Making Your Title Sexy

The title got your attention, didn't it?

I have included for illustration's sake a photo of Justin Timberlake only because he did, of course, bring sexy back. 

Photo from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nora-oravecz/justin-timberlake-always-pretend-that-you-are-a-beginner_b_7158780.html

Today is all about--you guessed it! Creating titles that catch your readers' attention. Titling your manuscript can be so difficult, because you have to sum up the sentiment and all the layers of your book into a short little phrase. Some people will tell you not to spend too much time on your title because a publishing house will change it anyway, but I would disagree with that, because you need a good title to catch the attention of a publishing house or agent in the first place. Not to mention, wouldn't you rather have the chance to title it yourself, picking something that's consistent with your book's overall vibe? So here are some things to keep in mind when working on your titles that should increase your chances of getting to keep the original title when the book does sell.

• Your title is your first opportunity for marketing. So make it good.

• Use a consistent tone as what you use in the book. Have you read My Life As A Doormat by Rene Gutteridge? It's pretty much one of the best books of all time, and the tone throughout is as funny as the title sounds. What about A Grownup Kind of Pretty by Jocelyn Jackson? I rented this one from the library but couldn't get into it enough to finish. That said, I love the title and think it showcases Jocelyn's lyrical writing style so well.

• Create a hook that catches attention and makes us what to find out what this story's all about.

• Add layers of depth to the title's implications. Another one of my favorite books of all time is Miss Invisible by Laura Jensen Walker. At the beginning of the story, two main things drive the character: she is indeed a "miss" and it not exactly thrilled about that fact, and she prefers, at all costs, to remain invisible.

• Keep it relatively short.

• Create a title that will only become more interesting after someone has read the story. Examples of this are Pride and Prejudice, To Kill A Mockingbird, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Eats, Shoots, & Leaves, andWhere the Wild Things Are.

• Keep the target audience in mind. 

• Irony, or a play off a name. A couple of my favorite examples of this are Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck, and Savannah from Savannah by Denise Hildreth. Also, Laura Jensen Walker is a superstar at this. Reconstructing Natalie, Daring Chloe, and Becca by the Book are all other great examples. Can you tell I'm a Laura Jensen Walker fan?

A good title, like a good cover, can set you apart from other books as readers who may be unfamiliar with your writing browse through the bookshelves. In my opinion, it's one of the most important ways to catch the attention of readers. I know I've picked up many books based off their titles alone. Haven't you?

What are some of your favorite titles and why?

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

I'M GOING TO HAVE A BABY!

You may be reading this blog because I (Krista) posted this jaw-dropping news somewhere on social media.

And let me tell you. If it were true, I wouldn't be hosting this blog today. No, I'd probably being still sitting in dumb-founded shock. Someone would also have to do CPR on my poor husband.

Or--- you may be reading this blog because someone else posted this jaw-dropping news somewhere on social media, and you're thinking.... WHAT??? Or-- YEAH!!!

Either way...

No one (that I'm aware of) is having a baby.

Unless you count manuscripts, which authors lovingly think of as "our babies."

Here is the REAL subject of this blog.

TITLES ARE IMPORTANT.

Titles draw in readers. Titles are the first thing we read, both on books in the bookstore or online book retailer or on blogs.

It's the title's job to capture the reader's attention (for books, in tandem with the cover.) A GOOD title makes readers think, "Wow, I wonder what that's about" or "Ohhhhh, I need to read THAT!"

Confession #1: I've been one of those people who has used the fact that publishers usually change book titles as an excuse to not get very creative with a title.

But we're trying to catch an agent/editor's eye too! An AMAZING title could very well help a submission rise to the top section of a slush pile. (Content will then have to be superior after that... a title can only do so much!)

Confession #2: I've also been one of those bloggers who have just slapped any ol' title on a blog post to describe what I'd written. How stupid is it, though, to spend all that time trying to craft the perfect blog post--- and then leave the title as just bleh? Especially in social media, where your dream would be that your post go viral.

Now, you might say, the title of this post is, well, inaccurate. No one is having a baby. And yes, titles should reflect to the subject matter. I think, though, in this case, it does, in a creative, slightly odd, way. The point of the post title is to underscore the importance of having a title that catches eyes and attracts attention.

Lest you think I've got this whole title thing figured out, please be aware that I DO NOT.

I HATE coming up with titles. It is not my strong suit.

This is why the title of my book proposal to Abingdon was, "A Sandwich Romance" because it was set in Sandwich, IL and was a romance. (see confession #1 above.) They renamed it "Sandwich, with a Side of Romance" which is a heap better. That said... my submission went through different channels than the slush pile, so I'm super lucky my poor title didn't hurt my chances. This, however, is not normal.

I have another full-length novel my agent has requested a GOOD title before we submit it. Right now, the title is "Mission: Jack" (a takeoff of Mission: Impossible). But eh... it's just... not the best. I debated for a while if it was super unique or super stupid. I'm leaning toward the stupid side now that time has passed. So it's on my list to retitle.

So--- I have TWO challenges for you today.

#1: Let's practice thinking of GREAT TITLES. Help me think of a title for (formerly known as) Mission: Jack! Below is a super brief (unofficial for the sake of this blog) synopsis.

While I don't promise to USE your title, (although reserve the right to if I love it and my agent gives her thumbs up!) we Alleycats will vote on which title we think is the most UNIQUE and HOOKING.... and the WINNER will get a signed copy of my first novel, Sandwich, with a Side of Romance. 

Mission Jack Synopsis:

Jenny is queen of safety and predictability. Her life is controlled by fear. But the guy she falls in love with over the Internet represents anything but.

Jack is in over his head trying to take care of his orphaned, preteen niece, and might be more than a little insane to be falling for a woman online, especially when a predictable "perfect" woman from his church is offering to be everything he could ever need.

Jenny and her best friend become convinced that Jack isn't the awesome guy he seems like, and that he's an Internet stalker. On a mission to prove they are right, they go on a road trip to Nashville, TN to call him out.

"Mission: Jack" goes exactly opposite of what they'd planned, especially when the real stalker shows up.

Jack must learn that perfection isn't always so perfect, and Jenny must learn that safety isn't measured by locks on the doors, but that trusting God is the only true way to peace.

#2: SHARE THIS BLOG post on Facebook or Twitter or both, complete with the title. Let's see just how much BUZZ a title with an eye-popping "hook" can get. Bonus points if you're past baby bearing age :-) :-) (and let me know in the comments if you shared it, I'll pick a winner out of those who share this post as well!)

Come on. I dare you.

(comments/shares must be done by end of day, Sunday, March 23rd. Winner to be announced on the following weekend edition!)

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Krista is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mother, and author of Sandwich, With a Side of Romance . She blogs about finding JOY in the journey of LIFE at http://www.kristaphillips.com. She is represented by fabulous agent, Rachelle Gardner.

Titles that Tell the Truth

Duped.

One week ago, I held out hope to the last page of the book I read. But I was duped.

I held out a certain hope with each page because of the promise declared in the title. And as I turned the last page, I felt the title lied to me. 

The title lured me in for an exciting story, promised a certain adventure which would lead to suspense, a page turner, and did not deliver. I chose it over other books in the seconds I had available.  

As a reader, I feel the title is a promise-a contract. As a writer I am obligated to convey the truth in the title, especially if I want readers to buy more of my books.

FB friends helped form this list of classic book titles they felt kept the promise. This in no way indicated the quality of the book or whether the person liked the book.

The Secret Garden

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Dante's Inferno
 . . . and many others

..and their list of classic book titles they felt did not keep the promise. Once again, this list does not indicate quality of the book or whether the person liked it. 

God's Little Acre
Gone with the Wind

Catcher in the Rye

Grapes of Wrath
To Kill a Mocking Bird

The Glass Menagerie

A title needs to:

*Capture a reader's attention  (Brave Heart, The Comedy of Errors)

*Have few words (Persuasion, Kidnapped)

*Be Unique (Jaws, The Wizard of Oz)

*Allude to the theme (Dante's Inferno), 

                  the main character (Sherlock Holmes), 

                  the setting (The Secret Garden and 1984), 

             or the genre (Murder on the Orient Express)

*Tell the truth about the story (Beauty and the Beast, The Importance of Being Earnest) 

*Spark a question (Pilgrim's Progress- what did the pilgrim progress from and too? The Great Gatsby - why is he/she so great? The Secret Garden - what is the secret?)

Tips to Writing a Better Title:

1. Make a list of words or phrases that match your theme, setting, character, story question. Use every word you can think of and their synonyms. Consider writing each word on it's own post it. 

2. From this list form possible titles by shifting and grouping words (this same method can be seen in the movie Julie and Julia when the title for Julia Child's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking was formed) Also, Beth Vogt talks about using this method.

3. Read the list out loud. Which top three titles sound right?

4. Ask crit partners their opinion and suggestions

5. Modify your top three choices.

6. Ask others outside your crit partners.

7. Let the list soak in your thoughts.

8. Now pick the winner and don't be afraid to change your mind - or pick more than one. Editors don't mind. 

The title of this post, and my previous post as well, changed at least five time before I pressed the publish key. Even the title of my blog post must convey the meaning while intriguing.

The title works in harmony with the cover. 

They are the door to your book. 

Reader: What formula have you used to construct a winning title? 

               What title really rings solid for you?

               What title falls short of the mark?

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photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary Christian fiction with a focus on the homeless population and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Finalist Phoenix Rattler Writing Contest 2012 
Semi finalist Clash of the Titans, Olympia Writing Contest 2012 (finalists announced 2013)
Finalist Christmas Tree Writing Contest 2012

Website www.maryvee.com Step into Someone Else's World
Ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids http://www.mimaryvee.blogspot.com

What's In A Name?

When it comes to naming the character or novel, sometimes those great and infamous names just escape us. Or maybe we don't put enough stock in them.
A good name to stand on it's own feet, long after the book has been written, published and consumed by the reader, is a name that will stick in the hallowed halls of the reader's thoughts. A name that will conjure up an image of your story or the character that personified it.

A name has to match the character. It has to be orginal, but not so orginal that it is hard to remember. A name that is too "out there" will be just as quickly forgotten as an old and worn out name.

Like with feelings, I do think we need to avoid cliched names. A name that has been used too frequently will be lost on the reader, where they won't even remember it enough to write the review. (and this has  happened to me)

A name has to have a meaning behind it. Maybe not the literal meaning, but it has a resonsance to it that means something to you and the character. If you decide to go with a literal meaning, it is good to think of how that name represents your character. For example: Mary means bitter. Is your character bitter about something? If not, you might want to consider some other name. It doesn't have to be mentioned in the story, it would be best if you didn't, but I know that when I hear that name, I often think of someone who has a "bitter" quality to them

Religion, ethnicity, nicknames, these can all play into the resonance of your character's name.

The same can be said for titles. You want a title that will grab the reader's attention, since that might very well be the first thing that they see. Aside from the cover, that is one of the biggest attention grabbers your book can produce. And since the best way is to learn by experience (and since I am terrible at naming things), I wanted to share some titles and character names that I think are truly memorable.

Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz is a book that I believe says a great deal not only in the title, but also the name of the character. Because she is so memorable, Morrow Little is a name that sticks in my memory. But the title also grabs the reader. Courting inplies to several men who are looking at this beautiful young woman. But once you read the book, you realize it really isn't about men seeking Morrow's heart, but God. Chasing after her to show her His love for her.

The PJ Sugar series by Susan May Warren, I believe is brilliant! Talk about a name and personality to match. Because while it is great to have a stellar and memorable name, it will go nowhere without a personality to back it up. You can have the greatest name, but if your character is under developed, your story and name are going to fall flat on it's face without a leg to get back up on. So while it is important to pick the perfect name for the perfect character, it is also equally, if not more so important to build that memorable character. Because a memorable character can take an ordinary name and make it extraordinary.

PJ is a tomboy character so the nickname is perfect. It personifies her and that along with character traits, make her larger than life.

The characters in this book are simply marvelous, but I want to focus on the title for this time around. A Passion Most Pure. It says a lot, don't you think? It implies the romantic passion that accompy the woman and man on the front cover, but the pure part it what sparks the interest in readers. You don't often here of pure passion, so to see such a title makes me want to pick the book up off the shelf. The same goes for the other two books in the series,  A Passion Redeemed  and A Passion Denied, speaks very highly of what you are going to find within the pages of the novel.

A truly good title will give the reader a glimpse into the world of the book. Because like it or not, much of the first impression of a book comes from the title and cover. When we pick up a Love Finds You book, we expect a love story and not a murder mystery. When we pick up one of Julie Lessman's Passion books, we expect a romance because of the title in and of itself. Think carefully when you title something. Don't let it be evasive, let it have a meaning that intrigues the reader.

I just had to include this novel, because I love this book so much. The Frontiersman's Daughter, who can forget the story and a lovely name like Lael Click? Even after several months of finishing this book, I can still see her name and face in my mind. To be able to build a character around a name or vice versa is simply stunning.

And my favorite of favorites novel title is The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry. Talk about a title the says so much and yet so little! It immediately sparks an interest in the reader, how can a stranger be familiar? And with a story to back it up that sweeps the reader away, this book is truly memorable on every single count.

There have been so many memorable character names in the history of fiction.

Anne Shirley

Sherlock Holmes

Dr. Watson

Scarlet O'Hara

Tom Sawyer

Huckleberry Finn

Silas Marner

Atticus Finch

Oliver Twist

Jo March

Mary Lennox

And the list can go on and on.

What is your opinion of names and do you have more to add to my list? There are so many more out there!