People often ask me what I’m reading and sometimes I forget. What’s the name of that book again? But then some book titles stick to my brain like a gecko clinging to a wall. They take root inside me and often the book itself proves to be just as unforgettable.
In brainstorming the title for my own debut novel, I turned to experts who advised that authors should keep titles short for a variety of reasons: Something short will be easier for people to remember. Fewer words will fit more neatly on the book jacket and not require a small, unreadable font. But like most advice, it depends.
My favorite title these days consists of eight words. You read that right. Eight. Yet it sounds cool as hell when I say it aloud: Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick. Zora Neale Hurston’s story collection centers on love and migration. The rhythm and flow of that title hits my ear just right. Genevieve West, who wrote the book’s introduction, says there are many ways to understand the title, one being that it refers to the ability of black people to endure and overcome challenges, or as the old folks say “make a way out of no-way.”
Then there are the one-word wonders that pack a world of meaning in an astonishing economy of letters. I devoured Heavy, the memoir by Kiese Laymon. In one small word, he interrogates so many aspects of a heavy life: blackness, body weight, secrets and lies, America’s sins, and the many ways we hurt others and ourselves. In her runaway bestseller Becoming, Michelle Obama uses the title of her memoir to explore how our personal growth has no finite destination; instead, we’re always learning and evolving. The title sparked a mini-movement, too. Using the hashtag #IamBecoming, readers took to Twitter to share their personal journeys of becoming.
The scope and breadth of a book title can intimidate us as the authors of the work. How expansive can it be? Am I being audacious in my choice of a title? When I studied novel writing with Tayari Jones at Tin House, she discussed the difficulty she had in choosing the title of her latest novel. In an offhand remark to her editor, she suggested An American Marriage but quickly dismissed the idea because it sounded like a book about navel-gazing white people in Connecticut, not a novel about a black couple grappling with the fallout of wrongful incarceration. It was her mentor, Pearl Cleage, who reminded her that black people are indeed American and that the prison system responsible for upending her protagonist’s life is a uniquely American institution.
Some of the best book titles turn popular sayings on their head and imbue them with new, unexpected meaning. You’ve likely heard the expression “you never forget your first” referring usually to that first love we can’t shake whether the relationship was good or bad. Well, imagine my surprise and subsequent delight scanning a list of most-anticipated books when I spotted this one: You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe. I sat there thinking George Washington as in the Founding Father, the first U.S. President? The one and only. Typically, I don’t read political or historical biographies but I’m drawn to this one because of the provocative title that promises a fresh, fun look at American history.
Another creative book title that made me smile came from Rion Amilcar Scott’s inventive story collection The World Doesn’t Require You. I haven’t asked Rion about the origin of the title he chose but I imagine some wise elder telling me to check myself, to not get it twisted thinking I should be at the center of everything. In an interview, Rion addressed the title saying, “It’s important to realize that each of us is a blade of grass, not the lawn itself.”
My late father often spoke of the wisdom of the old heads in our family and that was my go-to memory when I first laid eyes on Heads of the Colored People, the brilliant short story collection by Nafissa Thompson-Spires. I remember eating pizza with a group of white writers when I mentioned I was reading this book. They stared blankly from wide eyes, probably stunned by the reference to colored people in the title. The author has said she was inspired by the literary sketches of the same name by 19th century physician and abolitionist Dr. James McCune Smith. This book does indeed take us inside the heads of black people we don’t often meet on the page such as the mothers of elite private school students, college professors, YouTubers, and cosplayers.
Some authors cleverly use metaphors in their titles. One of my favorites is Liz Moore’s Long Bright River. Yes, Philadelphia, the setting for the book, is a city of iconic rivers. However, the author compares the veins of opioid addicts to rivers. Why is the river long? I came up with my own interpretation. For me, it connects to the seemingly never-ending list that opens the novel. It’s a list of dozens of names of people in this long line of devastation from the drug epidemic. I imagine all of their veins end-to-end in this winding river of pain that courses through many families and communities every day.
I picked the title of my debut novel years ago long before any thoughts of marketability. For me, The Kindest Lie reflects the many ways we keep secrets and hide from the truth for what we believe are all the right reasons. The characters in my book can justify every lie they’ve told to loved ones and even themselves because the greater good always required it. In my march toward publication, no one has suggested changing the title, so maybe it’s a sticky one after all. Now when I meet booksellers and tell them about my debut, they usually nod appreciatively and remark, Ah, good title. When my readers are asked someday about that book they read, I hope they’ll remember the title.
Which book titles caught your attention right away and why? Do some titles make you think deeply about their meaning? How did you select the title for your own book?
About Nancy Johnson
Nancy Johnson (she/her) is the debut author of THE KINDEST LIE, forthcoming February 2 from William Morrow/HarperCollins. Her novel has been named a most anticipated book of 2021 by Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Refinery29, Woman's Day, and PopSugar. A graduate of Northwestern University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nancy lives in downtown Chicago. Find her online at https://nancyjohnson.net/.
I always enjoy your posts, Nancy! To chime in, who could resist Ann Garvin’s “I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Around”? And of course, there’s Celeste Ng’s “Everything I Never Told You.” When I surveyed readers (for an article) about what made them give a debut author a chance, a huge factor was the title and the cover! And yup, I think I spent more time trying to find the right title for my own debut novel than I did writing the damn thing—until it appeared :-)
Barbara, I love those titles you mentioned by phenomenal authors Ann Garvin and Celeste Ng. Both titles are provocative and make you curious about the books.
I’m glad you’re enjoying my posts. All the best to you on the debut of Queen of the Owls!
Love this thoughtful, fresh angle on picking a title that multitasks. This is one of those vexing things that can take on so much weight, but your article has a lovely way clearing the clouds around it. Thanks for posting!
Tiffany, thanks so much. I definitely believe a powerful title can work on multiple levels. Finding the right one takes time, but it’s well worth the effort. Thanks again!
Nancy, This is wonderful! A great title and a lovely cover can do so much to attract readers. And this was so timely for me. Just last week I was crowdsourcing titles for my current novel and volleying them back and forth with my publisher. I think (I hope) we’ve come up with one that’s appealing and memorable. Yours—”The Kindest Lie”—is that perfect juxtaposition of words that feel like opposing forces, and still manage to ask a question.
Hi, Densie! I love your phrasing: “that perfect juxtaposition of words that feel like opposing forces, and still manage to ask a question.” I’m stealing (er, borrowing) that explanation when readers ask me about the origin of my book title. *smile*
Coming up with the right title can be such a vexing process. Good luck on landing on the one that works best for your story!
Great post, Nancy.
I’m not sure why, but titles seem to come to me on a breeze, often before the manuscript is even complete. As an editor working with many authors who struggle to catch their book title, I consider myself extremely lucky.
I love titles that make me think after I’ve read the book, titles that have more than one meaning and might be open to interpretation. The Kindest Lie is a wonderful title.
My current manuscript is titled No Apology For Being. At the heart, it’s about how we struggle with self-identity and the confines of society. It’s the choices we make and the decisions made for us.
I’ll be sure to check out the books you’ve mentioned.
Yours,
Denise (Dee)
Hello, Denise. Thank you for your thoughtful response and insight. I agree that the best books and titles are ones that make me think long after I’ve finished reading.
No Apology for Being is a great, thought-provoking one. I brainstormed a lot of titles, including many duds, until I know this book was The Kindest Lie.
Thanks again for commenting!
Hi Nancy, Your title for your debut novel is intriguing and you know I will become one of your first readers. Many of the books you mention here I have read and loved–especially AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE, which I chose for my book club. And then there’s the question of LONG TITLES. Well there’s a book on the best seller list with a very long title–not dissimilar from the one for my work in progress which is WHEN THE COTTONWOODS BLEW. I’m sure you know the title I’m referring to. Maybe if I ever get published, I’ll have to change mine.
Hi, Beth! WHEN you get published, I’m sure your title will draw readers to your beautiful prose and storytelling. I’m picturing a cottonwood tree now and imagining the stories behind it.
I remember that we both loved An American Marriage. That title for me is all about stepping into the fullness of who I am as an American, claiming my rightful place in this country. Like the others, that title works for me on so many levels.
Best of luck with your new project, Beth!
Nancy, what a delightful essay on book titles and your own, which has such a lilt and swing to it. I’ve not read Hurston’s book but the title makes me want to. I must say my preference is for the shorter title only because it’s difficult to come up with the longer title that’s just right. Some examples: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society! So perfect. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. That last says it all, no?
The cover and title have much to do with my own selections–it is a promise. I thought too, An American Marriage was aptly titled. As was A Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny or Hidden Voices by Pat Collins.
The working title of my novel was Damaged because on the surface, that’s what it’s about–two sisters, one physically damaged, the other, mentally. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a love story. So the title is Bound because it evokes their bond of love. By the way, a friend with several children alerted me that when she searched for my book, all types of BDSM books showed up. It never occurred to me but of course, they would. Oy. Lesson learned.
I think a short title followed by a lengthier explanation also works. Lots of nonfiction books are titled like that. Thanks for a lovely essay about one of my favorite topics and good luck on your debut. I hope marketing allows you to keep it.
Thanks for this thoughtful response, Vijaya. I love the idea of the title being a promise. Bound definitely works on many levels.
If a title needs too much explanation it’s not working. I’m drawn to the ones that intrigue me and have layers of meaning.
And yes, I hope marketing allows me to keep The Kindest Lie. So far, so good. :)
Great post, Nancy! I have a fondness for longer titles that hint at a book’s unique voice and/or content: Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close; Barbara O’Neal’s When We Believed in Mermaids; Anthony Trollope’s Can You Forgive Her? (which seems so modern for a novel published in 1864!), Kathleen Rooney’s Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. But short ones work for me too, especially when they express an intriguing paradox (The Kindest Lie for example…). The cover art and fonts influence me a lot too.
Hi, Mary! Those are all great title examples that intrigue me enough to Google them to learn more. :) I think short and long ones can work. It’s about finding the right one, not trying to fit into a prescribed box.
Thanks for a great post. Titles are really important, and yet it’s so hard to come up with one that resonates or sticks. I can’t remember how I came up with “Trust Me, I’m Dead” for my first crime novel, but I do know I like puns and wordplay, and I think it developed from there.
Lots of people have commented on the title, and a few have said they bought it because of the title. Finding a good title for Book 2 took a loooong time.
I’ve also been writing and teaching poetry for years, and after a couple hundred poems, you have to get better at titles for them! They can play an important role in the poem, like an extra line or layer of meaning.
Trust Me, I’m Dead is so intriguing. I love it! Now I’m wondering if she or he is really dead. What do others in this person’s life think and why?
Yes, that extra layer of meaning is vital. Thanks for weighing in, Sherryl!
I saw a very interesting idea of G.K. Chesterton’s the other day (in his introduction to The Old Curiosity Shop) in which he posited that you often find one title which not only sums up that book, but all the books by that author. Thackeray’s books are always, in one way or another, about Vanity Fair, for example; Dickens’ about Great Expectations.
Personally, I find the hunt for a title is like gift-shopping: it’s frequently very frustrating but feels great when (if!) you finally find the right one.
I went through several titles for my MA script (many years ago now) before finally it came to me: Blood of Kings. Bloodlines, bloodshed… it was all in there.
Deborah, the gift-buying analogy is quite apt. It’s an exhilarating feeling to land on the right title.
I really like the layers of meaning for Blood of Kings. Bloodlines and bloodshed, indeed. So well-done.
Thanks for your input!
Thank you for addressing this subject, Nancy! Titles are SO important. I wish I could say that as a reader I’m not so superficial that I’d be attracted to a book because of its title, but that would be a lie. Titles draw me to books, especially if the titles have a whiff of mystery or paradox (as others have said); even more so if they convey an intriguing image (Cold Mountain, The Weight of Ink–to name just two).
Another factor to consider as an author is whether the title matches the book’s genre. For example, I wanted my memoir of being on welfare to be called Innocent because of the double meaning of naive and not guilty (poverty is often treated as a crime or a sin). But since Innocent sounds like the book will be a courtroom drama, the publisher added a subtitle to clarify.