This morning I really didn't want to get out of bed to come write this...I thought, oh, I don't technically have to be up until 11:00am...I could really splurge and just lie here and doze with my cozy socks on...I could really use the extra sleep. Maybe I'll just...

Then the little voice at the back of my head, the writer voice, snapped in. Imagine a kind of sergeant voice here: You're not a real writer if you don't get up and take advantage of that time!!! This isn't an option!!! Move move move!!! GOOOOOOOOOO! (This is a dramatization. No sergeants were hurt in the making of this blog post.)

So here I am, awake (ish) and writing. Something. There isn't even a title. Which, as I open up my document file that contains my newest book-in-progress, aptly titled "Untitled"...I bump unwittingly upon a bubble of inspiration. How to title your book.

Ahhh, an oldie but a goodie. And the answer to this? The key that will solve all your artistic problems and give you unending insight into the best summation and hook for your book that will ever be?

I don't know. I haven't even figured it out. I could list the number of titles I've been through for my other books, and how often they've changed, been scratched out, even switched up, but it would probably make my server crash. Because we have to be honest: everyone says "don't judge a book by its cover". Well, we do, don't we? If we're not specifically looking for a certain book or a certain author, if we're just browsing, we look at the covers, don't we? Sure, we read the synopsis on the back briefly or skim the pages on the inside (take a quick sniff of that good book smell), but really the deciding factor after those initial judgements come down to cover art and title. If the book has a really intriguing illustration and a captivating title, then by all means, give it a go.

The title is the initial 'hook' into your novel or short story. Of course it is, because it's the very first word or phrase that the reader will see. If it's dull and boring, the reader will assume your book is dull and boring. If it's awkward, the assumption will be your book is awkward, or weird, or just plain uninteresting. If it's too brassy or dramatic, your work will be labeled 'afflicted'. If their eyes slide past it in a row of other book spines lined up at attention for consideration, then you haven't hooked the imagination. That title has got to stand out and say "You have to read me. Your life will never be the same." But it has to do it like a seasoning-- not too much, not too little. Just enough to enhance what is already inside.

So, writers alike, how do we do it? Well...I'm working on that. At the moment with my newest book ("Untitled") I've made three slots to set in titles as they come to me. Only one is filled at the moment, and while it is my first instinct and the only option to arise for me, I'm not entirely content with it. Granted, I'm never entirely content with my titles until I've forced myself to give in and surrender to them, but this one in particular still strikes me as inadequate. It seems cliche, done-before, overworked, and obviously fairy-tale-esque. Not good. The rewritten fairy tale is an old hat trick. I may be doing it in an entirely new way, to my mind, and I'm going to have to convince a publisher that I'm doing it in an entirely new way, so that means that my title has to be completely different. Not reworked or skewed. It has to be utterly original.

Considering that "there is nothing new under the sun", I think I've picked a difficult job.

So I googled it. And lo and behold, what should come up first of all, but a Literary Agent's website with a page called "How to Title Your Book". How handy. You can read Rachelle Gardner's suggestions here.

She's got some good suggestions and reminders. For one, your title has to fit with your genre and your emotional feel. If you've got a fictional tragic book, you don't need your title to sound like a self-help comedy. And if you don't know what your genre or your niche is, you'll have difficulty fitting a title in with it. So do your research and figure out where your book would sit in a bookstore or library. Once you know that, you'll be able to find a title that matches that tone.

I liked this agent's suggestion of going through Amazon.com and finding books in your genre and age range with titles that you like. One, it prevents against the horrible realization that you've entitled your book with the same strip as another book. It also gets those mind muscles working and gives you a chance to see what kind of titles publishers have liked. Important note: the title is not the important thing in the query process. Most agents don't read the titles, and many publishers may even change the title in the publishing process. So it's not a kill-all at the submission stage, but you want to have a good feel for it and a good first impression. It's like wearing a suit to an interview rather than a pair of jeans.

Not all of the ideas this agent suggests are up my alley of attempting. I probably would not do the free-association project. Sounds too much like a creative writing class exercise or an icebreaker. But it could work for you, if you've never done free-association before or if you've liked it in the past. I'll probably morph her idea and just start writing down titles, descriptions, ideas. The thesaurus is certainly one of my best friends.

Give it a go. And if you find a good method for titling your piece, comment below and let me know!