I don't know what title to give my story
by Katie
(Kent)
Question: I have found a plot for a story I like but i can't seem to think of a fitting title to call it. any ideas on how to come up with a great story title?
Answer: Finding the right title is a difficult yet crucial task, which is why most publishers insist that their marketing department has the final say on it.
For this reason, all the writer needs to produce is a working title, which takes some of the pressure off. Of course, it helps if your working title appeals to agents/publishers when you are marketing your work.
The ideal title will...
1. Target the audience; that is, catch the eye of those who love your particular genre. For this reason, the titles of many paranormal romance novels contain words like "dark," "wicked," or "seduction." The title of a children's novel is more likely to contain words like "adventure," "friends," or "school."
2. Suggest what is unique about your plot. This can contradict the above point. That's why this job is tricky.
3. Capture the voice, mood, or style of the book. Sometimes a key phrase from the book works well as the title - one that gives a little taste of your style and an indication of the book's theme.
4. If you're writing a series, you may want to have a word or phrase that will be included in the title of all the books in the series, such as "Clockwork" or "Harry Potter and the..."
5. Create a little mystery to awaken the reader's curiosity about the story, so they'll want to open the book.
It's all about making a promise to the reader that the book will fulfill. The worst thing would be to have a title that promises something different than what the book delivers, because then your reader will be disappointed. In other words, the picture on the box should match the contents.
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