemat. Then you could move them all around and see which one fits best in your mind.
Terrific post on titles, Jane. Thanks for guest-posting today, and thank you, Debbie, for hosting her.
Brainstorming is a go-to for coming up with titles. My first urban fantasy series was originally called “Weed,” because my hero had the power to connect with and control plants, and, as a former criminal, was regarded as a weed by society, but the obvious connotations were too much. After brainstorming with writer friends the series name was changed to “The Empowered,” with each novel having Empowered in the title, the first being “Empowered: Agent,” the second, “Empowered: Traitor” and so forth.
When I began writing my 1980s cozy library mystery series, the first novel had a working title of “Death Due,” but, while working on the second version of the novel, I realized that didn’t work. I began brainstorming. The classic noir title “A Kiss Before Dying” popped into my head and I came up with a play on it: “A Shush Before Dying.”
BINGO! I had a title that I felt worked. The second book’s title was easier: “Book Drop Dead” popped into my head–there’s a murder in the library’s book drop room. Plus, I liked the play on “Drop Dead.”
Dale, “Empowered” is a power word (sorry!) which makes it compelling.
Authors know the significance of certain words in the story. But the cold reader who’s unfamiliar with the story doesn’t understand that significance until they’ve read the book. All well and good but it doesn’t encourage them to choose it in the first place. That’s my biggest struggle with titles.
Cozy titles are inherently fun–like a guessing game with the reader. You found a good technique.
One word titles can be very powerful.
So too, can three short, one syllable words like Book Drop Dead.
It makes people think. I will definitely pick up a book with that title because I’d want to know what it was about.
What a great post! It’s definitely given me a lot to think about. I am always stuck on picking a title. I think I’d always viewed choosing a title as a bit of a chore but I’ve changed my mind now. I see just how important titles are. Your examples, suggestions and tips are brilliant. Congratulations on your latest book.
Thanks for your comments, Hannah. To some of us, titles are a dreaded chore so Jane’s ideas are really helpful.
Thank you so much Hannah! That’s very kind of you. Love your books! I’m very grateful to you for introducing me to Debbie.
As someone whose titles always suck, I appreciate this post!! I just wish I could get better at choosing a title:)) Congratulations on your new book (love the title!)
Clare, thanks for the introduction to Jane! She definitely chose a winning title.
Many thanks to Clare for introducing me to Debbie via Hannah. Thank you, Debbie for asking me to write this post. It’s been wonderful to meet you and everyone else who has written in. I do hope you get a chance to read Coming To Find You (now out in the US and Canada) and also I DIED ON A TUESDAY (out now in the UK, and in the States and Canada this December).
Thanks, Jane, for your excellent ideas! From the number of comments this post generated, it’s obviously a hot topic that concerns many authors. You’re always welcome at TKZ!
Thank you Clare. I think many of us wonder if our titles suck, especially if we keep thrashing them around in our heads. That’s why going for a walk/putting them away for a bit/brainstorming with friends or the dog/cat can help. Good luck!