How to Create a Title for Your Book
The Novelry on Writing
Using theme and attributes in titles
They advise drawing on a book's themes—estrangement, family, love—to create revealing, layered titles.
How you name your book is your story’s most important marketing tool, so you must choose your novel title wisely. In this podcast episode of The Novelry on Writing, coaches Gina Sorell and Tara Conklin share the keys to crafting a unique, memorable, and insightful title to hook your readers before they even crack open the spine!
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:55 - Tip #1: Audience
03:04 - Tip #2: What will the name achieve?
06:00 - Tip #3: Attitude
09:18 - Tip #4: Attributes
11:50 - Tip #5: Ancestry
Guest Bios
Tara Conklin is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have been selected by the Today Show Book Club, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, and as a No.1 Indie Next Pick and Amazon Best Book of the Month. Tara’s debut novel, The House Girl, was a New York Times bestseller, translated into eight languages. Her second novel, The Last Romantics, also became an instant New York Times bestseller and was selected by Jenna Bush Hager as the inaugural read for the first-ever Today Show Book Club. Her latest novel, Community Board, is a recommended read of Vanity Fair, Barnes & Noble, and Kirkus Reviews.
Gina Sorell is the author of The Wise Women, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Good Morning America Buzz Book and People Magazine Best New Book Pick that was also selected for Read with Jenna, Parade Magazine’s Most Anticipated, the Washington Post Summer Selection, Elin Hilderbrand’s summer reading list, and the Eva Chen Book Club. Gina’s debut, Mothers and Other Strangers, was a Refinery29 and Self Magazine Best Book Pick, a Great Group Read, and an Indigo Best for Book Clubs selection.
Resources
Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write and publish your story:
5 Secrets for Naming a Character
Indie Press or Big Publisher? Gina Sorell on ‘Debuting Twice’
7 Top Tips from The Novelry on Writing Podcast (Season 1)
Read the full episode transcript here!
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Show description
Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.
With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.
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