How to pick a title

[Sundale]

My titles usually come with the idea.  Or if they don't, it doesn't take long to find one.

Personally, mine are born from the story itself.  My titles are almost always a quick summery of what the story is about.  If I can manage catchy, it's just a bonus.  My YA story about wolves that centers around a single wolf has a title by his name, and what he is.    An example would be Lobo, the Black Omega (sorry, not willing the share the real title on a public place).  It's all about this black wolf named Lobo who is the pack omega.

That's it.  Nothing fancy.  My sci-fi has even simpler title that says very perfectly what the story centers around.  Other idea eggs yet to hatch have titles that mention the center idea, theme, or plot line.

Keep in mind, I feed off my titles.  They mention the focus of the story because I get my focus for the story from the title.  They guide me so I don't lost track of where this story is supposed to go.

[MaryR]

Oh, sorry, Brandon, you misunderstood...and that's my fault because I was unclear.  They don't sell the book to a publisher.  As I did say, they're going to change the title to suit their needs.  Now, to the general public, on the shelf, title and cover are important, but if you go indie, it's not to the extent that it matters  on the brick and mortar bookshelf.  You'll use promotion to make your book known and the title doesn't have to carry as much weight and neither does the cover. 

I sent a good chunk of this morning giving a presentation on effective promotion to the Northwest Association of Book Publishers.  Was fun. 

Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor

[MaryR]

Yeah, Brandon, I've had the 'perfect' title get a thumbs down from 'marketing' and no amount of raging or whining budges them, BUT that is not likely to happen with any publishers outside of  NY.   Nobody else is ruled by a marketing department, (glyph of eye-roll here). 

Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor