And I shall name you.... what? (Tips on how to come up with a book title)

Why is it so difficult to come up with a book title? Beats me, it just is.
Well, okay, it's mainly because the title, somehow, has to condense all the aspects (theme, genre, style,...) of an entire story into just a handful of enticing words. No pressure.

That's a hard enough task to accomplish for non-fiction books - although 'How to cook acorns for squirrels' is pretty straightforward, I think - but for fiction books, the reader usually expects something extra. Namely, a title that only indirectly describes what the story is about and that makes the reader curious enough to pick up the book and have a look-see.

In other words, the title has to be perfect. Nothing less will do, because we all know how hugely important the title and cover are in our decision-making.

One of the earliest titles (with mock-up cover)

Before moving on to the tips, I'd like to share with you my personal tale of woe and wonderment, or, On how I found the final title of my first book after bouts of gut-wrenching disillusionment. (Okay, maybe that title needs a bit of work.)

An epic search:

Ten years ago when I started writing my story, the first title floated into my head on a gentle breeze. The book was going to be called 'Hijinks'. How exciting, except... that word was really vague (and difficult to spell on Google.)
Halfway through writing, I worried that I wasn't going to find the right title by the time the book was finished. (Larks!) After a lot of brainstorming, I settled on 'Accidental Soulmate'. It was clever, and it fitted the story. Except... A year later I found out that were already another thousand books starting the same way: "Accidental dentist", "Accidental acid",... You name it.

My stress level was rising. Curse you, ill-tempered Fate! Won't I ever find the right title?
After a lot more effort, I came across this new title - Final title, damnit! - that was sure to never change again: 'Soulmate Pending'. I was convinced that this interesting sounding title was a keeper, and for a couple of years it was. But eventually, it just didn't sound funny enough for my hilarious story.

So I had another go at it. With reluctance, I released these others titles back into the wild: 'Love, Life and a Dead Sailor' (too romantic), 'Me and my dead sailor' (too zombie-ish) and 'Weird Boner' (Don't ask!)

Then, one morning, I got up and I saw the answer right in front of me. It became the title that's now proudly displayed on my book: 'Mine Looks Purple'. Hurray!
The good news is, anyone can find the right book title... eventually.

Another title idea I was mulling over.

Tips and ideas:

• Brainstorm with friends. You'd be amazed at what more brainpower can do. Of course, don't go with someone else's title unless you think it's perfect.
• Think about the major theme(s) of your story. What is it about? You may want to try and sum it up in a few words.
• Look for a phrase in your story that sticks out and that might make a browsing shopper wonder.
• Go to thesaurus.com and type in a (boring) word that best describes the theme, and look for a great synonym that you can use. 
• Look for a short sentence or expression that everyone knows and enjoys. But be careful not to use buzzwords.
• Open a word processor and simply start typing as if you're thinking out loud... Type anything that comes up (or scribble on a notepad). Don't delete anything. Just press return and keep writing, finetuning the string of words. Abandon one idea and start a new one... Replace words... Change nouns into active verbs... Anything goes.
• Of course, always check your title on Amazon.com and Google.com to make sure that it doesn't already exists. (Note: 'Lord of the Rings' is already taken. Tough luck.)

Another attempt at a perfect title. (Notice the typo.)

Tips on how to proceed:

• The important bit first: once you've come up with your brilliant title, make sure to jump up and down your bed and sing loudly in merriment - You deserve it! - because chances are that that merriment may disappear shortly after.
• Because the next important thing to do, is to get feedback: tell a friend

what the title is. Better still, show him/her the title on a piece of paper, and then watch the reaction. I would bet that in 95% of the time, the friend isn't going to cheer "Eureka, you've found it!". Usually, you'll get a "Yeah, that title is okay."

Devastating, I know. How come the friend isn't as excited about it as you are? News flash: A lukewarm response is normal. Don't feel bad. This is exactly the information you need. How else are you going to know if you're on track or not?

So, after the soul-crushing devastation, make sure to keep going and do these next steps:

• Ask that friend for more feedback. (Why doesn't the title blow your mind? What type of book do you think it is, based on this title?...) The reason to ask is, when people on Amazon see your book title, you won't be around to explain how to correctly interpret the brilliance of the title. It has to work on its own.
• Secondly, always go to at least two other friends and show them your title. Why? Because, when one person gives you a reply, that is just their opinion. When two people tell you the same thing, it's just a coincidence. But when three people basically give you the same feedback, then it is time to pay close attention.
• Look for quality feedback. I am in a writers' group, which is a great luxury, because it means I can quickly get feedback from ten or twenty fellow writers. I think highly of what they have to say (and inveriably, I'll get ten to twenty slightly contradicting opinions.) How to find your own group in your area? This website helped me out: meetup.com
• In my experience, the feedback will often voice the same doubts that I had myself about (parts of) the title, but that I sort of hoped others wouldn't think was confusing, misleading, and so on. In those cases, take notice. You'll be glad afterwards that you kept looking for a better title.

The final title (with another mock-up cover)

So remember, don't get annoyed. Be grateful for people helping you out. Return to your writing desk, and keep delving deeper. It's all just part of the process. It would be great if you could find the perfect title as easily as snapping your fingers, but most of us, we're just all thumbs.

Did you like my personal journey of scary exhilaration?

Did I forget a very important tip or website?

Then let me know, or write your feedback below in the Post a Comment box. Thanks!

- Jonen
novel writer of 'MINE LOOKS PURPLE' available at major online retailers.
jonengleewell@gmail.com
jonengleewell.blogger.com