In a post on the BookBaby blog, Michael Gallant says that naming your story or novel is a powerful creative tool. However, this choices isn’t a one-and-done, he says. Instead, your project’s name can evolve as you write.
Gallant says it’s helpful to have some context. Study other books in your genre or form to see what other writers have done. You don’t have to follow convention, but it helps to understand it. He also suggests starting with a working title. “The title I start with is very often not the name I end up with when all is polished and done — and that’s by design,” he says. “Having even a rough initial title that reflects the meaning, purpose, and spirit of my project helps guide me through everything that comes next.”
Your first choice doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should line up with your goals for your project’s theme, tone, or mood. “Whether you’re choosing an initial working title for a blog post or trying to come up with a book title, go with something that’s clear, communicative, and timeless,” Gallant says. “This means avoiding flavor-of-the-minute catchphrases…and technical or specialized language that only a small portion of your readership will understand.”
Also, feel free to adjust your title as needed. “Whenever I make significant additions or edits to a project, I revisit the title and ask myself if it still fits or if an update is needed,” Gallant adds. “For some projects, I’ll end up reworking the title over a dozen times before it’s done; for others, the name I come up with at the beginning stays unchanged.”
Your working title can also help keep you on-track. “Many times, I’ve written extensive body copy, then checked back on a project’s title and found that some aspect of my recent writing, large or small, was distracting or irrelevant to my overall purpose and intent,” Gallant writes. “In such situations, I tweak the copy to better reflect the title and then revisit the title to make sure it fits my newly adjusted copy.”
