Time to hook up some readers! An addict to a pen is what every author is. But simply being one is not enough if you want to reach a wider audience. How then can you get the attention of readers? By giving them the best visual of your book? Or giving the best price? Well, those two are part of having a good marketing strategy. But did you know that the readers today have evolved? Some of them are now obsessed with the book’s title alone. Yes, titles have always been a part of a book. But titles of your novels are important to readers on a whole different level nowadays. We know that one shouldn’t judge a book by its title (and cover). But hey! We’re doing it. Everybody is doing it. Therefore, it is up to authors to come up with a title worth a second glance.

If an author is an addict to a pen, then some of their readers can only be penned as literary addicts. After all, we can’t deny that good titles are hooking us up to read the book. It makes us curious, and the feeling of excitement flows simultaneously. 

The title of your book represents your name in the literary world. Book titles will carry the name of their authors, especially when they are still just starting their writing career. Think of some of the best authors of our century. Their famous titles are synonymous with their names. In fact, titles can even surpass the writer’s name behind them.

Now, the best way to get your reader’s attention is to have an engaging book title. What should you consider when engaging in a title for your novel? Here are our top 5 tips: 

1.) Make it Short 

The shorter the title, the more impact it will leave on the public. Remember that books gross over million sales because of their outstanding titles and, of course, the book’s main content. Some authors pattern the title of their books related to the name of their protagonist. But today, in this modern and digital age, books with one-word titles are often popular because of their high potential for being easily found in search engines, unlike longer titles. 

Also, it doesn’t require a lot of effort to think about some effective titles because you can just get the story’s plot in your book. You can even title your novel according to the superpower of your characters in the story. For example, the book’s title is “Spirit Bomb,” which means “Genki Dama” in Japanese and is also “Energy Sphere‘ when translated again to English. You see the point there? They all have different spelling, but they’re all the same in the end. 

2.) Be Unique! 

There’s no place for plagiarism in the world of writing. Those people who copy the works of others don’t get the recognition they want because they didn’t deserve it. Of course, you don’t want to be labeled as a plagiarizer, right? So the solution for that is to think uniquely and wisely about what to title your book. Don’t just copy the work of others. There are several ways for you to create your own titles. 

Do your research. It is okay to get an idea or two when searching for your title, but make sure that it doesn’t copy the actual thought of the title. It would be best if you based on your environment, too, because you would see a high chance of getting the title with the help of your surroundings. For example, having a title of “Blue Coral” because you happen to look at the curtain in your house with a color blue while watching the cartoon titled “Coraline.” You just need to be an addict to a pen, mix things up, and the title will come to you. Of course, you need to connect the title with your story for it to make sense. The point is, your surrounding is brimming with possible ideas for your titles.

3.) One Genre at a Time 

It would be best to practice your writing and title-making before switching to different genres. Most of the time, fiction is the most popular genre for beginner authors and experts in this field. You can come up with any title when writing a fiction book because it is not based on historical or real life. It is based on you alone, as the author of the book. 

When you’re sticking to non-fiction, make sure that the title is somewhat related to its story’s origin. When engaging in drama and romance, make sure that the title of your novel will capture the heart of the readers by making it emotional or sad. But before doing this, make sure that you are ready and truly capable of switching between genres. Simply allowing ego and pride to fuel you in writing many at once will only be futile. 

4.) Be Polite With Your Audience 

An author who is an addict to a pen makes sure that the title is not racial or gender discriminatory. Always be mindful that your book is not solely accessible to a few but is worldwide. The title of your book must avoid any controversial topics that may and will cause offense to people. Some authors risk their chance to this kind of strategy when they add fuel to the fire. They will intentionally create a title that the readers will surely hate to make it more popular in the market. But doing so is wrong morally and ethnically.

Be sensitive, knowledgeable, and considerate. Keep in mind to leave a positive mark instead of a negative one. You also need to ensure that there is respect for all readers and not just your target audience. Being a writer is sometimes hard, but being mindful of worldly issues doesn’t need much practice. It should be something you already do every day. 

5.) Double Entendre 

‘Curiouser and curiouser,’ as Alice said. Making readers think and trigger their curiosity is an excellent way of grabbing and retaining their attention. If you use the technique of double-meaning, you’ll likely be tricking them into buying it just because the title of your book fascinates them. For example, if you titled your book “Demon’s Heir,”  that would probably play the mind of the readers because you can turn heir into something similar with hair or here. So the main interpretation to the title would be the demon’s heir (to whatever he’s/she’s entitled to), or demon’s hair (about something, who knows? magically with their hair?), and demon’s here (maybe the time has come that the demon has arrived long last). 

Tricky words sometimes get the attention of readers, mostly bookworms. Make sure that the title is promising and original, and it’ll surely be recognizable by the public when it becomes the talk of the town. 

Final Takeaway 

Engaging a title for your novel isn’t that complicated. It would be best if you consider some pointers beforehand. Think of it as an inspiration because someday, that title will be carried out by fans, and you’ll be mesmerized with its outcome. An addict to a pen will surely be at the top of the literary industry when they manage to give birth to a book with a wonderful plot and accompanying title.

Publishing Profits can help you with some effective strategies to start your book writing journey. Check it out today!