How will you decide on a title for your novel?

by Adrian Sroka
5th August 2012

What will influence your final choice. I am on my fourth title. Titles tend to be named after the main character, or a setting that is crucial to the plot and storyline. Many traditional and contemporary authors have changed their original choice.

Why did Jane Austen name her novel Mansfield Park instead of after the heroine Fanny Price? It is because of the way of life presented that it represents.

Replies

Tiltes? Nightmare, I've already changed mine so many times I can't even remember the first one anymore and I only posted the piece yeseterday:)

Profile picture for user jonpenst_21547
Pen
Cooper
17400 points
Developing your craft
Poetry
Short stories
Fiction
Middle Grade (Children's)
Picture Books (Children's)
Comic
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Gothic and Horror
Pen Cooper
08/08/2012

I have no idea!! It is more challenging than writing the actual story! feels like the title will determine whether someone will pick up that book and open the page. lot of pressure

Profile picture for user vergo@ho_23133
Zaann
Jacqueline
270 points
Ready to publish
Short stories
Fiction
Speculative Fiction
Adventure
Historical
Gothic and Horror
Zaann Jacqueline
06/08/2012

Titles are such a pain. I prefer short - 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' would put me off for starters, though I guess many would pick up such a book because it's unusual.

I write historical action-adventure (Napoleonic cavalry) so avoided a name in the title - too many other genre writers do that. I agonised over the first story which eventually went out as 'Walls of Jericho' (one theme is vaguely religious, social barriers in one MCs way - his name's Joshua - and real walls on a battlefield), the second will be called 'Leopardkill' (more like an adventure story title and ties in with an incident in the book), at the moment the third is called 'Dog Watch' (naval theme and time is critical to the storyline) and the fourth 'Hand of the Baptist' (back to a religious theme).

My hope is they're all unusual enough to attract attention, the disadvantage being they give no real clue to the books' content. I leave that to the cover picture. Hmmm.

Profile picture for user oldchesn_4270
Jonathan
Hopkins
6735 points
Practical publishing
Fiction
Historical
Adventure
The writing process
The publishing process
Self-Publishing
Jonathan Hopkins
06/08/2012