Find Your Writing Niche:Titles Matter 

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 Parents spend hours, days even months choosing the very best names for their children, names that have meaning, are distinctive and fit the child perfectly. A family name often is the first choice and is appropriate and logical. Some may need an explanation and others can just be unique choices.

 Authors should do the same thing with their written works. Some titles are obvious, such as the How to books, History of…, Biography of… and Autobiography of…. Others need some thought while reading, such as Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” What’s gone? Khaled Hosseini’s “AThousand Splendid Suns.” Where are there 1,000 suns? Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath?” Whose wrath? What do grapes have to do with it?

Other titles are fun, such as humorist Celia Rivenbark’s: “Bless your Heart, Tramp,” “You Don’t Sweat Much for a Fat Girl,” “We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier,” and her most recent “rude bitches make me tired.” (She doesn’t capitalize any of the words.)

Dave Barry has some gems, too:  “I’ll Mature When I’m Dead,” “Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway,” and his most recent “You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty.”

B.M. Hardin writes fascinating titles that entice readers. “The Wrong Shade of Lipstick,” “Can You Stay for Breakfast?” and “Every Woman has a Price” are among them.

Points to remember about titles:

1)      They make a difference

2)      They must connect to the topic

3)      They must connect with readers

How do you come up with catchy titles?

1)    Consider the work itself

2)    Consider a quote from a book or poem

3)    Consider their uniqueness

4)    Consider the quirky—That might be the perfect title that sells the book.

Take time to name your babies, just like parents do.