How to Write a Book Title [In 8 Steps]

It is important for writers and authors to know how to write a book title. The book title is the first idea someone has about the contents of the book.

Giving your book a good quality and eye-catching title will go a long way in the book selling itself. Crafting the perfect title may be difficult, but it’s always worth it.

There are several steps to take to get it right:

1. Consider the genre
2. Reference the theme and plot
3. Consider the time period
4. Research to ensure originality
5. Remain flexible as your story evolves
6. Consider the characters
7. Create several title options
8. Get professional opinions and feedback

When learning how to write a novel, you want it to be unique and stand out from the rest. This starts with the title.

Importance of Knowing How to Write a Book Title

Everyone wants to invest their time into something worthwhile. You might think that the title of your book isn’t a big deal, but this is a mistake.

The title is one of the most crucial parts of your book. Think of it as bait. Fishermen use bait to catch more fish. Having a suitable title in place will be good bait for your target audiences. They will be enticed to look because of the interesting title.

Saves Money

Knowing how to write a book title will save you the money you would have paid someone to create it for you. Especially when self-publishing your book, costs can get high. Every little thing you do to keep them down will count.

Helps You Learn

Practice makes perfect, and this includes writing the title of a book. Once you have done it a few times, you will begin to learn what makes a title great. Eventually, you will have an easier time coming up with good ones.

Personalized

Making sure the title is catchy and effective doesn’t mean it has to be generic. You can create something personal and reflective of your own personality. It is your book after all!

Having the title and even the overall look of your book reflect who you are as a writer will help you connect with your audience. You can develop a style that your readers will come to know, expect, and love.

Benefits of Having an Impressive Book Title

Having good content within the book is essential but getting noticed is the first half of the battle. When you walk into a bookstore and there is a sea of books starting back at you, your eye will first go to the titles.

They are usually the most noticeable thing on the cover, and they give you a glimpse into the book itself.

How to Write a Book Title With a Book Title Generator

If you are ever struggling with the book title, there are many book title generators out there that can help you. Some are simple, while others are quite detailed and complex. Don’t be afraid to utilize these powerful tools, they are there to help.

Even the more complex ones aren’t difficult to use. Some of them require some simple information input. This can be keywords, character names themes, and genre.

A book title generator will then take this information and come up with some titles for you. Some give only one, while others offer many. Others will offer titles based solely on the genre, or even nothing at all.

If you don’t like what they give you, generating more is easy.

While they are a simple concept, A book title generator is a useful tool in the arsenal of any writer. Whether they give you your perfect title or just spark some inspiration, they are helping you.

An example of one of the most popular generators is the Portents Content Idea Generator. This one is simple, fun, and effective.

A well-crafted book title will always be a significant weapon in the hands of an author. It is one of the most effective marketing tools they will use.

It will be a way of allowing your book to stand out and be remembered. Writing a good book title is part of knowing how to write a novel.

How to Write a Book Title

Here are the steps for writing a book title:

1. By Genre

The genre will always be an important factor in determining the title of your book.

First of all, fiction and nonfiction titles will look exceedingly different. Nonfiction titles should be specific and to the point, while also being catchy and memorable. Nonfiction titles are usually on the long side, and that’s okay. Most of the time they also include a subtitle with additional information.

The title of a fictional novel should be short, catchy, and reflective of the story in some way. For romance, this might be something light-hearted and sweet. For fantasy, it will probably sound other-worldly and magical.

There aren’t any specific “rules.” In the end, your book’s title is up to you. But, it will be most successful if it makes sense within your chosen genre.

2. Reference the Book’s Theme and Plot

All good books have a central theme and a developed plot. You want your title to play into the these. You want the title to hint at what happens in the book. This gives readers an idea of what to expect.

Your reader shouldn’t be confused about the title after reading a few chapters.

3. Think About the Time Period

Every era had its slang words and popular phrases. If your book takes place at some point in history, do some research on the language that was used back then. Choose some interesting words and see if they will fit into the title.

It is not necessary to use a word or phrase from the time, but it can be a cool and unique addition if it does work. For a reader who knows anything about the time period you are writing in, it will give them additional insight and understanding.

4. Ensure Your Title is Original

This is one way to have a unique title – don’t replicate one that already exists. Even if it was unintentional, it can make you look lazy if readers think you just copied. Spend some time researching to make sure the book title is not already in use.  

It’s not unheard of for book titles to be duplicated. Sometimes, the same title makes sense for multiple books. If the two books with the same title are circulated in different parts of the world, this can be okay.

However, if you think or even hope there is any chance of your book being successful internationally, choose something original and unique.

5. Make it a Working Title  

It’s good to remain flexible with your title. Even once you have come up with something that you like, stay open to changing it.

You never know where the book will take you. In the end, you might find you think of something even better.

6. Consider the Characters

Some writers title the book after the name of the strongest character. If your story is highly character-driven and the main character is the biggest focus, consider using their name as the title.

While it won’t clue readers into the actual plot, it will tell them that this person is what the story is truly about.

It will drive home the importance of this character. If your book is titled after the character, readers will immediately recognize the character once they appear in the story.

This can be strategic when introducing the character. If their name is in the title, you won’t have to do or say anything specific to tell readers that they need to focus on this character.

7. Create Multiple Titles

Come up with a few different titles and rank them in the order you best see fit. Having a few options can help you determine the absolute best choice for your book. The order you placed them in might even change as you progress through the story.

This allows you to remain flexible as you write. You won’t ever feel restrained to the title you have chosen.

Once you have created your list, make sure to keep it in a safe place. This is one instance where good book writing software will come in handy.

Squibler is a fantastic option for anyone looking to write their book in the quickest and efficient way possible. It offers several organization methods, including the ability to take and save notes.

You could write down your titles on an easily misplaced paper list, or save a random, single document on your computer. Or, you can keep your list right inside of Squibler. You can even tag it for easy location later.

8. Get Opinions from Experts

You might have picked a title you think is solid, but it never hurts to hear from those who really know what they’re doing. They can give you opinions on the title you have chosen and offer some advice.

You can also give them a description of the story and ask them to come up with their own titles. You don’t necessarily have to use any of these, but they can help inspire you to create the best one possible.

Getting some guidance from those who have gone before you ‘is never a bad idea. Everything is still up to you in the end, but experience is always valuable.

Quick Tips on How to Write a Book Title

When thinking of how to write a book title, there a few things you can keep in mind to create the best one:

• Be mindful of the word count. Especially for fiction, you want to aim for a short title that is loaded with meaning. Longer ones do work sometimes, but you never want it to be excessive. It will become confusing and awkward with too many words.
• Give the title a double meaning. Enhancing the title without getting wordy is always something to strive for. Let your readers be intrigued by it. Write something that allows them to read different meanings into it. Use of vivid language, lively mood, and contrast can be beneficial here.
• Try to use both verbs and nouns. Make use of actionable verbs, and nouns to be more specific and creative. After choosing your title to try to eliminate the generic words and see how to be more precise. This will add more beauty and intrigue to the title.
• Avoid making your title sound old and boring. Your title should be vibrant. Avoid the use of redundant words. Even if a very simple word might work, try to find a brighter and more interesting alternative.
• Make your title easy to read. Go for a title that will be remembered. Two or three words that are clever and catchy will make a title that is easy and even fun to remember. The words should be easy to understand and pronounce, so people don’t get confused when trying to recall it.

Don’t Discount the Importance of Knowing How to Write a Book Title

There are very few situations where such a small handful of words are so important.  It is one of the most crucial steps when learning how to write a novel.

There are many considerations to take when figuring out how to write a book title, and all of them are important. Writing a good title is more difficult than many think.

Just because a title sounds cool and catchy, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for your book. It needs to be cool, catchy, as well as relevant and effective.

Use these tips in conjunction with our comprehensive list of book title generators, and you’ll have the perfect title in no time.

Josh Fechter

Josh is the founder and CEO of Squibler. He's authored several best-selling books and created one of the largest communities of writers online.