He got up and sat on the edge of the bedstead with his back to the window. “It’s better not to sleep at all,” he decided. There was a cold damp draught from the window, however; without getting up he drew the blanket over him and wrapped himself in it. He was not thinking of anything and did not want to think. But one image rose after another, incoherent scraps of thought without beginning or end passed through his mind. He sank into drowsiness. Perhaps the cold, or the dampness, or the dark, or the wind that howled under the window and tossed the trees roused a sort of persistent craving for the fantastic. He kept dwelling on images of flowers, he fancied a charming flower garden, a bright, warm, almost hot day, a holiday—Trinity day. A fine, sumptuous country cottage in the English taste overgrown with fragrant flowers, with flower beds going round the house; the porch, wreathed in climbers, was surrounded with beds of roses. A light, cool staircase, carpeted with rich rugs, was decorated with rare plants in china pots. He noticed particularly in the windows nosegays of tender, white, heavily fragrant narcissus bending over their bright, green, thick long stalks. He was reluctant to move away from them, but he went up the stairs and came into a large, high drawing-room and again everywhere—at the windows, the doors on to the balcony, and on the balcony itself—were flowers. The floors were strewn with freshly-cut fragrant hay, the windows were open, a fresh, cool, light air came into the room. The birds were chirruping under the window, and in the middle of the room, on a table covered with a white satin shroud, stood a coffin. The coffin was covered with white silk and edged with a thick white frill; wreaths of flowers surrounded it on all sides. Among the flowers lay a girl in a white muslin dress, with her arms crossed and pressed on her bosom, as though carved out of marble. But her loose fair hair was wet; there was a wreath of roses on her head. The stern and already rigid profile of her face looked as though chiselled of marble too, and the smile on her pale lips was full of an immense unchildish misery and sorrowful appeal. Svidrigaïlov knew that girl; there was no holy image, no burning candle beside the coffin; no sound of prayers: the girl had drowned herself. She was only fourteen, but her heart was broken. And she had destroyed herself, crushed by an insult that had appalled and amazed that childish soul, had smirched that angel purity with unmerited disgrace and torn from her a last scream of despair, unheeded and brutally disregarded, on a dark night in the cold and wet while the wind howled

How to Create Brilliant Book Titles (With Examples)

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A good book title can mean the difference between a bestseller and a lifeless shelf-dweller.  

If you don’t believe me, look up First Hundred Million by editor E. Haldeman-Julius. He explains that changing just the book title can rocket a book from selling 6,000 copies a year to 50,000 copies a year. 

In this post I’m going to give you a list of great book titles, but I’m also going to give you some information that will help you choose the best title for your book. 

The title is what people see first. It’s what they remember when they go home to look the book up. It’s what they say when they recommend the book to others. It’s the most important marketing decision that a writer can make because, while a good title can’t make a book popular, it can certainly keep a book from getting sold. 

Yes, a book’s cover art is important, but there are some books that, once readers see the title, think, “Hmm, now that sounds interesting.” And they pick the book up. 

That is what we’re after. Cover artists and publishers can decide on the art, but you are responsible for your book’s title – especially in the case of self-publishing. 

A Good Book Title Is: 

  • Unique
    A unique title captures the essence of the book, stakes out new territory in the arms race of book naming, and provokes curiosity. Upon reading or hearing it, a person should get an idea of what your book is about without entirely knowing what’s inside.     Example: The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Have you ever heard of a book like that? And don’t you want to find out more?
  • Catches the reader’s attention 
    Think of Dave Egger’s book You Shall Know Our Velocity. I love that title! It’s so energetic. Imagine someone walking in a bookstore, passing by hundreds of books. How can your title stand out among the rest? How can it provoke curiosity?
  • Easily remembered
    Unique titles that catch the reader’s attention should also be easily remembered.     Most easily remembered books are pleasant sounding to the ear, short, and unique. Pride and Prejudice is a good example. A bad example would be Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. Nobody could remember that title. Nobody. Everyone came into bookstores asking for “The Office Book.”
  • Easily pronounced 
    A good title is easily pronounced because that plays a part in being easily remembered as well as how often a reader may talk about your book. This is a movie example rather than a book, but remember the Jennifer Lopez/Ben Affleck disaster that was Gigli? That could have been the best movie in the world and it still would have flopped because no one knows how to pronounce Gigli.
  • Avoids confusion with other books
    Two books last year had very similar titles: “Girl on a Train” and “The Girl on the Train.” The latter was a best seller. The former was not, but got lots of sales simply by confusion. You want to choose a title which is unique from other books, unless you have a plan to draft off a super-popular book. Discoverability is a big deal, especially for self-published writers. You want people to be able to find your book, and not a book that just sounds like it.

Your title may not contain all of these characteristics, but it should at least be a combination of two or three. 

Titling Nonfiction Books 

Nonfiction titles should get straight to the point of the content (this includes blog posts, articles, etc.). 

For example: if you tell someone the title of your nonfiction book and they have to ask what it is about, you probably need to change the title. 

If you have a great eye-catching title that doesn’t quite get to the point, consider a subtitle. 

Discoverability is the “Good Title” characteristic most important for nonfiction works. Keywords are essential. You want your book to pop right up when someone types in their problem. If you want to tell someone how to plant a garden, consider titling your book, “How to Plant a Garden.”  

Check to be sure that your chosen title isn’t already used because that can create unnecessary confusion and competition.   

It wouldn’t surprise me if “How to Plant a Garden” is already taken, so consider adding or shifting around the words. This is also where subtitling could be considered. 

Examples:  

  • The Best Way to Plant a Garden. 
  • Gardening Made Simple and Easy 
  • 6 Steps to the Perfect Garden 
  • Gardening Advice 
  • The Perfect Harvest: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Perfect Garden 

Making the title unique without tarnishing its discoverability is probably one of the best things a nonfiction writer can do. 

Dale Carnegie achieved this with his bestselling novel, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” This title is much less boring than “How to Be a Leader.” 

Titling Fiction (Novels & Short Stories)

Fiction differs from nonfiction in that titles should rarely get straight to the point. They instead should be mysterious and thought provoking, inducing curiosity. Fiction titles should lead a reader to pick up your book, not because they need a solution to a problem or information on a matter, but because they are curious.  

Now, whether they buy or not depends on the content, but the title is what provokes them. 

Titles come in all shapes and forms. 

Single words: 

  • Endurance 
  • Atonement 
  • Allegiant 
  • Nevermore 
  • Boneshaker 

Poetry: 

  • The Fault in Our Stars 
  • For Whom the Bells Toll 

Famous Sayings: 

  • Liberty or Death 
  • Double Jeopardy 
  • Till Death Do Us Part 

Quotes From Within the Book: 

  • To Kill a Mockingbird 
  • Gone With the Wind 
  • Monsters of Men 
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God 

Wordplay: 

  • Of Mice and Men 
  • Pride and Prejudice 
  • I Capture the Castle 
  • Sally After Sal 

Opposing Subjects: 

  • War and Peace 
  • Love and Hate  
  • Angels and Demons 

There are hundreds of examples. Simply look at your favorite book and ask yourself why that title sounds interesting. Now, think of how the author might have come up with that. Use that same technique. 

How to Come Up With a Title 

I am going to give you a list, but read this anyway in case you don’t like any of my ideas. 

1. Brainstorm. 

You are a writer. You are your own best source of creativity. Your best ideas are going to come from inside your pretty little head, so use it. Sit down and think of all the interesting titles that come to your mind. Ask yourself what your book is truly about, and give an answer in three or four words. Use lines of poetry. Use song lyrics. Use quotes from your own book. Look up title generators and, while you may not use the exact title, you can find inspiration by combining different words and such. Here’s a list of the best title generators, and they are organized by genre. Ask your friends and family for ideas. Use every resource available to you.  

2. Write them all down.

Do this for a couple of days or until your creativity bank has run completely dry, then go back through and pick out the top ten.  

3. Next, take it down to five.

Use the requirements listed under “Good Book Title” in the first portion of the article. Is it catchy? Memorable? Easy to find on the internet? 

4. You have two choices at this point.

  1. You can either begin asking others which title they think is best – it’s best to use an unbiased survey with people you don’t know very well who are within your target audience. (See below.)
  2. Or you can scratch everything and go through steps 1 – 3 again.Some ideas for testing these titles include:
    Facebook polls – Find a book group, list your titles, and see which gets the most votes.
    Facebook ads – Create an ad for each title and see which gets the most clicks.
    Google Adwords – Same as the Facebook ads including the use of keywords to make sure only your target audience is polled.   

Rules to Remember 

  • Don’t use Identical Titles.
    While titles cannot be copyrighted, the same rules for using identical titles apply just about anywhere. It is not recommended.     Don’t name your book The Holy Bible, Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings hoping to catch some readers deceptively. If a reader stumbles across your book when searching for the other identically named book, imagine how upset they may get and what that could mean for your book’s reputation. You may not even mean to copy a title. This is why research is so important: because even if the other identically named book isn’t famous, having the same title will hurt your discoverability.
  • Stick with your genre.
    A book with the title of “Thy Mystery of the Blonde Lady” should be for a mystery book – not a thriller. Likewise, “The Devil’s Woods,” isn’t a very suitable title for a romance novel. Again, do research. (I know. This is much more work than just slopping down some words on the cover of your masterpiece.) Find successful books in your genre and see what they are titled.
  • Don’t use derogatory language.
    You may think that adding some explicit language to your book title will add shock appeal and will do a better job at grabbing attention. It may certainly grab people’s attention, but it may not be the attention you want.     Many people become uncomfortable  because of this sort of language, and they will avoid your book specifically for this reason. Books with titles like these will probably not get recommended as often because readers may not want to say the words out loud, admit that they are reading such a book, or have to go into a detailed explanation as to why they were reading such a book in the first place.
  • Avoid Titles with negative themes.
    Names such as: Why Slavery is Necessary, Racism is a Good Thing, and How Murdering My Children Set Me Free are all examples of terrible titles for obvious reasons. 

The moment you’ve been waiting for. I’ve composed a list of titles that I’ve come up with over the years by using the exact same tips and rules I’ve given to you. (Sometimes, interesting titles even inspire writers to write something based around it, and how awesome is that?) Feel free to use these, but let me know because I’d love to see if any of my ideas have helped you.  

A List of 44 Great Original Titles

  1. The Stars Tonight 
  2. A Guide to Courteous Thievery 
  3. Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down 
  4. Dark Days Under a Black Sun 
  5. Darkness is Fallen 
  6. Shattered Pieces 
  7. Unmasked 
  8. Remember Me 
  9. The Sound of Light 
  10. Long Far Away 
  11. Resonance 
  12. Asterism 
  13. Into the Abyss 
  14. Firedance 
  15. Evenstar 
  16. The Kings of Old 
  17. Legend 
  18. Burned 
  19. Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves 
  20. Some Nightmares are Beautiful 
  21. Walls of Fire 
  22. The Polite Murderer 
  23. The Windrunner 
  24. Renegade 
  25. Evanescent 
  26. Winter Ark 
  27. Eventide 
  28. Blood Roses 
  29. Those Who Play With Demons 
  30. Wintertide 
  31. The Friend of Death 
  32. Two Roads 
  33. Crimson Sky 
  34. Emerald Dream 
  35. Ashes and Snow 
  36. Blood Moon 
  37. One Last Hundred Chances 
  38. Heaven’s Demons and Earth’s Angels 
  39. The Stars Have Eyes 
  40. Twenty-one 
  41. I Heard it Once, Long Ago 
  42. Golden Girl 
  43. Why She Said Yes 
  44. From the Ashes We will Rise 

I have no idea if any of these titles have already been used. I hope not, but do your research just in case. Good luck and be sure to check out our writing courses. 

Related posts:

Benjamin Percy on How Genre Can Help Literary Writers The Definitive List of Modern Catholic & Protestant Novels

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93 comments

    2. Hello Christian, I very much enjoyed your article.
      I am retired ENT surgeon and written my autobiography. Please any catchy book title.
      Thanks
      Sat Mehta

      Reply

  3. Hello, there. Thank you for the… 5 posts (maybe more?) I’ve read so far.
    Honestly, a forced brainstorm is a nightmare. However, these 44 Title ideas are a lifesaver: it really helped me brainstorm! Less than half of my books had names. Now, I’ve got a good list of names to all of them, all thanks to you. My favorites were #2, #4, #19, #23, #31, #39 (they helped me create new original titles).
    Keep up the awesome work!

    Reply

  4. Hi there! I will take just any good idea. I’m writing a script about anorexia but don’t want to just name it “Anorexia” because that is very bold and obvious for a title. I’d really appreciate some help. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi! I’m not the author of this post, but I had some ides what I saw this. I have a friend who struggled with (not very severe) anorexia, and when she said some things they really struck hard, so here are a few ideas I had: Empty, Ignore the Hunger, The Hunger is an Addiction. this may help you come up with some ideas of your own!

      Reply

  5. Am new to writing and this book is long overdue. and Am writing a book about my life, my struggles, my pain, my loss, my victory, where I am at present and what ot took. It is basically about rising from the ashes, irrespective of. I want a book to enpower, motivate, mentor, and encourage people especially targeted at women folk and anyone having a hard time, facing difficult times and cant really see light at the end of the tunnel. I dont want use obvious names. Any suggestions? Anyone?

    Reply

  6. Hi, there! i’m writing a short story about a topic that is pretty close to me, mental illness to be pretty exact. i don’t want my title to be bland and cliche, i want it to pop out and catch attention, and with the topic i’m writing about i do not want the title to imply that the story is a joke, any suggestions? thank you!

    Reply

  7. Hi, I am thinking of writing a book on parenting on substance abuse and my target group should be the youths. Please is it possible to help me with a nice short and catchy title of the book. I would be glad you did. Thank you

    Reply

  9. Hi, Good article. I thinking of writing a book about my struggles, and how I’m overcoming them one step at a time by the help of the most high. Am always writing, short stories of my daily life & quotes. Keep doing your awesome work. Any suggestions. Thank you.

    Reply

    1. For SOFIA STERLING: How about, OUCH !! with a front cover picture of a fire-walker stepping on a bed of hot coals, with a subtitle of ”DARING TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP? just a thought, good luck .. Gerry. ‘PS, do not mention God or any sort of religious words, a HUGE turn-off’.___________ (2) CHIZOBA ETUKA. ”Needles do more than, get to the point”….. (3) ASHLEY… I might have exaggerated a little when I said I was sane…. (4)SHO. How about, ” My journey to the next station” showing a picture of a rail tunnel, rail lines and the light at the end…. (5)SAMREEN… ”Slimming, without showing my ribs”

      Reply

  12. THANKSfor the kick in the pants you got me going on a name that pops”TEACH YOUR DINOSAUR TO FLY” is the one that I settled upon

    Reply

  14. Wow those are some good titles there! Thanks for the article Fox! These are some of the hardest points, though, to a story! Title can make or break your book XD. I find that making titles comes easy to me though. And yes a title can generate a whole story just from it.

    Thomas Rogers that is a fine title to a book! It kinda says, “Oh I want to see what this is about”

    Good luck on your titles all who are writing some now!

    Reply

  15. Hi,
    I wrote a story of my school days and my love in school days. I was not a good student. All girls used to hate me. All teachers had have frustrated due to my bad behaviour. But she was in love with me. But due to some reason we didn’t married. Now she is married with some one else. Me to married and living happily. My wife’s love turned me to forget my first love. Wife’s sacrifices became greater. And in school days all opinion about me turned into positive at the end of school days.
    This is a what about my story. Kindly suggest me effective tittle.

    Reply

      1. Echoes Of My Past or Echoes Of that Boy I Use To Be or Past Opportunities Forgotten or Affairs of My Youth

  17. Hi everyone 🙂
    I am embarking on my first book and it is an erotic classy novel part fiction but based on life experiences. In a nutshell about meeting a soulmate only twice in life but impacted forever….the love wont die…the passion is insane….what should I name it?

    Reply

    1. What about, “Passion” or, “Only Twice?”

      Think about this one too, “Love is for eternity,” or “Love is Immortal.”

      Contact me at vedicalways@gmail.com
      if you like anything and want more, because that’s what I do…all of you people.

      Reply

  18. HI guys I am writing a book which is a thriller genre and i was searching for good book titles and i you know went into some sites and i was not 100% satisfied.. But this site is the best like i have made over 5 books and i am going to publish it and Thank god I saw this site… I have got good titles… Awesome Keep going on!

    Reply

  20. I am working on a book with a tittle SLEEPINESS MY ENEMY. This is a motivational book which i would like to recommend it to students and to every worker because sleepiness has hindered many students a comfortable study.Please i need help, i want to know if the book can make sense

    Reply

  21. Hello! I am writing a story similar to “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan in the way that I am writing about my different uses of languages, slangs, and accents I have unknowingly used throughout my life. It’s going to be about how I have used many different ways of speaking such as the way I speak to my peers, my family, and in school

    Reply

  22. Hello, a great article I was looking for. Really interesting and informative. It helped to brainstorm great ideas for titles.
    Thank you for sharing all these things

    Reply

  23. thanks for the good ideas I am writing Arabic story’s about Continents of the world, Antarctica will be the most important one , I am thinking to call it Mama Antarctica , is it good one or shall I search for anther . I have a story called Mama olive it will be published within a week … so I shoos Mama Antarctica . hope to hear from you

    Reply

  24. I’m writing a story on elves, faeries, warlocks, wizards, troll, and so on but I dint know what to name could you please help me? thank you.

    Reply

  25. Hi my name is Layal Jaffal and I really like your ideas it is really good but I think you should move to the next step my book is about horror, love, fear, jealousy, friendship, and confidence

    Reply

  29. Hello all, my name is Jasmine. I am a young writer and let me say, this piece helped me a ton. I am currently writing a love story, it is part fantasy, but the reality of drugs, gangs, and life tests the strength of their love. Any title ideas? Thanks!

    Reply

  30. I am trying to come up with a title for a story about a young boy overcoming his negative self concept and learning to love himself.

    Reply

  32. I loved the ideas! I am a very young writer, so these really helped me! I am trying to write a book about an older teenage girl who has a gambling addict, and I thought up some ideas. I’d really like your feedback on them! “The Dealing of Poker Chips” or “The Sound Made of Nothing” If you guys have any other title ideas I’d love to hear them.

    Reply

  35. Hello! I’m currently writing a book, it’s about a girlfriend looking for her lost boyfriend. Their childhood friends help, and secrets reveal along the way, it’s romance but it’s also a mystery. Any titles you have in mind? Thank you!

    Reply

  36. Two Roads is already a book. I was reading just a few minutes before I read this article. It is by Joseph Bruchac. I just wanted to let anybody who was thinking of using the name know.

    Reply

  37. 1-My mother left me at 6 months, rejected me 7 times.
    2-Trusted a family member, but turn out to be my kidnaper and molester
    3-I saved my father’s life and health when everyone abandon him.
    4-I visited a UNHCR office for 18 months 6-6pm Mon-Friday to get a chance to come overseas. Yes am here.
    Please help me to find chapter tittles for the above numbers. Thank you million times.

    Reply

  38. Hey, I was wondering if anyone could help me come up with a name for my book. It is an adventure/fantasy book about a girl named Fern Griffin and her friend Nitza Sage. They find an underground maze in their town and a bunch of stuff happened and their are witches and dragons and stuff. There is a blade called the Snakeroot blade that takes a big part in the book and I was thinking something related to that? I don’t know, anything helps. Thanks!

    Reply

  39. I’m writing a story about a girl who meets who she thinks is her soulmate and starts a new amazing job. Basically, her life is going great. But then her boyfriend starts acting weird and she finds out that he has been cheating. So she gets drunk, and buys a gun. She gets home and catches him in the act and shoots. The neighbors here the commotion and call the cops, she gets arrested. She then appears in court, where the reader finds out that she did not, in fact, kill her boyfriend but shot him in the arm. She is found guilty of attempted murder and the book ends there. All title ideas are welcome and criticism is greatly appreciated.

    Reply

      1. Thank you so much that was very helpful but i decided to go with the title ‘Guilty’ because that is the last word in the story.

  40. Trying to give a title to my war/romance story. A girl called Adelle Yorke gets separated from her brother Harris and their parents and she has to live with a nasty farmer and his horrible wife. They have a son, Karl Blake, who she falls in love with. They run away together to help wounded soldiers. Harris turns up and they learn that the Blake’s farm has been bombed. Karl, Adelle and Harris return to the city to Adelle and Harris’ parents house, but it no longer exists. They then search for Adelle’s parents and end up in a German camp. They manage to escape with a few other people from the camp. The group sticks together and gets smaller as people find their families. Finally only Adelle, Karl and Harris remain, still searching.
    The story ends there, but I may change it. Will be majorly grateful if someone could give me a few ideas.
    Thanks guys!

    Reply

    2. I don’t know, but the searching thing seems to play a big part. However, when they go to their destinations, there’s nothing good awaiting them.
      What about something about searching (like ‘Searching for Nothing’ or something like that)?

      Reply

    1. Well I read somewhere that St. Joseph’s colours are gold and red and that the flower that is associated with him is the lilly so you could do something to do with that. Hope this helps. 🙂

      Reply

  42. Hi, great article. So here’s the thing. My story is fantasy slash mystery revolving around a girl who finds her life trajectory change when she finds on her sixteenth birthday that she infact is one of the 12 heirs to the kingdom of Atricia. This kingdom lies hidden in the south pole and connects different parallel lands where all possible creatures that you can think exist. There is a romantic twist to it and the story line is quite humourous and light hearted but filled with unexpected turns. Any suggestions? Advices and critics are welcome too. I am a very young writer so that will be of great help. Thank you.

    Reply

  43. Hi i want help i am writing story about bad attitude so please someone help me to choose title name i think WORLD REALIZE AFTER LOST EVERYTHING is good or bad?

    Reply

  44. I personally don’t understand the ‘WORLD REALIZE AFTER LOST EVERYTHING’ but it is your book and you should go with whatever you think is right. I’m not exactly sure of what your book is about but i thought of ‘The Cost Of A Bad Attitude’ or something like that.

    Reply

  45. Looking for a powerful title for an exceptional book for the carer of someone with Alzheimers disease. Its very detailed practical and helpful advice. A reader will get to see the sufferer from a new perspective and understand his/her actions and therefore react appropriately. Much info also on where to get help etc. Its a guide, or companion but trying to go beyond the common A guide or companion for the caregiver. Thank you.

    Reply

  46. Hi, I am searching for a title for a story of my life. Basically I was raised in a children’s home from the age of 6 to 16 years with my 4 siblings whom my father paid to keep us all together. (My Mother walked out on us all for another man). My mother visited us twice in10 years and we never saw her again as she went on and had another 5 kids!. The cruelty endured at times was sadistic inhumane and cruel. I made a vow somehow that I would do good with my life. I secretly applied to go to college, got accepted, then went on to university. Eventually went in the corporate world, worked my way up to the top. Cannot think of a title, so if anyone can help with a title, I will be incredibly grateful. Many thanks J

    Reply

  47. Hi am writing a story about a girl who has a problem with both math and God but through her tutor he teaches her how to be able to love and trust God and also become better at math. Can anybody give me a suggestion . Thanks

    Reply

  49. Hi
    I got an enormous number of tips in suggesting a good novel title, I believe now I can solve my own task
    Much Thanks

    Reply

  51. Im writing an Avengers fanfic where the main character becomes the daughter of Sam Wilson (Old Falcon, New Captain America) she has the powers of teleportation, control over the elements and creation of forcefield. Her name is Sapphire Angel.

    Reply

  52. “The Stars Have Eyes” is a work of science fiction by Thomas Farmer published in 2018.

    Reply

  53. Hey! I am writing a short story about this group of friends on spring break. and then one of the friends snaps and kills everyone else and ends with none of that happened in real-time. she’s in a mental institute and is writing in a journal. ANy ideas for a title. anything would be appreciated

    Reply

  55. Hey guys… I’m writing an Anthology. It consists of poems about passion, strength, nature and being firm but I’m stuck for a title. Would really appreciate if anyone can help me out

    Reply

  56. Hi, I am writing a book on how to become a rueda de casino (dance) teacher. It contains the standard syllabus and new perspectives. What should I name it?

    Reply

  57. I have been reading posts regarding this topic and this post is one of the most interesting and informative one I have read. Thank you for this!

    Reply