 Writing 85,000 words is easy. Picking four words to describe what happens in 85,000 words is hard. Picking a title for your novel can sometimes feel daunting because you want it to be memorable, to capture the themes of your book, and to fit in with the other books in your genre but stand out at the same time. So how do you pick something perfect? Read on for some tips for choosing a title. The mood of the title should match the mood of the book. If you write rom-coms or more lighthearted fiction, experiment with wordplay. Think about Emily Henry's Beach Read, which is about two writers who live in neighboring beach houses. Cozy mysteries often have fun titles, too, like my recent favorite Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. When you hear a title like A Song of Ice and Fire or Tress of the Emerald Sea, you can be pretty sure that book is fantasy. Use familiar words, even if your book is science fiction or fantasy. Words that are exclusive to the universe of your book may not be the best choice for your book title. You can still capture your story with everyday words. Think about books like Shadow and Bone, Red Queen, or Heartless Hunter. All these titles feel appropriate for a book with an otherworldly setting, but they're all words everyone recognizes. Using a word in your title than an agent has never heard might have the unfortunate effect of making them feel alienated from your work rather than intrigued. Is your book more character driven or plot driven? The answer to this question might help you choose a title. The titles of TV shows often follow a formula. When the title names a person or group of people, that show is going to have a strong focus on character relationships and development: Grey's Anatomy, The Rookie, Yellowjackets. Titles that name a place or event are more likely to be plot driven with an ensemble cast brought together by a major event: Law & Order, Zero Hour, The White Lotus. This rule isn't perfect, but it can help point you in the right direction. What's the most important thing to know about choosing a title? Don't get too attached to it. Even after you spend time coming up with the perfect title, your publisher may change it for any number of reasons, some beyond their control. For example, I once sold a book called Bad Land. The title fit the book perfectly and the publisher bought it with that title. Two weeks after announcing the sale, a bestselling author in the same genre announced their next book would be called Badlands. My author had to change their title. A publisher may find another title is more appealing to your target audience, or want your book to be easier to find in bookstore searches. One notable YA novel originally called The Tribute of District 12 was retitled to The Hunger Games, and that worked out okay. Attend a writers conference in 2025:
 This post was composed by Carlie Webber, a certified professional editor and former literary agent currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Pepperdine University. Her favorite genres to read and edit include MG, YA, mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, and contemporary fiction. Carlie is part of the social media staff at Writing Day Workshops. As an Amazon Associate, Writing Day Workshops earns from qualifying purchases.
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