Busy writing your book under the tentative title?
Sometimes, for all the inspiration in the world, the one thing that eludes you as you churn out your masterpiece and potential bestseller, is the perfect title. That perfect line, phrase or word that will capture the essence of your book and hold the reader’s attention long enough to make him or her take that walk down to the billing counter of the bookstore. So here are a few tips on crafting the perfect title for your book.
– Essence: Think of the feel of the book in general. What is it that your characters and the story are trying to convey? Remove the abstract and reach the very core with a very specific message.
– Cliches: Steer clear of cliches. Writing a book on salads? Please do not call it ‘eat healthier’ or ‘green’. Use a thought conveyed by your audience to define the book and give it a name accordingly. For this book on salads, you can say something that conveys the thought, “eat light, stay bright.” And do not forget to create a note or chapter on wellness to add to the title. There is nothing more disenchanting than opening a book and not finding what the name promised.
– Audience: Write for your audience. Use your voice to channel their aspirations and thoughts. So when you are crafting your blazing title, you may want to think of it as a way in which your ideal audience would want to brand themselves. The title should covey something about them and what they would like to tell the world about themselves. Because let’s face it – if this book is to do well, it will do so because your audience deigned to include it on their bookshelves, or in their list of favourite books!
– Superfluous: Avoid this at all costs! Create a title with a few precious words that work well together, or a phrase at maximum. If it does turn into a sentence, keep this as the tag line. Ensure that the coming together of these words makes your title a catchy one that sticks!
