T is for Titles

What's in a name? Can the title of your novel really decide how successful it is?

There's lots of things to consider when choosing a title.I've been doing some research and here are some tips I've unearthed from people in the know.

A novel title should:

• Express the genre. A Shallow Grave would suit a thriller or horror story, but I don't think it would be a great title for a pet memoir.
• Be Concise. Convoluted titles will only bore the reader. The Night We All Went into the Woods after Sarah Jane went Missing and Came Across a Scary Psychopath with an Axe might cover all the aspects of your story, but your book browser will probably put it down before getting halfway through the title.
• Be Original. Calling your book Silence of the Lambs might get you a few accidental purchases, but it won't win you long time readers. You can however rip off cliche's and quotes as titles.
• Be Funny. Humour is a great way to attract a reader (but only if your novel promises more humour within the narrative). Read this post by McSweeney to see why you must include the word Alchemist in your title.

Of course for every rule, there are plenty that break them, such as The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Paranormalcy (good read, but I find it so hard to say) and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Thinking about genre, I thought I'd try and express Dog Show Detective in different genres (you know, for the fun).

Tail of Love Lost

Dognapped!

In Space No One Hears You Bark

Beware the Dognapper's Fangs

Okay, I suck at impromptu titles!

Check out this cool Internet Show on book titles:

http://www.getpublishedtv.com/best-book-titles-come-up-with-a-compelling-book-title-episode-038/