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Novel Title Ideas: A Guide to Choosing a Bestselling Title
Your novel’s title is its first handshake with the world. It’s a tiny, powerful piece of marketing copy that has a massive job to do. It must be memorable, intriguing, and, most importantly, it must signal your book’s genre to the right audience. A great title can be the difference between a reader scrolling past and a reader clicking “buy now.”
But how do you find the perfect title? Coming up with novel title ideas is a creative process, but it’s also a strategic one. This guide will walk you through the key principles of a great title and provide you with brainstorming techniques to find the one that will make your novel shine.
Key Takeaways & Summary
A Title is a Marketing Tool: Your novel’s title is not just a label; it is a crucial piece of marketing. Its primary job is to attract the right readers.
Genre is the #1 Factor: A great title must align with the conventions and reader expectations of its specific genre.
Intrigue is Key: The best titles create a sense of mystery or intrigue. They pose a question in the reader’s mind.
Memorable and Easy to Say: A title should be easy for readers to remember and to tell their friends about.
The Three Golden Rules of a Great Novel Title
1. It Must Signal the Genre
This is the most important rule. A reader browsing the Kindle store should be able to guess your book’s genre from the title and cover alone.
Thriller: Often short, punchy, and ominous (e.g., The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl).
Fantasy: Often uses evocative, epic-sounding phrases, often with “A [Noun] of [Noun] and [Noun]” construction (e.g., A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Priory of the Orange Tree).
Romance: Often uses emotional, aspirational, or trope-focused phrases (e.g., The Spanish Love Deception, It Ends With Us).
2. It Must Create Intrigue
A great title makes you curious. It creates a “story gap” in the reader’s mind that they can only fill by reading the book.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Makes you ask, “Who is Evelyn Hugo, and why did she have seven husbands?”
They Both Die at the End – Makes you ask, “How? Why? And what happens before they do?”
3. It Must Be Memorable and Easy to Say
Word-of-mouth is a powerful sales driver. If a reader can’t remember your title or is afraid of mispronouncing it, they can’t recommend it to a friend.
Keep it as short and punchy as your genre allows.
Avoid overly complex or obscure words unless they are central to your story.
Brainstorming Techniques for Novel Title Ideas
1. The “Character and Setting” Method
Combine your protagonist’s name or role with a significant place. (e.g., The Book Thief, The Little Prince)
2. The “Central Object or Concept” Method
What is the central, symbolic object or idea in your novel? (e.g., The Hunger Games, The Da Vinci Code)
3. The “Thematic Phrase” Method
Pull a short, evocative phrase from a classic text (like the Bible or Shakespeare) or a famous poem that relates to your theme. (e.g., The Grapes of Wrath, Brave New World)
4. The “Intriguing Action” Method
Use a title that describes a key action or premise. (e.g., How to Stop Time, Where the Crawdads Sing)
The Final Checks for Your Title Idea
Before you fall in love with a title, you must do your due diligence.
Check Amazon: Go to Amazon and search for your title idea. Is it already in use by a major bestseller in your genre? If so, you should probably choose something else to avoid confusion.
Say it Aloud: Is it easy to say? Does it sound good?
Check the URL: Is the domain name for your title available? This can be important for future marketing.
Choosing a title is a key part of our novel writing services. For more on the art of titling, writing resources like Jane Friedman’s blog offer excellent, in-depth articles. After your book is titled and ready, our Amazon KDP publishing services can guide you through a successful launch.
Short FAQ
Q: Should I use a subtitle?
A: For fiction, subtitles are not very common, unless it is to denote that the book is part of a series (e.g., A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1). For non-fiction, a subtitle that clearly explains the book’s benefit to the reader is essential.
Q: Can I change my title later?
A: If you are self-publishing, you can change your title on your KDP dashboard. However, this can be complicated and may cause issues with your book’s reviews and existing links. It is much better to choose a strong, final title before you publish.
Q: How important is the title compared to the cover?
A: They are a team. The cover provides the visual, emotional hook, and the title provides the intellectual, curiosity-driven hook. A great title on a bad cover will fail, and a great cover with a confusing title will also fail. They must work together.
