I admit it, I obsess a little about the
titles of my novels.
Why?
Because they are so dang important.
Titles are an author’s first chance to hook the reader--or before the
reader, to hook an editor or agent. (Yes,
there’s also the cover art, but in many cases the author had absolutely NO
control over the cover of their book.)
In addition to hooking the reader, a
title should indicate the book’s genre (or even subgenre). That’s a lot to cram into a single phrase or
word. Is it any wonder we authors angst
about it?
Each genre had its own cadre of
power words. Murder mysteries often
contain words like Murder, Death, Die, Kill.
Like Wendy Roberts’ Grounds to
Kill.
Fantasy loves words like King,
Sword, and Magic. Think A Game of Thrones or Angela Highland’s Valor of the Healer.
Romance favors titles with words
like Heart, Love, and Kiss. Paranormal
romance tends to mix words from the romance pool with those from the horror
pool resulting in titles like Loribelle Hunt’s Kiss of Twilight.
A good title can also indicate
mood. Consider J.R. Ward’s Dark Lover and MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead and Unwed. Both paranormal romances featuring vampires,
but they are VERY different in tone, one intense, one light-hearted and the
titles reflect that. R.L. Naquin’s Monster in My Closet indicates a light-hearted urban fantasy.
And then, as if that isn’t enough,
we’re expected to come up with titles that match with the next title in your
series. That way your audience can tell
at a glance if your new novel belongs to the series or is something new. This can simply mean using the same word in
each subsequent title like Natasha Hoar’s Lost Souls series (The Stubborn Dead, The Ravenous Dead) or
it can be a more complicated pattern like Glen Cook’s Adjective Metal Noun—sorry,
Garrett P.I.--series (Sweet Silver Blues,
Red Iron Nights, Petty Pewter Gods…) or Cindy Spencer Pape’s Gaslight
Chronicles (Steam & Sorcery,
Photograph Phantoms, Moonlight & Mechanicals, Cards & Caravans)
Once upon a time I used to be good
at titles. My early books were all
published under my own titles: Unlocking
the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Violet Eyes, Running on
Instinct, Silver Eyes, Frost. When writer
friends were angsting over a title, I was often able to suggest a title, often
a phrase from the story that I particularly liked.
Alas, I seem to have lost my Title
Mojo. *sob*.
My two latest YA novels, When Dreams
Come True and its sequel Walpurgisnacht were published as Dreamfire and Dreamline. My fantasy romance novels, Sacrifice and its
sequel Soulless were published as Gate to Kandrith and Soul of Kandrith.
Although it took me a little while
to come around—having a publisher rename your book feels a little like having
your child suddenly campaign to be called Bobby Joe—I now like the new titles
better than the old ones.
My current title-wrestling dilemma
is for an alternate history series based on the question What if aliens invaded
in 1200 AD? My first title was Dark
Reflection (because one of the characters, Mirror considered herself the dark
reflection of her twin Owl). It then
became Razor House (named after a level of the Mayan Underworld) until someone
pointed out the title was more fitting for a horror novel. It’s most recent incarnation is Besieged by
Demons, but I’m having difficulty with the title for book two, tentatively
Ruled by Gods. It may change yet again.
Anyone else wrestling with titles? What are your favourite titles?
