One of the hardest things to do is to come up with a good title for a book. And, it better be a good one, or no one will want to buy the book, no matter how good it is. The title needs to represent what a book is about. The wrong title can offer the wrong impression and turn a reader off. The same can be said for covers, but today I'm sharing my thoughts on titles. When deciding on a title, I usually Google and also check Amazon to see if someone has already used that title.
It's perfectly legal to use a title already taken by another author for another book, but doing so can lead to confusion. That's why I try to choose one that's unique.
The hero of the story is a handyman. So, I did my usual searches. First, I tried My Handyman, but someone already had that. Also taken was Handyman.
Then I started thinking. Jake, the hero in Her Handyman, is engaged. Since this story is written in the third person, I kind of liked the idea of a double meaning for the title. When calling Jake her handyman, the heroine, Zoe, could be referring to the fact that Jake has a fiance and he's not Zoe's but hers, meaning Angelina's.
Then again, Zoe wants very much to be able to refer to Jake as her (own) handyman.
I searched and found no books with that exact title, although I did find one or two with part of the title which included the words, her handyman, but they weren't first on the title, so I didn't count them.
Another concern was where the first word of the title lands in relation to what letter of the alphabet it begins with. H turned out to be 8th, which isn't too bad. If I do decide to put the book into print and it lands on a bookstore shelf, it most likely won't be on the bottom.
So now you know how I came upon Her Handyman as my title.
Anyone else want to share their titles and how they got them?
Her Handyman is now on Kindle for 99 cents at:
http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK
Great post, writers really have to go all out for a book title that both reflects the book and uniqueness, great cover too. I'll be buying this one at weeks end. I know it will be great because you're a great writer Morgan.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Madison. I appreciate your support.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
It's never easy for me to come up with a title, Morgan. I like how you think it through.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gerri. Titles are difficult.
DeleteMorgan, you are so much more organized and determined than I am. I went back and forth and through so many titles, I can't remember them all. Then when I finally decided on the protagonist's last time, the title was settled. I titled the book the name of the main character: Angel Sometimes. Not only is it her name, it says a lot about her.
ReplyDeleteIt's fine title--catchy!
ReplyDeleteI love to choose titles, but I don't always do a good job of it. My first published book, EEL'S REVERENCE, has what I think is the perfect title, but the eel in the title puts people off. It doesn't have any eels in it; that's the name of a place. ~sigh~ Are there professional title-pickers? I think it would be a good profession.
ReplyDeleteMarian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes
I'm sure there are pro title pickers around somewhere. I wouldn't want to be one. Too difficult.
Delete