Your journey from an engaging title to a published novel relies on a series of growing promises. It begins with your title, which should pique a publisher’s interest enough to hook them into the path of unfolding promises from your Title to your Story Blurb, to your Synopsis, and finally, to your Novel. These promises are your marketing path.
As you write your story, refer to the promises of your title, skeleton blurb and synopsis to keep your novel on track. If any of the promises are broken or delivered less than a publisher can imagine, a publisher will lose interest in your book.
Does your title, story blurb and synopsis invite the publisher to take the next step?
Your Title’s Role
A novel comes with many promises: genre, concept, theme and characters, to name a few. Your title is a vessel that holds these promises. Its role is to capture the audience’s attention and provide a hint of the promises within. To pique their interest enough to hook them into reading the story blurb. Like a newspaper headline, its primary goal is to get the audience to explore further.
You need to be very intentional about the promise of your title because it is the first promise of your marketing path. It is the start of an emotional journey. It needs to ignite a curiosity within your audience.
To develop an intuitive sense for effective titles, examine some of your favourite book and movie titles. Look for promises they make and how they relate to the whole story. A title can hold layers of meaning and create a sense of anticipation within a person reading or hearing it.
- An Emotional Journey: The Fault in Our Stars promises a deeply emotional, tear-jerking experience.
- High-Concept Adventure: Ready Player One promises a thrilling, pop-culture-infused scavenger hunt.
- Cozy Mystery: Murder at the Vicarage promises a classic, satisfying whodunit.
- Transformation: The Martian promises an exhilarating, survival-focused story on another planet.
All the above examples are books that have gone on to become successful films.
Activity: Clarify Your “Why”
Before you begin, clarify, ‘What is your why?’ Your core values, passions, strengths, admirations and experiences. Why do you want to be an Author? Why are you writing this novel? Your “why” is your anchor. It will be the internal motivation that reminds you that this story matters to you. It is the reason you’ll keep going, even when a publisher or an editor suggests significant changes.
Don’t try to polish or perfect your ‘why.’ Understanding your why will help you grasp the core reasons behind your promises and clarify them.
When and How to Name Your Novel
Sometimes the title will be the first thing people will know about your book. It is the very first promise of your story. Is it enough to hook a publisher to investigate further? Publishers may suggest title changes, so it is good to be adaptable. The publisher will respond to the promise of your title or the sound of the words alone.
You may have come up with a title already. Some writers prefer to come up with a title last. The truth is you, can create a title at any time. You can discover your title today and revisit it throughout the writing process, and then reassess it once your novel is complete.
You may be convinced that you have the perfect title. Can it go from a perfect title to an inspired one that captures the promise of your novel?
Activity: Brainstorm and Select Your Top Five
Come up with as many titles as you can. Look at the different approaches such as:
- single words,
- two to three words,
- strong bold words,
- clever titles,
- expressions or phrases,
- play on words,
- character names,
- unusual combinations,
- invented,
- unfamiliar words,
- settings and locations,
- famous or not-so-famous quotes,
- titles that ask a question,
- a quote from your book itself.
Select your favourite five. For each one, write down the promises they imply and what kind of story you would expect from them. Do they convey the message you want to communicate, or are there more effective words to hook your publisher into your promises? Choose your most effective title.
Test Your Title
When you test your title, only show people the title. Nothing else. If you include the story blurb and synopsis, they will read these before telling you about your title. The effectiveness of this test will be lost.
Also, avoid face-to-face feedback. People will be able to read your reactions.
Get feedback on what promises people expect. You will need to be open to responses. Even if you believe they have missed it, you can still use those expectations.
Activity: Send Your Title
Consider your target audience and send your title to some of them. You could also test your title’s effectiveness on fellow Fictionary writers and editors. Ask questions such as:
- What genre do you think this story is?
- What is the story about?
- What characters do you think it will have?
- How does it make you feel?
- Would you read a book with this title?
Gather Reader Feedback
Feedback varies among different groups of readers. It is not about “fixing” anything; it’s about seeing what your audience needs out of the materials you’re delivering and then aligning to those needs. It is essential to keep your focus on the progression of their responses. It does not matter who gives the feedback, look for their subtext.
If your title causes your readers, editors, and publishers to expect something different, it might indicate that your title doesn’t align with your novel. You will receive various opinions, so remember not to take any feedback personally. Focus on understanding the emotions or thoughts your work evokes and why.
A title can apply to a wide variety of stories. The feedback people give may not match the story you have in mind. The title could, in the reader’s mind, be for a sci-fi story, but you want to write a romantic suspense. It is not about you having to deliver a sci-fi novel. It is about what kinds of promises are inherent within the title.
Activity: Feedback
Analyse the feedback. Are any responses surprising? Have you received specific or vague responses? Are the reactions technical or opinion? Once you have answered these questions, you are in a position to identify useful feedback.
Discover what people get from the title and strengthen it to align with your story. Don’t worry if you can’t nail it down immediately, and even if you do, be prepared to change it later. Finding the perfect title is a common challenge that writers face.
Once you’ve found a title that works, search for it on Amazon and the internet. Has it been trademarked? Titles are not copyrightable unless they are trademarked, like Star Wars. Be sure that your title is not going to be associated with another’s work.
Design your Marketing Path
Consider all the times you’ll say your title aloud, at book signings, pitches, and other events. Your marketing team will mention it often. Trade publications will write about it, and people may abbreviate it. It may even capture the attention of a production company that decides to turn it into a film or TV series.
Today’s audience will spread the word about your book, and they’ll do it quickly. They’ll text, Facebook, and Twitter. It’s called viral marketing, and it’s changing the way books get published and marketed.
Your title may not be just about selling one book. It might be about building your brand as an author. For a series, a consistent titling strategy is a branding tool that creates an expectation for readers and makes it easy for them to find the next book.
Think about your title’s marketability from an audience’s perspective. You’re designing a novel with the reader’s mind in mind, so put yourself in their shoes. Your title encapsulates your first promise and can imply so much more. Make it as captivating as you can. Everything that follows should fulfil and build on that promise.
Remember that your unfolding promises from your Title to your Story Blurb, to your Synopsis, and finally, to your Novel are your marketing path. Build the progression and let it inform changes to any or all of the elements in your marketing path. Done effectively, each of these creates a hook that strengthens the one before it, capturing the interest of your audience.
Activity: The “Elevator Pitch” Test
You could find yourself on a call with a publishing company or run into them at an event. Are you ready to pitch your novel? The elevator pitch is roughly sixty words. That is all the time and words you may have to capture their attention. Is your elevator pitch ready? Is it second nature to you?
Can you say your title and have someone immediately grasp the core concept of your novel? A good title is an elevator pitch in miniature. Using your title, pitch your novel to someone in a thirty-second encapsulation of what it is about. If you are unable to pitch your novel, your concept may need refining.
Ineffective Versus Effective
It is helpful to look at the title, story blurb and synopsis, not in terms of “right or wrong” or “good or bad”, but in terms of what is effective and what is ineffective. This mindset, this slight shift, transforms your thinking and creative process and will help you focus on what works and what doesn’t.
If something is ineffective, why is it ineffective? By knowing this, you can edit them to become more effective. The title may fail to pique interest, or the blurb lacks a clear promise. Pinpointing the weakness allows you to edit and strengthen it.
If something is already effective, why is it effective? Can you strengthen and tweak it to be more effective? A strong title can be tweaked to be more dynamic, or a story blurb can be sharpened to be irresistible, and a clear synopsis can be made even more compelling.
Conclusion
The promise of the title sets your entire marketing journey in motion. It is the initial spark that ignites curiosity. It is the summary of your novel, the three-act structure. The title is Act One, the story blurb is Act Two A, the synopsis is Act Two B, and the novel is Act Three. Each one has a setup, reinforcement and payoff, but each builds on the one before it to create more intense emotions.
The promise of your title sets up the publisher, making them want to invest in your novel to get the payoff. Treat each component as a vital step in your marketing path. Write and revise with a renewed sense of purpose. Your title is your story’s first handshake, its first impression. Invest in strengthening it. Every promise you sharpen brings you one step closer to captivating your audience and seeing your novel take flight.
The experience can be like a roller coaster ride – one day full of hope, then the next, full of doubt. Every author has stood where you are now. Trust your creative intuition. Trust your voice. Believe in the story you are telling.
This experience will be a testament to your creative vision and hard work. You are creating a world, then bringing it to life. With each promise, you strengthen your story’s foundation and build your marketing journey for your novel. The world needs your story more than you know.
If you continue to build, amplify and fulfil your promises, your audience will engage with you, develop a bond, and trust that you are a writer who delivers.
*Note that throughout this article, I have used the terms publisher, reader, editors and audience. These terms are interchangeable.