“What’s in a name?” asked Juliet Capulet, after she fell in love with Romeo Montague. Well, most of us know what happened there. SPOILER ALERT: It didn’t end well, which is probably why they call it a tragedy.
Anyway, what should the title of YOUR book be? And when do you come up with it? Before, during or after you write it?
There are several schools of thought on the matter. They each have advantages and disadvantages. Take your pick which of the three options you prefer.
BEFORE: If you come up with the title of your book before you write your manuscript, this could help you determine the editorial angle you will take. Pretty much everything you write after that about the topic should be done while keeping the title in mind.
A downside of coming up with the title beforehand is that you might change your mind on where you want to go with its contents. So, you might get locked in and therefore paralyzed. This could lead to writers block.
DURING: If you decide on the title during the writing process, you are in the minority. Most people come up with it before or after they have written the manuscript.
It reminds me of the age-old question “When should I write a book?” Well, the best answer I have heard to this question, is “when you are ready to.” Of course that is ambiguous. It is often a rhetorical question anyway.
It is sort of like naming a child or a pet. Often it just comes to you.
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AFTER: The advantage of naming your book after you have it written is that it is the last piece (of the writing process). The heavy lifting has been done and you’re just putting the finishing touches on it. WARNING: DON’T BLOW IT NOW!
Some of the most widely distributed books have the most descriptive titles. People make up their minds as to what a book has to say before they read it. Reading it gives them further insights. I am talking about books like The Power of Positive Thinking, How to Win Friends and Influence People and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
One caveat is that if you use a rather generic title, you should have a subtitle that explains what the book is about. An example might be Blink, subtitled The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. The title alone tells you very little. However, in conjunction with the subtitle, the point is made.
Exactly when you name a book may come down to whether you prefer inductive or deductive reasoning.
I will say this about titles: The more memorable your book title, the easier it is for OTHERS to sell it for you. People communicate – and when they’re in touch with their network – it is always nice when they can rattle off the name of your book to another person. And better yet – when the other person GETS what it is you do – or what the book is about (based on the title) – that can benefit you.
The good news is you can always change the book’s title. And, getting back to Shakespeare, “… a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frank Felsburg is a ghostwriter who writes books for other people. He also publishes manuscripts and helps authors market their work. Contact him at 484.278.4674, frank@SpokenAndWrittenWords.com or @fjfelsburg
