Book Titles and Other Tall Tales

04/03/2023

04/03/2023

Why hire an experienced book title expert? Titles are huge. Good titles are essential. A great title can make or break your book's presence in the marketplace. Is that enough hyperbole for you? Yes, I'm deliberately overstating a bit, but the essence of the message holds true.

If you're a debut author, the title of your book is even more important. The old saying, "You get only one chance to make a first impression" couldn't be more applicable. You want your title to show your originality and creativity, and equally important, your first title is the beginning of establishing your so-called "brand" and style as a writer.

​Even experienced authors can struggle to come up with an ideal fit for a title. We ask a great deal of our titles, and an outside opinion and assistance can be very beneficial.

​If you're already receiving advice from an agent and/or marketing department of your publisher, you may still want another person's opinion and suggestions. Of course you may hire a publicist and/or marketing firm, but the input will probably come as part of a complete marketing package that often costs tens of thousands of dollars.

We can provide you with a quick turnaround of our ideas at a low price. And if you don't find the title of your book in the choices we provide, we'll issue a full refund.

04/03/2023

Our service starts with contact from you. Please fill out our contact form, and tell us about your book. We will then schedule a 30-minute conversation either by phone or email, during which we will discuss your ideas and goals for a title. We will talk about genre, key words, length, tone, imagery, flow, and anything else that needs addressing. Within 48 hours, you will receive custom titles. Ann follows no templates or formulas and nothing computer-generated. Why would you want your book title to be formulaic and just like others out there? You created an original piece of literature, and it deserves an equally original and extraordinary title. But good writers are not necessarily good title generators, and a new objective take is always helpful. Ann puts her creative juices into play to create compelling and attention-grabbing titles, based on her 20+ years of experience in and knowledge of the publishing industry. You can expect at least ten options for titles. And If none of those work for you, Ann will create and send other options until you are both satisfied with your custom title. Price for at least 10 titles and more if you need further options: $195. Contact: [email protected]

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So, what general ideas go into a great book title?
Outstanding titles can be as simple as an interesting name (Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby, and Jane Eyre) or a character trait or description (The Kite Runner, The Whipping Boy, The Old Man and the Sea, Little Women, Sarah Plain and Tall, and The Last of the Mohicans), and these names and descriptions don't have to be clear to the reader at first. Often a bit of mystery in a title generates interest and resultant sales.

Place names and descriptions also work well, especially if your book has a strong sense of place. (All Quiet on the Western Front, The Last Empty Places: A Journey Through Blank Spots on the American Map, The Paris Architect, Wayward Pines: A Place to Die For, City of Thieves, A Piece of the World: A Novel, Red Water, and The Tale of Two Cities).

Sometimes short is the sweetest. Single-word titles can be very striking as can words you create. (Atonement, Restoration, Beloved, Plainsong, Nightwood, Herland, Middlemarch, Neverwhere, and Mockingjay).

We are not afraid of unusual titles, either, which can be very intriguing. (Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, The Lovely Bones, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, No Country for Old Men, Out Stealing Horses, This Won't End Well, and Fever 1873).

We also love titles that come from faiths, literature, poetry, and art. (Girl With a Pearl Earring, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ahab's Wife, The Red Tent, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Fire at Longbourn: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, and The Sun Also Rises).

And our favorite titles include elements from one of the categories above along with words that conjure lovely, colorful, powerful and/or stark images (The Light of Falling Stars, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Fault in Our Stars, Walking the Twilight, Number the Stars, Daughters of the Dust, Half of a Yellow Sun, and House of Sand and Fog).

We would love to work with you to create the ideal title for your book.

04/03/2023

We believe that the best book titles highlight the creativity of the author. Therefore, we don't believe in any formulas or templates and never use anything computer generated. That said, Ann will also analyze the marketability of the titles she creates for you.

​So, what general ideas go into a great book title?

Outstanding titles can be as simple as an interesting name (Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby, and Jane Eyre) or a character trait or description (The Kite Runner, The Whipping Boy, The Old Man and the Sea, Little Women, Sarah Plain and Tall, and The Last of the Mohicans), and these names and descriptions don't have to be clear to the reader at first. Often a bit of mystery in a title generates interest and resultant sales.

Place names and descriptions also work well, especially if your book has a strong sense of place. (All Quiet on the Western Front, The Last Empty Places: A Journey Through Blank Spots on the American Map, The Paris Architect, Wayward Pines: A Place to Die For, City of Thieves, A Piece of the World: A Novel, Red Water, and The Tale of Two Cities).

Sometimes short is the sweetest. Single-word titles can be very striking as can words you create. (Atonement, Restoration, Beloved, Plainsong, Nightwood, Herland, Middlemarch, Neverwhere, and Mockingjay).

We are not afraid of unusual titles, either, which can be very intriguing. (Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, The Lovely Bones, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, No Country for Old Men, Out Stealing Horses, This Won't End Well, and Fever 1873).

We also love titles that come from faiths, literature, poetry, and art. (Girl With a Pearl Earring, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ahab's Wife, The Red Tent, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Fire at Longbourn: A Pride and Prejudice Variation, and The Sun Also Rises).

And our favorite titles include elements from one of the categories above along with words that conjure lovely, colorful, powerful and/or stark images (The Light of Falling Stars, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Fault in Our Stars, Walking the Twilight, Number the Stars, Daughters of the Dust, Half of a Yellow Sun, and House of Sand and Fog).

We would love to collaborate with you to create a powerful title for your book.

04/03/2023

Titles are huge. Good titles are essential. A great title can make or break your book's presence in the marketplace. Is that enough hyperbole for you? Yes, I'm deliberately overstating a bit, but the essence of the message holds true.

If you're a debut author, the title of your book is even more important. The old saying, "You get only one chance to make a first impression" couldn't be more applicable. You want your title to show your originality and creativity, and equally important, your first title is the beginning of establishing your so-called "brand" and style as a writer.

​Even experienced authors can struggle to come up with an ideal fit for a title. We ask a great deal of our titles, and an outside opinion and assistance can be very beneficial.

If you're already receiving advice from an agent and/or marketing department of your publisher, you may still want another person's opinion and suggestions. Of course you may hire a publicist and/or marketing firm, but the input will probably come as part of a complete marketing package that often costs tens of thousands of dollars.

We can provide you with a quick turnaround of our ideas at a low price. And if you don't find the title of your book in the choices we provide, we'll issue a full refund.

04/03/2023

Creating Signature Book Titles

As authors, wouldn't we love to create titles that immediately call our author name to mind? Of course, we would. Not surprisingly, it takes time and success to gain that sort of notoriety. Even so, if you're writing your first book, it's not a bad idea to begin thinking of developing signature titles, especially if you want to write a series or a number of similar books in the same genre. So what do I mean by a signature title? The best way to answer that question is with examples.

Series?

Starting with the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon, this author has managed to find a loyal group of followers, who jump at the chance to read each book, but even people who are only somewhat versed in books but not her dedicated readers will still associate the word Outlander with Gabaldon. In other words, you could say Outlander is her brand.

Stephenie Meyer has accomplished the same feat with her debut books, the Twilight Series. And needless to say, the Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling, which were also the first published books by the author, are some of the most distinguishable in the marketplace. Not only is the name Harry Potter now synonymous with J K Rowling, other names and terms she created in the books have become instantly recognizable. Think Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Sue Grafton created an identifiable signature series with her Alphabet Murder Mysteries, beginning with A is for Alibi: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery, then B is for Burglar: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery, and so on through the alphabet. This clever device could safely be called her signature brand, and it was simply a great idea. Other examples of recognizable titles are The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins and the Jack Reacher Series by Lee Child.

Standalones?

If you write standalone books, you can still develop signature styles. Harlan Coben did this with the structure of his titles. In the early part of his career, he primarily used strong, declarative, three-word titles, such as Tell No One, Gone For Good, and Don't Let Go, which quickly made them his easily-recognized title style. He has also used longer and shorter titles, but all continue the tone and style of his three-word ones, including The Match, I Will Find You, and The Stranger.

Along the same lines, Sarah Dunant wrote several Renaissance-era standalone books, which together with the cover art and design distinguished them as her novels: Sacred Hearts: A Novel, The Birth of Venus: A Novel, and In the Company of the Courtesan: A Novel. These titles bring to mind the Old World and are also just beautiful, strong and imaginative, immediately conjuring vivid images in the reader's eye.

So?

If you're a first-time author or wish to develop your first series or a new series, the lesson is to think seriously about your title and choose it carefully. Similarly with standalone books, think about other works you may have in the pipeline of your imagination and consider titles that could someday spell out your name. Make sure your title is as perfect as possible, because you just might be talented and fortunate enough to see your title become your signature in the world of books and beyond.

04/03/2023

With all the words in the English language at our disposal, we definitely have the raw materials to create exceptional titles. Research has shown that a book's title and cover art and design are foremost of importance to readers and help determine what they choose to buy. Of course many other things influence how a book will be received, including but not limited to the marketing, publisher, exposure, reviews, word of mouth or "buzz', genre, and quality of the writing. But never underestimate the power of a great title. That said, I'm often amazed by books with incredible titles that haven't seemed to gain a great deal of traction in the market. Other factors probably came into play. Still, it's great fun to look at these titles and talk about what makes them great.

Darker Than Blue

So, what are some of these titles? I'm sure there are many others, but I'll talk about a few of my favorites, starting with an obscure, self-published book published probably twenty-five years ago and is now out of print. Darker Than Blue is a compelling title, in my opinion. (I can't remember the author's name and have lost the book along the way, or I would've given him credit.) It immediately evokes a question: What is meant by darker than blue? Once you read the book, you learn that the title refers to a character named Indigo, which is a color darker than blue, and then it makes perfect sense. But the title alone and curiosity drew me in from the start. It brought color images immediately to mind, too. Now I see many variations of this title online, but as of now, I don't see another Darker than Blue.

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus

This book was published in 2010 to much acclaim, so you might be familiar with it. I mention it because it's one of my most admired book titles. To start, it sets a historical tone and immediately makes one think of the Old West, and indeed the book is about a proposed system by the US government, in which a plan was hatched to send white women to become Cheyenne wives in order to civilize the Natives. The plan was never enacted, but Fergus took the challenge: What if it had been? I love the basis for this title, the imagination of the author, and the intriguing way it asks more questions than answers them.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel by Kim Michelle Richardson

This book, published in 2019, also received a great deal of critical acclaim, but I don't see this book on any lists of "Best Book Titles". Similar to Fergus's novel, it evokes a sense of the past in a different part of the country, that of Appalachia. It pays homage to the Kentucky Pack Horse Library of the 1930s and brings to light an obscure lineage of people whose skin color had a decidedly blue tone. I love the title for the imagery it brings to mind and the strong sense of place. It also has a kind of rhythmic flow, also called a skew, that makes it feel a bit lyrical and poetic, and I'm a great fan of titles that have this quality.

The Blue Period by Luke Jerod Ku**er

Unless you know a lot about Picasso's art, you probably won't have any idea what this title refers to. So for most of us, curiosity about the meaning of the title could compel us to open the book. With extraordinary history and highly personal detail, Ku**er explores a time in Picasso's life called the Blue Period, which refers to the color and style of art he created, but it also correlates with a tragic human story. I find the title intriguing and a bit elusive, which drew me in. An editing client of mine titled her historical novel The Blue Hour many years ago, and I find that title equally interesting. Since then I've seen many books with the same name. Of note is that no copyright laws in the US protect titles, but it always amazes me when authors take previous titles and adopt them as their own. I just don't get it.

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, translated by Anne Born

What does that mean? Is it literal or metaphorical? Readers get the answer at the opening of Chapter Two, which reads, "We were going out stealing horses. That was what he said, standing at the door to the cabin where I was spending the summer with my father. I was fifteen. It was 1948 and one of the first days of July." And by then, you will be captivated by the story and the writing. The title sets an almost romantic and outdoor-sy tone, and although the book is not romantic, it's full of lovely language that delivers on the promise of the title.

Crazy Rich Asians and China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan

These titles are more literal than most of the others on my long list of favorites, but they immediately let the reader know there will be humor in the book as well as something of a lighter tone. These titles can make readers smile, and nowadays there are many examples of humorous titles. Some that come to mind are Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson and This Won't End Well by Camille Pagan. Interestingly, another book titled The Won't End Well is followed by a subtitle: A Collection of Short Horror, which makes it equally evocative but sets a much darker tone. A subtitle can change the feel of the title in a huge way.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

This title employs hyperbole, which is attention grabbing to begin with, but also asks a question: What is the absolutely remarkable thing? Readers sense perhaps a light tone and are likely to be interested in answering the questions brought into their minds. Another example of a hyperbolic book title is Something Bad Wrong by Eryk Pruitt. Curiosity may very well get the best of readers and draw them in to read books with such catchy titles.

Titles that ask Questions

As already mentioned, I believe titles that bring questions and curiosity to readers are some of the strongest. Literal titles can be quite powerful, too, but even a small sense of intrigue or of wanting more often appears in highly admired titles. Some other examples include One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker, Trouble the Water by Rebecca Dwight Bruff, and Lethal White by Robert Gailbraith. Don't you just immediately want to know what these books are about?

Okay, so?

This is just a very small collection of titles that are excellent, in my opinion. There are so many more out there. But if you're a beginning author, don't despair. The English language is so rich and full of words, it's still possible to devise an original, brilliant, stand-out title for your book. I hope these examples serve as a source of inspiration, and be sure to visit our All About Books page, which lists many more titles and qualities on the website. If you need help with your title, please contact Book Titles and Other Tall Tales via our Contact Form.

04/03/2023

Titles matter!

My personal book title journey started with my first novel, Water at the Blue Earth, a work of historical fiction. It refers to a place name for a spring where nearby the story takes place. Water at the Blue Earth comes from the Ute word for the spring. Place names can make very good titles if appropriate for your genre. This title was the only one I presented to the publisher and they used it. I guess you could say I had a case of beginner's luck!

Next came A Ceiling of Stars, a novel about a homeless girl. The title was inspired by a poetry book titled No Roof but Sky, and the publisher liked it as much as I did. So luck reigned again.

Over the next couple of years, I wrote two girl-of-the-year books for American Girl, titled Nicki and Thanks to Nicki. Character names had to be a part of the title, and Nicki had already been chosen as the protagonist’s name, but I did get to come up with the second title in the Series, Thanks to Nicki.

My follow-up children’s novel featured a girl child of the sea, whose parents moved their family to the plains of Colorado. My title was Call Me the Sea, but the publisher didn't think it was right and made it Nowhere, Now Here, a title I still don't care for to this day. Some people think authors have complete control over their titles, but that is not often the case. I have no regrets; just wanted to relay this tale.

​I also wrote two YA historical novels, Under a Stand Still Moon, a multiple award winner, and Call me the Canyon, another award-winning novel. Under a Stand Still Moon was taken from the setting and draws its meaning from the Ancestral Puebloans who lived there and made it into a spiritual and astronomical observance site. I proposed The Stones of Heaven for the following YA historical fiction, but upon advice, I decided to use Call Me the Canyon, inspired by my earlier title, Call Me the Sea, which didn’t make it into print.

​After that I began to write historical novels for adults, beginning with The Magic of Ordinary Days. My original title for the unpublished manuscript was Dust of the Butterfly, but after input from others, including my agent, I was asked to come up with an alternate title that wasn’t as metaphorical, so The Magic of Ordinary Days was born.

I went through a similar process with my next book, While You Were Mine. My working title had been The Nurse in Times Square, but after consultation with my agent and publishing editor, I came up with the more romantic, While You Were Mine.

After that, when I penned The Whiskey Sea, the title came to me right away. I love it when that happens! The novel is about a female rumrunner during the 1920s, and I think I hit just the right note. Thankfully, my agent and publisher agreed.

The title for The Uncertain Season did not come as easily. I ended up proposing several titles, and this one was chosen. I had hoped they would go for Hurricane House, and therefore was somewhat disappointed. The novel takes place just after the infamous 1900 Storm in Galveston, Texas, so I thought Hurricane House said it all.

I did choose the titles, The River Widow and Mercy Road, for my subsequent historical novels, and those original titles were retained. Hallelujah!

​Again, titles matter! Together with the cover, they provide the first impression to readers about your book, and if they aren't well done, sales could suffer. So take the time to develop a strong title, and if you need help, please fill out our contact form.

04/03/2023

Ann Howard Creel here, and welcome to my title service page!

A little bit about me: With little writing background, I was able to get twelve novels published, including children’s middle grade fiction, young adult novels, and adult literature. I’ve worked with both small independent publishers, such as Roberts Rinehart and Brown Barn Books, and large publishing houses, such as Penguin Putnam and American Girl, and I’ve collaborated on a screenplay that took one of my novels to film for Hallmark Hall of Fame on CBS (The Magic of Ordinary Days). In addition, I’ve been editing professionally for seventeen years.

Next to writing, my favorite thing is helping other authors achieve their goals. The most enjoyable part of the process for me is title generation. Long before I was a published author, I was fascinated by names and titles. This business grew from my own title creation to assisting my editing clients with their titles, then to many other clients obtained via word of mouth. Now we have opened the business to the public with this website.

I specialize in fiction titles but have also worked with memoir and creative non-fiction authors. I would love to hear about your project and help you come up with or create myself an original and captivating title for your book. And I never take credit for your title--it will be yours alone. After all, your book and writing will be the source for my inspiration.