Titles

We’ve finalized, I think, titles for my two middle grade fantasy books. Beyond the Door will be released in 2011 and Time Out of Time in 2012. Both are being published by Abrams/Amulet.  Notice I said we. Final title selection is collaborative. Remember that wonderful scene in Julie and Julia when Julia Childs and her editor move around words written on 3×5 cards to come up with the best combination? My editor and I came up with a list of possible titles and then polled friends, students and colleagues, did a little mixing and matching, and more head scratching. I had to know what I liked, but also be open and willing to compromise.

Because a title needs to be fresh, it’s important to see what’s already out there.  Okay, it’s probably impossible to be completely original, but check and see when a similar title was published and if the title represents a book with a similar theme. I loved the title A Wolf at the Door, but Amazon shows a number of recent books with that title. Datlow’s collection of retold fairtales with that title is a little too close to my genre. It even has a cover I’d love to steal! I couldn’t use it.

So, what makes a good fiction title? Here’s my list. It has to be fresh. The title should have a sense of intrigue, make the audience curious. It should be easy to remember. I like titles with visual appeal, that create an image. It should reflect the genre, tone and theme of the work: humorous, mysterious, literary, smart and snappy.  After all, it’s the first of your words a reader reads, and it becomes a promise to the reader of what’s to come.