How to Name Your Book: Insights on Titling Strategies From a Corporate Namer

Photo by Poh Kim Yeoh

In a world where Bookstagram and “best of” lists influence print runs, it’s understandable that so much attention is given to the way that a book looks. But with over a decade in the corporate naming industry, I’m here to tell you that it’s more important what a book is called.

Your book’s title is a crucial selling tool. Supported by the cover art, it is a potential reader’s first impression of what your book is about, and — more importantly to the reader — how the book will make them feel. A title like On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous immediately suggests a lyrical, lush read waiting inside, while Go the F**k to Sleep cues straight talk from exhausted caretakers to exhausted caretakers.

It’s essential when we consider what to call our books that we privilege the reader’s emotional experience over what we think sounds bold and cool. In a perfect world, a book is around for a long time (possibly forever!) so its title shouldn’t be trend-dependent. (Trend-dependent naming strategies are how we ended up with every book in America starting with the definite article “The” for a few years. Not that this strategy can’t work—it can! But you need to be able to defend it. For example, The Vacationers succeeds because it’s about people who are terrible at vacationing. A title like The Trees wouldn’t…