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.

Know Your Hook-- Your Secret Weapon

Ever watched a movie or read a book where the writer let you in on a secret? Isn't it amazing how the knowledge of something deep about characters or plot can drive us to keep reading or watching?

Think about your favorite stories. I bet almost all of them have some kind of secret that's used as a hook. It may be a real secret--something one of your characters is purposefully hiding. Or it may be a secret that's a bit more subtle-- hidden love, for instance, or something that happened to your characters when they were young that shaped their mindset today.

Your "secret" is also (in most cases) your hook. If you're prepping for conference season and working on your pitch, consider this. Your pitch doesn't have to be difficult to write. It's the thing that drives your story. That deep heart of your book-- the thing that keeps you writing. It's often tied to the moral of the story as well, since it cuts so deep down into the characters' story arcs.

You should incorporate this hook throughout every chapter of your story.

Now, you may be thinking, "Oh no! I don't have what you're talking about. My story is just about two people falling in love, plain and simple." If that's what you're thinking, don't despair. Most likely, your book does have a hook, but you just need to find it. If you don't know your hook yet and you've just started writing, not to worry--it'll probably come in the process of writing your first draft.

So how do you make use of your hook, your secret weapon?

1. Find your hook. What's the secret? Usually it's interwoven with the conflict of your story. Maybe you write suspense, in which case the secret might be a killer or thief. Maybe you write romance, in which case the secret might be hidden love, or something that happened to the heroine/hero prior to the start of the story that keeps the romance from developing. I think of Denise Hunter's Seaside Letters, and how the hurt of the heroine's past with her former fiance keeps her from opening her heart to the hero. You need to figure out what makes your story unique, and then develop that--make the most of it! Think of what you do when you go into a job interview. You make sure you know the high points of why you're right for the job, and then you highlight those as much as possible. You want to do the same thing here. Know your strengths--the fibers of your story--and pull out those secret weapons throughout, so they can be well-developed. 
2. Incorporate the hook through the dialogue. Make your characters uncomfortable. Readers love this kind of thing! Is your character hiding a secret past? Have another character almost stumble upon it. Use words with double meanings that might be misconstrued by your characters. Think of all the things that would make you uncomfortable if you were had a secret to hide, and then use those against your characters. You may feel cruel. It's okay. You're a writer.
3. Incorporate the hook through descriptions. In my most recent WIP, I've really been working on this. The moral of my book is living a vibrant life, so I have been making a point to incorporate imagery of color throughout each chapter. You don't want to be too overt about using descriptions to convey your hook-- it's a delicate balance. However, so long as you are subtle about your imagery, you can create a story world that affects readers on a subconscious level and is very powerful because it allows every element of your story to line up: characters, plot, the moral premise, dialogue, and setting. Use each element carefully and purposefully. Find words that are not only precise, but also convey a sense of your theme and hook in the story.

In the end, think of your hook like your own personal secret weapon. You want to make the most out of it you can. Especially as you revise your novel (and as you write a pitch!), look for opportunities to hint toward that secret weapon all throughout your story, because it will ramp up tension and keep readers turning the pages (and editors alike)!

Can you think of examples of movies or books that know their secret weapon and use it well? What's the hook you are working in on your current WIP? How are you developing it throughout?

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Ashley Clark writes romantic comedy 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.

The Blurb

You've come to that point.

You've written your book, and now you need a catchy blurb to reel people in.

And that's exactly the purpose of the blurb. To catch an agent... or editor... and eventually, most importantly, a reader's eye.

There is a GOB of information out there about writing the blurb. Some say only one sentence. Some limit it to a certain number of words or characters. Some say it can be a whole paragraph. Some say not to include a question, others not so much. Some say to use names... others say to leave names for the book.

Oye. Can get SUPER confusing.

I've read all of those same sets of advice. I've struggled myself with writing the "perfect" blurb. And in the end, I took all into consideration and decided that I need to keep the MOST important key in mind:

THE BLURB MUST HOOK!

Just like a first chapter... your blurb must hook the reader, leave them wanting to know more. It must create a question, and not just any question. But an INTRIGUING one.

That said, intriguing is in the eye of the beholder. What intrigues ME might not intrigue YOU, and visa versa.

Our family has Netflix at our house, and I've always gotten a kick out of reading the little blurbs for the movies. Some of them are right on, but occasionally I'll find an yawn-inducing one that reminds me of the super importance of quality blurbs.

Thought it'd be fun to post some examples... as well as my commentary on what makes them good or, well, not so good.

*NOTE* 

I have no watched all of these movies. Some of them are rated R or are NOT movies I'd recommend. I'm judging the quality of the blurb only, not the movie itself. 

 

13 going on 30

When a geeky teen's birthday party goes awry and she makes a wish that she could be 30, she wakes up to discover she's flash-forwarded 17 years.

Krista's Thoughts: I actually really like this one. Highlights a fun, intriguing twist that you can tell would be full of funny twists and turns.

The Switch

Still single and worried about her biological clock, Kassie decides to pursue motherhood with the help of an anonymous sperm donor.

Krista's Thoughts: Okay, I know the whole "sperm donor" thing is controversial, so apologize for the subject matter. But honestly, I'm not loving this blurb, and I thought this was a good example. So she gets a sperm donor. Not my preferred way, but "normal" these days. Doesn't highlight any conflict and no real twisting plot that would hook anyone. Without knowing anything else about the movie, I'd assume it was a not-in-my-taste documentary (or non-fiction book) and move on

Maid in Manhattan

Sparks fly when a chambermaid and a rising politician literally collide at a posh New York City hotel. The only problem? He assumes she's a guest.

Krista's Thoughts: First, loved this movie. Second, not too bad of a blurb! Ends with the plot hook, which is what the one before was missing. Just the first sentence described the movie... but the rest is what made the blurb a good one! (and note... It's 3 sentences. Totally broke a rule, but worked!)

The River Why

Gus Orviston, a discontented city-dweller, moves to the wilderness to devote his time to fly-fishing and to pull a prize rainbow trout from the river.

Krista's Thoughts: *stretches* *yawns* Oh, sorry, I think I just fell asleep while reading that blurb...

Anger Management

After a gentle businessman is forced to get anger management counseling, his therapist moves in -- but turns out to have anger issues of his own. 

Krista's Thoughts: Never watched the movie... but another thumbs up on the blurb. An anger counselor who has his own anger issues? And why in the world is his therapist moving in anyway? I'm curious...

North and South

When her father moves his family to an industrial mill town, the parson's daughter, Margaret Hale, struggles to adapt to her harsh new surroundings.

Krista's Thoughts: Eh. Okay, so she struggles. A little bit of conflict anyway. And the "harsh" surroundings hints to something. But... okay, honestly, I couldn't make it through watching the whole movie without falling asleep. So maybe the blurb is as good as it could get? I dunno. Don't know how it ended! And don't really care to... *confession over*

IQ

When Albert Einstein's cerebral niece piques the interest of an auto mechanic, Einstein devises a plan to bring the two divergent minds together.

Krista's Thoughts: Brilliant! Just plain brilliant!

A Royal Affair

In 18th-century Denmark, the unstable King Christian VII neglects his young queen, Mathilde, who falls in love with his German physician, Struensee, an intellectual whose advocation of reform transforms the country but brings about his own downfall.

Krista's Thoughts: Oh. My. Honestly? I've read this blurb about 4 or 5 times and I still have no clue at all what it is talking about. Blurbs should not be confusing. I don't even know how to critique this blurb because I have no clue what it is saying.

Elizabethtown

Fired from his job as a shoe designer, Drew tries to kill himself. But he gets a new lease on life when he returns to his hometown for a funeral.

Krista's Thoughts: I almost didn't use this one. But... there is this fabulous twist in this blurb that makes it actually decent. Okay, so he tried to kill himself... but finds new LIFE at a FUNERAL. Really??? It wasn't my favorite favorite movie, but I was intrigued enough to watch!


America's Sweethearts

In this slick satire, a separated, bickering movie-star couple make nice for the cameras during a press junket promoting their final film together.

Krista's Thoughts: Disappointing blurb!!!!!! I've watched the movie, and while this is true... there is much more to the movie than this, parts that actually might, say, HOOK a reader/watcher. This just sounds annoying. If you want to watching bickering... come and get some popcorn and pull up a chair in my living room. My kids provide plenty of it!

Moral of the Blurb:

Don't bore your reader.
Don't confuse your reader.
Don't worry TOO much about all the blurb rules. (But still worry a little...)
JUST HOOK YOUR READER!!!

So... what are YOUR thoughts on some of the blurbs above? Any you disagree with my thoughts? (feel free... as I said, this is TOTALLY subjective!)

Do you have an fabulous example of a really GOOD blurb or a really HORRIBLE one you want to share?

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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 the fab agent, Rachelle Gardner.