Each author of literary works, regardless of the genre in which he works, faces one problem, which consists in the need to come up with a suitable name.
According to a popular proverb, "they are greeted by clothes." This expression may well be attributed to the title of the book. The name is a kind of “dress”, according to which editors and readers will find work. Do not underestimate its importance or use the first phrase that comes across to name it.
Why is the name so important?
The question of whether the title of the work is really important is asked by every author of the novel or collection of poems, who is going to not only publish his work on virtual resources, but also publish it in the traditional form, that is, to publish a real book.
The name is what you look at before you start reading. It creates a certain opinion about the book even before becoming acquainted with its contents. In other words, the name forms certain expectations in the reader’s mind. And this is an extremely important point, because if the book does not justify the hopes placed on it, then the person will not undertake the next work of the author.
An equally important nuance is the productive relationship with the publishing house, which every author of a novel, novel, autobiography, collection of lyric poems or any other books counts on. This is especially important for novice writers who first contact publishers. The title of the work is what they will be guided by in any edition. If it is not of interest, then the manuscript may well not be read at all carefully.
What should be the name?
How to come up with the name of the book, the only one that will not leave you indifferent, will catch attention and interest? What should it be? Of course, the title of the book should attract attention, that is, be catchy, memorable, bright and intriguing.
However, this is not all the criteria that need to be guided in how to come up with the name of the book. The name should also reflect the essence of the work, not go against its content. And, of course, correspond to the literary genre of the book. That is, one should not call the collection of lyric poetry about love with the phrase "Fundamentals of the mechanical structure of star cruisers and the features of the technique of flying between black holes", but it is quite possible to title the fantasy novel about space pirates so.
What to be guided by when choosing a name?
Paradoxical as it may seem, the first thing to be guided by in choosing the title of your publication is the names used by other writers. Before you come up with the name of the book and send it to the publisher for consideration, you should carefully study the examples that involve other authors working in a similar genre.
It is especially important to familiarize yourself with the titles used by writers whose books are published by the selected publisher. Evaluate not only the meaning of the name, but also the length, style and other parameters, as well as find out how successfully the book is sold and what edition was published.
In addition, guided by the content of his work. The name should match it. Indeed, if the publisher or the reader has a strong interest, which the book does not justify from the very beginning, due to the discrepancy between the text and the title, it is unlikely that the work will be read to the end.
As a rule, each writer has readers familiar with his work at the stage of creation. Usually these are family members or loved ones. It makes sense to ask them how the title of the book appears to them. Quite often, the ideas of loved ones become a kind of impetus in how to come up with a book title that suits both the author and the potential publisher, and, of course, intriguing readers.
What are books usually called?
Often, works are entitled by the names of the main characters. For example, Anna Karenina, Boris Godunov, Eugene Onegin. This type of book title is well suited for a series of works united by one character or scene. If, for example, several detective stories have been written in which crimes happen in the same town, then it is quite appropriate to mention it in the title. The title of the first book may look like this: “Vologda. Bloody footprint at the house with a carved palisade. " The second work from the series will again contain the name of the city and reflect the content, for example: “Vologda. Shots in the Gateway. ” Instead of the name of the scene, you can use the name of the character, if a series of books is combined by him.
However, such names are not suitable for the finished work, not implying a continuation. Of course, if it is not a matter of coming up with the name of a book of an autobiography or heading a novel about famous historical figures.
Also, books are often called mysteriously, beautifully, or inquiringly. This attracts attention and causes a desire to find out what is written in the work. Examples of such items:
- "The Mystery of the Forgotten Crypt."
- "For whom the Bell Tolls".
- "You do not touch."
- “May the lumberjack wake up” and others.
Often in the names used only one, but the most biting word, immediately causing any associations - "Rebellion", "War", "Blood", "Silence".
What other names are there?
Another quite common option in modern literature for the title of a book is the use of abstractness. Such names are not very clear, which is why they win in comparison with others. An example of such names are: “The geographer drank the globe,” “Order of the yellow flag,” “Monday begins on Saturday.”
More rarely, authors resort to names coined under the motto "feelings need to be insulted." Of course, such titles immediately catch the eye, however, using such an artistic technique, it is extremely important not to overdo it and not cause rejection or embarrassment instead of curiosity. An example of such titles is “Vicious Young Men”.
What books are important to name correctly?
Of course, the title of a work of any genre should correspond to its content and arouse interest among the reader. However, some books are almost doomed to obscurity in the absence of the correct title. This, of course, is a work written in the genres most in demand among writers - fantasy and romance novels.
The competition among novice writers in these genres is very great, in addition, there are quite a lot of authors writing for a long time and stably. Therefore, no matter how good the book is, without the right title that shoots right at the target, it is unlikely to be in demand.
It makes sense to call a fantasy novel so that it is clear what is written in it. That is, looking at the title, the publisher, like the reader, must immediately understand if he is waiting for his reading about elves, giants, necromancer magicians and gnomes, or about space paratroopers and robots. To come up with such a name is not an easy task, but it is necessary.
What to call a love story? Beautiful and atmospheric, without specifics. The most successful titles of such books are “Gone with the Wind”, “Singing in Blackthorn”. Women over the world cried over these works long before they were filmed. Using character names is not a good idea for a title. Avoid and those names that will give similarities with the detective genre. For example, if you call the novel "Svetlana in a hurricane of passion", then very many will decide that they have a work in the genre of an ironic female detective.