Titles shine a spotlight on the heart of the novel, directing readers’ attention to an important element that thematically ties the story together. For some writers, coming up with a title is even harder than writing the book itself! After analyzing a few hundred novels, I’ve noticed seven categories that might help you brainstorm ideas for a musical, memorable, and marketable title—one that sounds like poetry to the ear, that readers will easily remember, and that captures people’s attention.
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Title and End Music:
“Clockwork” by Vindsvept • Fantasy Music Vindsvept Clockwork
Background Music by Vindsvept:
+ “Keeper of the Forest”
+ “The Fae”
+ “Woodland Lullaby”
+ “Voyage to Nowhere”
+ “Hearthfire”
+ “Winter’s Tale”
+ “Skymning”
+ “The Forgotten Forest”
+ “Iluminate”
SOURCES
Book Title Generators:
https://kindlepreneur.com/freebookt...
https://blog.reedsy.com/booktitlege...
“How to Find Good Novel Titles” on Novel Writing Help: https://www.novelwritinghelp.com/no...
Interview on Read at Midnight with R.F. Kuang about _The Poppy War_: https://readatmidnight.com/2018/05/23...
“Q&A with Neil Gaiman” on Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
“The Legal Use of Song Lyrics in Books from the Perspective of an Indie Author” by Jonathan Westwood: https://selfpublishingadvice.org/the...
“Here’s How Tupac Inspired The Hate U Give” on Epic Reads: https://www.epicreads.com/blog/tupac...
“Another Story About Me and Some Guy” by Kathy Fish: http://fictionaut.com/stories/kathyf...
Anthony Marra: The Powells.com Interview: https://www.powells.com/post/intervie...
“Can You Trademark Your Title?” on The Authors Guild: https://www.authorsguild.org/industry...
Stephenie Meyer FAQ on _Twilight_: https://stepheniemeyer.com/thebooks/...
“Commonly Used Words in YA Book Titles” on Brin’s Book Blog: http://brinsbookblog.com/commonlyuse...
“Best of the Decade Data: Common Words in Titles” on Tor: https://www.tor.com/2011/03/11/besto...
“When Advertising Tried to Create the Perfect Woman, Thriller Writers Rebelled” on CrimeReads: https://crimereads.com/whenadvertisi...
“How to Name Your Bestseller” by Michael Tauberg: / howtonameabestseller
Why Not Catch 21? The Stories Behind the Titles by Gary Dexter: https://www.shelfawareness.com/issue...
Introduction (0:00)
Key Plot Event or Element (2:23)
Character Name or Role (5:00)
Important Setting (8:16)
Allusion (10:36)
Symbol or Metaphor (15:12)
Theme (16:47)
Phrase (19:14)
Marketing Considerations (21:27)
Brainstorming Exercise (27:35)