How Different Types of Book Titles Show What the Book Is About

People often say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It has nothing to do with a book’s cover. Because covers and titles are carefully created to actually represent what’s inside.

They are supposed to be the first impression you get of the book. It sets the tone and captures the readers’ interest. It is the most important part of a book.

“The title’s more important than the book.”—Larry Winget.

In this article, we will see how important book titles are, how many types of them there are, and how to write one for your own book.

Why does the right book title matter more than you think?

What’s your favorite book? Could be any! But the real question is, would it still be your favorite book if it had a different title?

You might not have even read it.

A book’s title is more than just a name; it’s a promise to deliver what’s written in it. You must take your time to choose a good title for your book. Do not worry if it takes a lot of time, because it should be perfect. A well-chosen title will:

• Make readers want to know what’s written on the pages
• Set appropriate expectations for the story’s tone and content
• Make your book memorable in thousands of books
• Help readers align it with their interests

Consider “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins as an example. It has only three words in the title. But before even reading a single page, you can tell there will be conflict, desperation, and competition in the book.

This series has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. You think it would have made that much impact if its title was “The Annual Games” or “Katniss’s Story”?

Different types of book titles to choose for your book

Choosing the right title for your book can mean the difference between success and failure. That is why Raymond Chandler says:

“A good title is the title of a successful book.”

There isn’t a categorization of book titles. But generally, we can classify them into the following types.

1. Descriptive titles

These titles directly convey the subject of the book.

• For example: “A history of the Roman Empire.”

1. Evocative titles

These titles create an image or a feeling in the minds of the readers.

• For example: “A Wolf's Unlikely Mate” and “Wuthering Heights.”

1. Question titles

These titles have a question that the book is going to answer.

• For example: “Why Nations Fail?”

1. Symbolic titles

These titles are not exactly what they say. These are metaphors that convey a deeper meaning.

• For example: “The Great Gatsby” and “Lord of the Flies.”

1. Character-based titles

These titles represent a character in the story of the book.

• For example: “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Pro Tip: Choose any title that you feel represents your book’s content. But always listen to your publisher and editor about the title. You might like a title, but that does not mean it’s the best for your book. Prefer a collaborative effort to come up with creative book titles.

How book titles show what’s inside them

Titles are the first thing a reader sees about a book. It should be interesting enough for the reader to proceed further and grab it to read.

That is why authors try to give a preview of what’s inside. So, readers can easily decide if they want to spend their money on it or not. Let’s have a look at how different genres are named to learn how to name your own book.

1. Children’s book titles are fun and imaginative

Think about your favorite book as a child. What made you pick it up? I am sure the title played a big part. And the cover picture too. That is also created according to the title to hook children.

As children, we are often fond of characters. We understand fiction, or fairy tales to be specific, through characters. That’s why most children’s books have character-based titles. Like,

• “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams
• “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss

These titles hint at the characters and also promise a fun and exciting adventure.

2. Comic book titles set the stage for heroes and villains

The best comic book titles are bold and memorable. These are specially designed with different types of hooks to grab readers attention. So fans become eager for the story ahead.

Comic books have drama, action, and larger-than-life characters. And that’s exactly what their titles represent. Their titles often introduce the main hero or villain. There is a hint of epic battles between them too, but the main point is that these titles are also character-based.

For example:

• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

3. Romance books capture love’s essence

Romance books are not for everybody, especially children, right? They are deliberately given love story titles so the people interested in it can recognize the genre and grab it to read.

For example:

• Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

You can tell by just reading the above titles that these are love stories with heartbreaks and a lot of emotional drama.

These titles have one job, which is to evoke emotions. They focus on love, passion, and longing to give a hint of the heartwarming story inside.

4. Mystery titles keep readers guessing

Whenever we read a mystery book, multiple questions come to our mind. Authors generate stories that keep the readers guessing throughout the text.

The titles are chosen like that too. If you read the title, you will have a question in your mind. And to get an answer to that question, you will have to buy the book and read it. Then there will be more and more questions until the story is complete.

For example:

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Reading these titles induces curiosity about the characters and the upcoming thriller.

5. Biography titles focus on personal stories

Biographies are the life stories of real people. So, authors create book titles that spotlight the subject’s life, achievements, and struggles.

These titles are often simple and straightforward. But they are supposed to create an image of the individual.

For example:

• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• Becoming by Michelle Obama

These titles immediately tell readers what they can expect in the book. These titles can be both character-based and symbolic.

How to write book titles that define the context of a story

Titles are the hardest to write in a book. And it has gotten even harder as people now prefer reading e-books. Your title now should not only be creative, precise, and have high readability. It should also align with the phrases people would search for.

Because people are not looking for books in a library or on bookshelves, the majority are looking for them online.

Hence, writing the perfect title for your book is not going to be easy. You have to take your time looking for the best title. You can also use AI tools for that, like the topic generator. It will give you many suggestions to choose from and modify according to your needs.

Do whatever, just keep the following points in mind while writing a title for your book:

1. Know your audience: Think about who will be interested in reading your story. Is your book for children, romance enthusiasts, or mystery lovers? Then try to target them with your title.

For example, if your book is on a fantasy adventure for young adults, you can give it an evocative title like The Fairy Meadows.

1. Highlight the theme: Your title should reflect your book’s theme. The reader should instantly know what the book is about.

For example, for a book on resilience, a title like Unbreakable will be impactful.

1. Use imagination: Words that create images in the readers’ minds will stay in their memory for a long time. Utilize this power of imagination.

For example: “A creepy old house” is good for a horror or a mystery story.

1. Keep experimenting: Test different styles and types of title writing to generate unique titles for your creative works. Be creative even if you have to break some molds. If the title is good enough for you, do not even care about common grammatical errors in them.

For example: If your story is about betrayal. You can write a title like False Luv to suggest there was no love ever.

Conclusion

Titles are the first conversation your book has with potential readers. They are more powerful than you think. A great title can make or break your book.

It makes a person pick up your book or leave it on the shelf. Think about all the great books you have read. Their titles were the first attraction.

So, for your book’s title, don’t rush. Take your time. Create a title that matches your genre, explains the content, and also evokes emotions in your readers.

Your title is your book’s first and most important marketing tool. Make it count!