Judging a Book By Its Title

Guest post by Charles Garabedian

After browsing dozens and dozens of recipes for my upcoming cookout, I ended up choosing Crazy Nut Coleslaw, Brazen Fudge Brownies, and Chickie’s Barbecue Chicken. Each caught my eye right away, and looking back at it now as I prepare this post, I can understand why. Not only do the recipes have catchy titles, each has a distinctive rhythm when read out loud. Alliteration places stress on the first syllable of every other word and gives the title a galloping beat.

A few weeks after the cookout, I happened to be perusing books in a bookstore when I overheard a teenage girl next to me say, “This one seems cool.”

I looked over and saw her pointing to the paperback: Tall, Dark, and Vampire, by Sara Humphreys.

“Yeah, I read it already,” the other girl said.

Paranormal romance, one of the hottest genres in the publishing market today, lured yet another teen to its title. I have to admit that I, too, am drawn to a provocative title. It’s especially true when I’ve heard the title spoken and haven’t had the chance to see the jacket cover, to skim an excerpt, or to read the first line. It reminds me of when I listen to NPR or other radio stations broadcasting a book review.  Since the jacket cover isn’t visible nor any page from the novel, I tend to form a first impression after hearing the title. The way the title sounds may be the single most important factor as to whether I search for the book on websites or in local libraries and bookstores.

Hearing the title of a novel is one thing, remembering the name is another. Ever find yourself rushing through the Sunday newspaper book reviews not to be late for church or because you need to drive the kids to their sports practices on time? In these situations, remembering a title with lots of nouns may be more difficult than a title with active verbs. Similarly, a title that is short, easy to pronounce, and flaunts a catchy phrase, may be simpler to keep in mind than one that’s too wordy.

But does a shorter title necessarily mean better sales and a wider readership? Not so in the case of these bestsellers: The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat: And Other Clinical Tales, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Whether a title is long or short, other considerations come to play when an author chooses a name for his/her novel. Some titles offer clues to the theme and give the reader a hint of what the story is about: Misery, Atonement, and Terms of Endearment. Other titles suggest the main event: Sophie’s Choice, Gone Girl, and Interview With The Vampire. There are titles involving proper names, typically the main character or a character crucial to the plot: Mrs. Dalloway, Olive Kitteridge, and Jane Eyre.

Titles can also be taken from a line in the novel: We Were The Mulvaneys, can be borrowed from other literary sources such as the Bible: The Sun Also Rises, can use common idioms: A Day Late And A Dollar Short, can indicate a place: Mystic River, Middlesex, and Tara Road, and depict an object: The Black Box and The Notebook.

In the end, no matter what title an author feels is best, a publishing house may have other ideas and suggestions. And so the final version appearing on the jacket cover may not be what the author intended. Working titles of The Great Gatsby included Trimalchio, The High-bouncing Lover, Gold-hatted Gatsby, and On the Road to West Egg. Of Mice and Men was originally titled Something That Happened. And Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind was initially, A Manuscript of the Old South.

Thinking back on my own novel, I remember considering several titles including House of Lost Souls and Longing for Ivy before choosing Ivy House.  Ivy House is the name of the four-story brick dwelling in the North End of Boston where nearly all of the action takes place.  I treated Ivy House as a main character, central to the plot spanning from the 1920’s to present day. Its former elegance collapsing into decay, followed by a rebirth and renovation, mirror the arcs of the main characters.

According to author Randy Susan Meyers, “My original title for The Murderer’s Daughters was Adopting Adults, which I was told sounded like a self-help book. (Oh, they were right on the money there.) My editor chose the final title, tacking on ‘a novel’ when I insisted people would think it was a mystery.” (1)

I recently had a conversation with New York Times best selling author, Jenna Blum, who said, “When Those Who Save Us was in the editing stage at Harcourt, the publisher feared the title might not be memorable enough. Too vowel-y; lacked a proper noun for readers to remember. So my editor asked me to come up with an alternate title…I asked my friends who’d read the manuscript to help me. I sent out an email saying, ‘If you can come up with a title for my novel, I’ll give you $20 and a bottle of Scotch.’”

Jenna Blum’s request ended up as a spoof contest and she received these possible titles:

1. “Someone’s In The Kitchen With Anna”

2. “The Bread Also Rises”

3. “Nazi Whore”

4. “Gone With The Reich”

Jenna sent these titles to her editor, who said, “We’ll just keep the title the way it is, darling child.”

Choosing a title may be one of the most difficult decisions facing an author. Some authors define a title from the start and use it as a building block to develop plot and theme. Others come up with a title after the novel is written.

Though titles vary in length and content, the intent of many authors and editors is to create one that piques a reader’s interest. And from the reader’s prospective, a title that’s uncomplicated, hints at genre, and begs the questions of what, why, who, and where, may draw further attention, a closer look, and eventually a purchase.

What were your working titles, and what ended up on the jacket cover?

1. Beyond the Margins, January 24, 2012

Charles Garabedian

Charles Garabedian is a fiction writer represented by agent Carolyn Jenks at the Carolyn Jenks Agency. He has been a member of the Grub Street Writers’ Center in Boston for many years. His debut novel, Ivy House, was conceived during the center’s Master novel workshop mentored by New York Times bestselling author, Jenna Blum. Charles lives in Boston and enjoys playing tennis, kayaking, and spending time with family. Since 1993, he has been a pediatrician in Concord, Massachusetts.