BOOK TITLE MAGIC | How To Title Your Book 

Glad I’m not the only one that’s sick of the “blank of blank and blank” or the “blank and blank” titles.

I’m not a fan of the whole: "A BLANK of BLANK and BLANK” title. A Song of Ice and Fire is the only one I’m okay with and that’s because it came first, but I would love for the trend to go away.

After I brainstorm a list - titles, plot elements, character names, anything - I like to put it away. The next week I try to recreate the list and see what I remember. The ones I remember are usually the good and the hilariously bad. And for titles, that's a good way to test if it would be memorable for your audience.

I actually thought The Stars We Steal was a contemporary novel at first - I didn't realise that the stars were literal "stars". Must have seen too many book titles with symbols.

Her: I could go on a whole rant . . Me: please do!

Is it just me or was John Steinbeck a master at writing titles? "The Grapes of Wrath", "East of Eden", "Of Mice and Men", "Cannery Row", etc. They're just beautiful titles! Also: I find it interesting that both "The Grapes of Wrath", and "East of Eden" are inspired by biblical stories. There are a lot of books with biblical references in their titles, like "Paradise Lost", and "Absalom, Absalom!". If any of y'all like classics or literary fiction, some biblical or mythological references could be a good starting place! Lots of interesting phrases are based off old stories, so you may also want to think about using a phrase as a title.

Insight for romance writers! When I was asked by my publisher to change my title, I realized that most contemporary romances have titles that are idioms or puns. (Some examples: Simmer Down, You Had Me at Hola, You Deserve Each Other, Something to Talk About). My editor wanted my title to reflect the “unique” aspect of my book (about yacht workers) and make it clear the book was a romance. The goal was to be lighthearted and cute. I went through EVERY nautical idiom that exists, but in the end none of them worked. I was desperate and sent a long list of yacht puns (Like it or Yacht), which thankfully my editor ignored. We ended up with a list of about 5 potential titles and landed on a cutesy alliterative title that touches on genre, setting, and the catalyst of the plot: LOVE, LISTS, AND FANCY SHIPS. Titles are tough! I was so stressed doing this. My book sold under it’s original title, and I was initially hesitant to change it, but in the end, I’m so glad I did!

Another trend I'm noticing a lot of is wordplays and puns in contemporary romance, like Tweet Cute, Spoiler Alert, Well Played, Simmer Down, One to Watch, Beach Read, The Worst Best Man, The Right Swipe, Recommended For You, Save the Date...

Just "FIT IN AND STAND OUT AT THE SAME TIME!" Oh! Of course! EEEEEEE! 😝

Alexa: Hello everyone, Alexa Donne here Me: I missed this

I might be an outlier but title come so easy for me. They’re one of the first things I come up with (even before plot) because I feel like the title guides me in getting a better feel for the book.

This is probably more typical in adult literary fiction but some titles are actually drawn from poetry, Shakespeare, or other literary references.

I’ve noticed middle grade books usually have the MC’s whole name in the title (ex: Jeremy Fink and the meaning of life, Lupe Wong won’t dance, Percy Jackson and the Olympians etc). I don’t know why this is tho

I just finished reading "Brightly Burning" today. My first Alexa Donne book. It was amazing! I've read other youtube authors' books that were honestly less than inspiring. Alexa has a great way with words, not to mention plot, characters, etc. She's definitely a smart lady.

The first ever book series I wrote in high school was a YA urban fantasy & the overall series title it "The Seekers". Now I've been revising/remaking the whole series from scratch and have retitled it "The Guardians of Mythos". Book 1's title is "Island of Jyn".

YA Fantasy title generator: A [last place you visited] of [the thing to your right] and [your favorite mythological creature]

Something I didn't see you mention: Some adult fantasy novels focus on a description of a major character. Like "The Resurrectionist of Caligo" was a recent gaslamp fantasy; the main character held a job role as a "resurrectionist". It was common in older books, went out of trend, and is becoming more common again lately.

I remember sixth grade (approx. 2006) when my friend was reading "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things". Later on, I saw this as a somewhat common title trend--maybe late 2010s? It was like "[Thing], [Seemingly unrelated Thing], and other [ironic way to tie them together]". Ex: "Kale, My Ex, and Other Things I'd Like to Throw in a Blender." One good thing to me is that it tells me the book might be what I call YA Contemporary Bacon. (I have 4-part YA Contemporary classification system. Bacon=humorous but with deep themes, Pancake=fluffy, Grits=Gritty/Dark, and Eggs=serious but not gritty.) I like the idea of finding more Bacon, so I can see how not only the above trend but also long, sometimes sentence-y titles can work. Anything that's kinda tongue-and-cheek is good for that. My titles sometimes come to me before I write the book or very early in the process. I do totally see avoiding similarity to other things as necessary. One of my WIPs is called "Tethered". When I started it, I almost named it "Tether", but I thought that sounded kinda similar to "Wither" which is a kinda popular YA Dystopian novel from 2011, perhaps the first Golden Age of YA Dystopian Fiction. (I just looked up "Wither" for this comment and found out it's also something from Minecraft.) "Tethered" was Fabulist and might be becoming more Fantasy as I write, but I hope it doesn't get the "[Thing] of [Stuff] and [Other Stuff]" treatment.

Since we're all here already, I'm writing a dark fantasy novella and I want to call it: "The Sound of a Withered World" Opinions?

I’m so bad at book titles 😭 I’ve just been using song lyrics as working titles

I really like how your title 'The Stars We Steal' sounds. The only reason I haven't read it yet is because of covid most books aren't available at where I live.

When you mentioned song lyrics, my mind immediately went to You Should See Me in a Crown. I saw no one mention that when the YA novel came out...although looking at the Goodreads page it's apparently a Sherlock reference...which I'm not sure makes it better.

_______ Girl The Girl Who________ The ________ Girl The ______ of ______ and _______

I don't mean to shade but...I'm so tired of the YA titles that are just "a ___ of ___ and ___" it feels so boring and I guess I get the sense that it'll be cookie-cutter? Maybe it's just me, I just find it a bit pretentious and self-important x:

THANK YOU! This is the content I desperately needed.

Good job with the title examples, you had all the categories I would have expected and more 👍🏻

I love that you did this because I have always had a hard time titleing any of my creative work.

This was so great! Really modeling how you take the creative part of the brain and analyze /organize/see the patterns to see how the sausage is made, then set yourself free again with the brainstorming--ha!

I am SO glad I watched this one!! It helped me look at my title from a different perspective and I think I landed my perfect choice!! Thank you, Alexa for your thorough and refreshing wisdom!

Thank you for your thorough and thouthful video!

I wondered if you were going to talk about Brightly Burning when you mentioned duplicate titles! As a Mercedes Lackey fan I went "oh, hey, look at that!" when I saw it lmao. But yeah they are *very* different books (alt-world high fantasy tragedy vs future sci-fi space romance), so not too much conflict there.

Oh this video is so helpful. I literally had NO ideas for what to name my work in progress and now I've got a list of potential titles (and probably more to come as I keep writing.) Thank you!!!

Thank you for the in-depth analysis! I have a lot of experience naming paintings, I had some successful ones, many are obscure, some are plain stupid, but there is not nearly as much pressure as for the books, as it takes more time to consume a book than to view a painting.

This was such a fun and helpful video! Heading off to analyze some current titles... 😅

A few years ago I saw a book trailer for a title Seraphina, and it looked so good I bought it. It was different than the trailer, and I figured the trailer was meant to be symbolic or something. Then at some point I realized I had bought Serafina, different book. Two fantasy YA books out the same year. Yeah.

I hate these Bla of Bla and Bla Fantasy titles, they all blend together and nothing stands out

The book I'm drafting - the title did jump out at me. It's still technically a working title but I'm 80% sure it'll stick by the end. But this is a duology and I'll be having subtitles so the rest of the titles will probably have to work around the working title if that's to happen. Great video. It makes me more confident that I'm doing it correctly. :)

My fic titles... *"Dreamers and the Moon":* About a pair of characters who each can be described as "dreamers" in different ways and who each have some complicated relationship with the moon. Originally a chapter title. *"Reflections in Black and Pink":* This word soup is surprisingly descriptive. It's a story about a pink clone (created through explicitly mirror-themed means) being mistaken by members of a race of naturally black shapeshifters (who tend to mimic others) as being one of them. Thus it's about a reflection in pink among reflections in black. *"What Fun is There in Nightmares?":* This title is an iconic quote from one of the two lead characters in the fic, modified to reflect the premise (he has a nightmare, which causes the other character to come into his dreams and discover he's still conscious inside his petrified body). *"Tunnel's End":* The obvious promise-of-premise title, (One) Last Moonrise, was taken for a story with a similar premise, so I had to use this based on a metaphor that made it into a prominent position in the oneshot. The story is about that last step before finding out once and for all whether the spot of hope in the distance is actually an exit from the darkness.

tysm!! I turned 11 yesterday and I am already thinking of being a writer when I grow up, and I'm currently making some small chapters rn on this one story I made up about a week ago, you honestly saved my maybe future!!

Thank you. Indeed you are an expert of marketing, industry and story.

I find it so difficult to think of titles that actually apply to the book. I'm worried I don't know what I'm writing without a title or not knowing how to pick a title once the book is written. So, I will forever be spiralling in these thoughts. I love your videos by the way!! They are really helpful :D

I always love getting to title my books, getting to find that one that fits perfectly!

Two of my titles definitely came directly from songs: Somebody That I Used To Know & Make the Fireflies Dance. Fireflies is currently on sub, and STIUTK is far from that point. Who knows if either will keep their title in the end (though I super hope Fireflies does because I love that title, and it was a specific nod to the fact that my MC loves romcoms from the late nineties and early 2000s). Someone Else’s Summer was the title I came up with IMMEDIATELY upon getting the idea for the book, and I’m thrilled it got to stay the same. I love when the title comes early and easily.

Awesome tips. My novel was always going to be Distorted Perceptions. But titles don't come as naturally in general, and the process can be one of trial and error. 😀❤

I do have a thriller titled "Colder than the Moon", which is a lyric from my favorite 1980s song. But I'm thinking (tentatively) that it could be (*keywords - could be*) explained as an expression. For example: 'Your lack of emotion is colder than the moon."

I feel so stupid, especially for admitteding this, but I'm realizing I'm failing on my title game. I've never thought about it in this way- so thank you. I was going to write a out how defeated I felt about this topic, but I'm realizing it's just a skill based issue. So I'm going to work on this oh so daunting skill!

I am about to start writing an old story that I came up with about 6 years ago and since the beginning I've had the title VERY CLEAR. The title was actually what inspired the idea, which has never happened to me (I usually struggle to title stories, and have to do it in the end). But this means I'm quite attached to it and I don't know how I would take if they wanted to change it in order to publish it haha

Loved this video! I am shit at titles and need all the help I can get. Thanks!

Can you do a video on writing a strong blurb. Or finessing a blurb. Love your videos Alexa.

I have the first two titles for my book series; The Soul Traveller - Family & Other Strangers

This is the earliest I've ever been :)

Something I do is write down the reasons why you chose your character's name or what people in the book like to refer them to. You can get great inspiration (do write it down before you forget) from the name meanings, cause most of them come from myths and legends or folklore

The title of the story I'm currently working on came to me in a weird way,, It's a sci-fi story set in a simulation of the world. I didn't really think of a title for it specifically, and I had had this title in mind before I even thought of this story. I watch Animal Planet a lot. I like the show Pitbulls and Parolees, and in that show they often visit a place called Assumption Parish. At the time, I didn't know that a parish was a thing, so I took it as perish. And I thought Assumption Perish was an amazing title. So when I got the idea for this story, I knew Assumption Perish would be the perfect title. It's turned into my current favorite story as well!

I love the two noun titles. “The wrath and the dawn” for example

Tysm!! I'm 11 and I'm thinking of being a writer when I grow up, so this helped so much!!

I think my favorite title's from my recent reads (from 2020) were 'The Lies of Locke Lamora', 'Coronation Day' and 'Last Smile in Sunder City'... at least that I can remember on the top of my head. They stayed with me long enough at least after reading and yes I read very specific sets of books when I read physical books. Coming from a game development background it's both interesting and amusing to see similarities for titles. Such as 'Alicemare', 'Always Sometimes Monsters', 'The Detail', 'Hollow Knight', 'Infinite Undiscovery', 'Last Remnant' (this and the previous one upset me so much at the release) and of course my favorite play on words sort of 'Ni no Kuni' (which literally stands for The second world).

I love this title of this song, its by a well known artist but it is not a well known song....but i cant think of another title cause it fits so well!

Some of my favorite titles of all time are those by Terry Pratchett: Feet of Clay, Color of Magic, Unseen Academicals, A Hat Full of Sky, etc There is just something really fun about his titles that makes me want to read the books. They are clear enough to get a general sense of what the book is about, but there is still enough of a wordplay to make you think They are also memorable which is important

I'm interested in light novel-esque long titles such as "My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected" and "Are you the only one who loves me?" lately...

I'm using a "The blank of blank" for my adult fantasy WIP. It's a title that kinda popped into my head and stuck.

The title of my work-in-progress seems to change with my mood and the fluctuations of my ideas lmao. At first, I called it Something Pure and Burning. Then, I called it (Of) Fury and Gold. Then, I called it The City of Salvation. Now, I'm calling it The River and the Hymn. And I haven't even started the first draft yet🤦🏿 I bet you can guess the genre!

ive seen sooo many (noun of noun and noun) like children of blood and bone and a court of thorns and roses

I’m working on a story rn that I have currently titled “At the Heart of our Power” because it’s a urban fantasy/ magic realism set in the United States as well as a queer romance. “Heart” references both the themes of empathy and the romance. “Power” references both magic powers and the power that people have over others. It’s also a parody on the phrase “heart of our nation.” Basically, it’s about how people in America gain and maintain power, as well as how we choose to use it for ourselves and others. I think my title is fairly fitting.

Seems to me the pop-song-lyric title thing took off in 1996 with Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone." I began to notice it everywhere, like in all of his books and beyond.

Alexa! I had the perfect title for my book, it was derived from a Tupac quote, but The Hate You Give author is coming out with a book of the same name next year! I'm so bummed!

Maybe also consider that people will search for the title. It's great to find a title like "Poison", but if people don't remember the author's name, they might have a hard time finding the correct book.

I usually start by looking through title generators, writing downs the ones I like, then mix them up. This way I have a general idea of what I might call the story.

Are we not going to talk about the (Number) (Adjective) (Royalty-related word) fantasy titles in YA?

I always wish for historical fiction examples. I've also seen titles that are phrases from the Bible or Shakespeare or poems, or other well-known sources (besides songs). Goodreads has 195 based on the Bible (although the list is not limited to recent books). Goodreads only lists 9 from Shakespeare, but the comments had loads more. And 195 from poems and plays (although that overlaps with Shakespeare). There are even titles from prayers (like The Power and the Glory).

@AlexaDonne can you make a video for middle-grade writers? I find it hard to find things centered around middle-grade. I feel like it is somewhat hidden in the book world when it comes to agents and publishing. Just an idea for a video. :). God bless you, and great job in this video! It was needed!

I NEED THAT I'm so terrible with titles

I already have all my titles and I'm super proud of them but I'm still interested to hear what Alexa has to say 😃

I'm writing a historical fantasy involving a magic user trying to come up with ways to live a normal life, and thinking of a title for this story is so hard...so this video should hopefully help me in some way...

I ironically named my wop series "A Symphony of Dusk and Stars" but I actually ended up not hating it.

I've been pressured into a book title for my new novel by my GF since she came up with the idea.... but luckily I've secured the web address for the title I wanted plus the one she wanted. I'm in control......... to a small extentent.

I just finished editing a book that I originally wrote at 11 and it still bears the middle-schoolesque title. I'm not sure if the original title fits or if I like it but childhood me seemed to think it was rather clever. My book features a 10-year-old orphan whose adoptive guardian has passed away, leaving her with nothing but the family mansion she grew up in. As she has no legal status, social workers never show up to take her away and the first half of the novel focuses on her plight to survive on her own and avoid getting caught. Along the way, additional characters become involved and she uncovers family secrets, etc. The book has central themes regarding grief, human potential, and what it was like to be a young woman in 1950's North Carolina. A timeline ten years in the future is also woven throughout, along with the slightest bit of seemingly magical occurrences. Since the plot is realistic for the setting, it's a mainly character-driven book that displays the personal struggles of three adolescent girls, two elderly women, and the distraught family of a murdered politician. The original title (Cry Yourself Awake) is technically fitting but may come across as cringey or incapable of showcasing the proper genre. Based on the incoherent description above, does anyone have an idea that comes to mind? I would love suggestions :)

I'm still kinda researching for my title but rn I'm thinking "The Unexpected Favor" but it's a fantasy/fairytale and idk if it fits but for now it's what I call my wip :)

I have a question, and you might have already answered it in a vlog or something and I just missed it: are you educated in science in any way or are you just heavily research for your sci-fi books? Any books for that matter, I'm just curious because research is probably my most dreaded aspect of writing. Or maybe you just don't research at all and come up with everything yourself, since your books are more romance-oriented? Love, Alex.

With one of my fanfics, I knew the title before I knew, what was the book exactly about: "Dämonendämmerung" ("demon twilight"). It had just two chapters, but I wanted them to, because the first was named "Untergang" ("Downfall"/"Dusk") and the other was named "Aufgang" ("Rising"/"Dawn"). I wanted to play with these concepts (and a special definition of demons in the universe of MotU ("Masters of the Universe")).

20:15 I never commented this before but whenever I hear you talk about your agent, it kind of reminds me of my friend and I. Is it weird?

I tried to read a novel recently (The Library of Lost Things) because the title really got me. It seemed so fantasy in an almost Alice in Wonderland-y kind of way. The title was very cutesy and bookish and I was ready to settle in to a whimsical fantasy read. Nope. It was a contemporary story about mental illness that didn't even spin off into the fantastical for as long as I read it. I DNF'd it because the title promised me something that the book did not deliver. Know your genre's titles so the right people read your book.

I just finished my first draft and I cannot come up with a good one that hasn’t been taken already. I’m hoping I get published, so I don’t have to think about that and the cover art.

May I pose a question: is there a reasons an authro shouldn't go straight to a publisher(obviously one that accepts unagented manuscripts) or imprint?

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone was a good title. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was cool too. I also like Wings Of Fire The Lost Heir. They get you guessing about what the Philosopher’s stone is or who is the lightning thief or who is the lost heir.

I actually have a finished first draft and am going thru it now, adding/taking away bits that are needed/don't fit........my temporary title is 'Ashley'

My YA fantasy is titled “A Dance of Devils and Fairies”, but I’m not completely sure about it

My WIP for a Werewolf book: The Protector's Child. It's theme is found family. My one liner: Why would a creature drop a magical child at the paws of a wolf who's only sane to get vengeance?

My biggest inspiration is Mangaka ONE who is a great stpryteller amd he just picks titles that immediatley say what the manga is about 'one punch man' or 'mob psycho 100'

Coming next summer, my book: GirlFire Crown Burn Kingdom War

How do you figure out the title for a very niche subcategory?

I've never been this early. Yay

How would "The Interlopers" work well as a title?

I really need this vid lol

My book title is the dead risers. a fiction zombie book. is that okay?

Working title of my WIP is the title of a book within the story, does this work? Edit: It's high fantasy and romance.

I'm in the middle of writing the 3rd book in a ya urban fantasy trilogy (1st in beta, 2nd in alpha reading). I have a dozen different names for the first book and it's driving me crazy that I don't know which to pick lol. But the other 2 are much more certain...

Are you aware of lights novel titles just curious and what do you think of them if you have heard of them

I'm not sure if anyone would answer this now, but would a title in a different language, if set in the Middle East deter an agent because they don't understand?

I chose Some are More Equal as a title. I wrote a 300-word prologue explaining George Orwell's Animal Farm and what "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others" means. The novel is part historical romance and part comedy of manners. The setting is the Soviet Union during the late 1960's and early 1970's--when Communism worked about as well as it ever would. It is so old-fashioned that I can't get anyone to read it.

I'm using lyric quotes as title headers, would I need to get permission before I query, will that be something that my publisher does?