Top Tips for Developing a Title (Author Toolbox Blog Hop
[image error]
[image error]
Leave the WIP untitled until you have finished writing it. I find most titles pop out when we least expect them. Finishing your work will give you a better understanding of the theme, feel and tone of your book, and that will help decide an appropriate title.Ask your critique partners / beta readers for advice. Throw a few titles at them and ask which ones, if any, they like and believe fit your story.Research titles in your genre. Seriously, genres have titles that work with readers and those that don’t. This also links in with the above point about asking critique partners for advice. Readers know what they expect from a genre, and believe it or not, that includes titles.Of course, there are no right or wrong titles, but there are certainly titles that stand out to us and feel right. Trusting your gut instinct is my last tip. You know your work best. If it feels right, it probably is.
[image error]
InstagramFacebookAmazonGoodreadsTwitter
The amount of authors I know that struggle with titling (myself included) is incredible. I believe partly, we put too much pressure on ourselves. We have slogged hours and hours, pouring out our guts into our work and we don’t want to let it down with a crummy title. We want the title to be the cherry on the cake.
[image error]
Over the years, I have developed some strategies to help me develop a title:
Leave the WIP untitled until you have finished writing it. I find most titles pop out when we least expect them. Finishing your work will give you a better understanding of the theme, feel and tone of your book, and that will help decide an appropriate title.Ask your critique partners / beta readers for advice. Throw a few titles at them and ask which ones, if any, they like and believe fit your story.Research titles in your genre. Seriously, genres have titles that work with readers and those that don’t. This also links in with the above point about asking critique partners for advice. Readers know what they expect from a genre, and believe it or not, that includes titles.Of course, there are no right or wrong titles, but there are certainly titles that stand out to us and feel right. Trusting your gut instinct is my last tip. You know your work best. If it feels right, it probably is.
Do you have any processes for titling your work? Do you find it easy or hard to find the perfect title?
You can check out the other #authortoolboxbloghop participants and their posts here.
[image error]
Content belongs to KJ Chapman
InstagramFacebookAmazonGoodreadsTwitter
No comments have been added yet.
