It has to reach out and grab your reader by the shoulders, look them dead in the eye, and scream “this book is exactly what you’ve been searching for!”
And you have to do it in 3-7 words.
So, no pressure, right?
If you’re struggling to figure out how to write your book’s title, I’m about to make your life a whole lot easier.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the process of writing a killer title for your book (fiction or nonfiction!) step-by-step.
And THEN I’m going to give you over 100 book title prompts – I’m talking ready-to-use templates – to help you write your title 10x faster.
So stop banging your head against the wall, relax, and read on.
Your perfect book title is just around the corner.
Why You Can’t Afford to Fumble Your Book’s Title
Your book’s title matters. But you already know that, or you wouldn’t be here.
But just in case you were thinking about quickly scanning this post and then half-assing it, here are the reasons why your title is a big deal:
- Searchability – You want your book to rise to the top of Amazon and Google searches in your genre. People can’t read it if they can’t find it!
- Word of mouth – People talk about books. They recommend them to friends, family and online followers. Will they talk about your book if they can’t remember (or pronounce) your title?
- First impressions – Your book is your reader’s first glimpse of what your book has to offer. If they can’t relate to your title, they’ll never even pick it up.
So…don’t half-ass it, okay?
I know you won’t, because the next section will explain how to nail all of these things and then some.
Related Reading: How to Write a Book in 2024: Everything You Need to Know
5 Critical Missions Your Book’s Title Must Accomplish
If you want people to read and recommend your book, your title must accomplish several goals. Let’s talk about 5 of them.
Your book’s title must do the following to your audience…
Stop Their Scrolling
Your book title must capture your reader’s attention.
Just think about how you scroll amazon or browse book shelves for your next read. You spend the majority of your time rapidly scanning titles and mentally discarding most of them because they’re boring or they don’t speak to you in any way.
Until one grabs you.
Your book’s title can capture attention by:
- Using keywords from your book’s topic
- Promising a solution to the reader’s problem or desirable results
- Making it provocative or controversial
- Using emotionally charged words
For example, which book title is more likely to grab your attention if you’re a working mother with 3 kids struggling to keep your home in order?
How to Clean Your House Step by Step
How to Keep House While Drowning
The second one, right? It promises a result, while acknowledging the real struggle parents face with keeping up with housework. Drowning is both descriptive and emotional. (And by the way, that one is a real book title (by author K.C. Davis), and it’s a best-seller).
Stick in Their Mind
Imagine someone read your book and loved it. They’re out to dinner with a group of friends, and they want to recommend your book. But they just….can’t remember the damn title!
Your book needs to stick in the minds of readers. You can do this by:
- Keeping your title succinct
- Making it easy to pronounce
- Avoiding any technical or scientific jargon
- Using powerful, emotional language
Which book title are you more likely to remember?
How to Recover from Severe Clinical Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep Better Now
The second one, right? It’s way more succinct, avoids technical terms and it makes a powerful promise to the reader.
And as you’ll see in our prompts/templates later on – you can have a short main title and then a lengthier subtitle. For example, Sleep Better Now would likely have a subtitle like:
Sleep Better Now: How to Crush Insomnia and Sleep More Soundly
But my point is, people will be able to remember that main title well enough to find the book.
Clarify Your Message
Remember when we talked about your book browsing habits? Speedy and intuitive, right? When you look at a title and you don’t know what it means, or it doesn’t instantly tell you what the book is about…well, you gloss over it and never look back.
Your book title needs to clarify the topic and purpose of your book. You can do this by:
- Using keywords from your book’s topic
- Using phrases like “how to…” or “10 steps to…” when you want to teach a skill
- Promising a specific result
- Calling out a specific demographic of readers (i.e. “busy moms”, “young professionals”, “Baby Boomers”).
Which book title’s message is clearer?
Crazy Cluttered Mind
Declutter Your Mind: 10 Steps to Mental Peace and Clarity
The second title is crystal clear about the problem it’s going to solve for the reader, and the result they’ll get.
The first one is super vague, and we don’t even know if it’s self-help or a biography.
Roll off Their Tongue
We’ve established that your book’s title must stop your reader’s scrolling, stick in their mind and drive home your message.
It can’t accomplish any of these if the reader cannot pronounce it!
So read your title out loud and make sure it’s easy to say. You can avoid unpronounceable titles by:
- Keeping the title succinct (at least the main title)
- Avoiding foreign language unless it’s crucial to the book’s message
- Avoiding naming the book after hard-to-pronounce character names
- Avoiding technical jargon
- Reading it out loud and asking others to read it out loud to make sure it’s easy to say
Which title is easier to pronounce? Let’s look at two real fiction books from the fantasy genre:
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
The second one, right? Now I am not trying to diss Tolkien, so please don’t come for me. If you’re already a legendary fantasy writer, you can get away with a hard-to-pronounce book title. But if you’re not – keep it simple and easy to say!
Make them Look Cool (& Smart)
Here’s one you may not have considered: Your book title should make your reader look good.
Remember, people talk about books. To each other, to their online followers. They also sit on the subway or on a public park bench and read the book with the cover exposed.
People talk about books because they want to share the joy or wisdom of the book with people they love – but they won’t talk about them if they think the title will make them look dumb or embarrass them.
Let’s say your mother-in-law is having digestive issues. Which book would you rather recommend to her?
Best Poop Ever: How to Eliminate Hemorrhoids and Achieve the Perfect Bowel Movement
Happy, Healthy Gut: 50 Superfoods for Healthy Digestion
Now…some people may think the first one is humorously straight-forward. And if you’re aiming for an audience with a sense of humor and your writing style is a little more fun and edgy, the first title could work well. But the second title won’t embarrass anyone.
To avoid embarrassing titles, just ask yourself: would someone be proud to recommend this title to their friends or family? How will my title reflect on my reader? That should help you pick a title readers are ready to share.
How to Write Your Brilliant Book Title in 5 Simple Steps
Now that we’ve covered all the goals your book must accomplish, let’s get into the process of writing your title.
That way, you’ll be in the right mindset to get the most out of all the title prompts I’ll give you at the end of this post.
So here are the steps you’ll follow to write your title…
Step 1: Understand Your Book’s Core Message
In the last section, we talked about how your book’s title must clarify your book’s message.
So…what is your book’s message?
If you’re writing nonfiction, what is your book’s central thesis? If your book is teaching the reader to do something, what is it?
If you’re writing fiction, you need to consider the central message and themes underlying the story and characters.
Let’s look at some examples:
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
This nonfiction book is about how modern parenting is causing more anxiety in today’s teens and young adults. This title states that thesis fairly clearly – enough to know:
- We’re talking about the next generation of young adults
- Something in their childhood is causing them to be more anxious
- It’s a widespread problem that deserves attention (the word epidemic)
Now let’s look at a famous fiction book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
In the book, Atticus Finch, the father of the main character Scout, tells her “It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” because mockingbirds do not harm anyone. The theme of injustice and killing innocent people runs through the novel.
Step 2: Examine Popular Book Titles in Your Niche
You want your book title to fit in, but also stand out.
That’s not confusing at all, right?
When you pull up Amazon and look at book titles in your niche, you’ll start to notice patterns in book titling.
Let’s look at some nonfiction titles:
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
The Myth of Normal By Gabor Maté
The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer
Notice a pattern? The template here is something like:
The [Impactful Noun] of [Paradigm-Shifting Concept] [Impactful Noun] could be words like Power, Secret, Art, Myth, Mastery, etc.
[Paradigm-Shifting Concept] is often a familiar term presented in a new light, like Now, Intention, Normal, Habit, etc.Or how about these fiction books:
The Women by Kristen Hannah
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Notice the pattern here? “The [Subject, character or location in the book]”
So when you’re writing your title, go to Amazon and browse within your genre. Take notes about any patterns you see.
Thankfully, at the end of this post we’ll give you over 100 book title templates from different genres to speed up this process.
Related Reading: 40+ Popular Book Genres Explained (With Examples)
Step 3: Brainstorm Some Titles
Your next step is to start brainstorming.
Open a blank document or grab a notebook and start writing out some possible book titles.
Don’t overthink it, just start writing whatever comes out. Even if some of the first few titles sound ridiculous, they will help get your creative juices flowing so the good ones can eventually come out.
Try out the templates and prompts listed later on in this post and plug in your book’s unique topic or themes.
Write as many titles as you want – the more, the better!
Step 4: Pick a Shortlist of “Finalists”
As you’re brainstorming, you may want to place a little star next to the ones you like most. That’ll make this step easier.
When you feel you’ve exhausted your brainstorming, gather up all the titles you’ve “starred” and add them to a list.
Now narrow the list down to your five favorite titles.
Go back to the “5 Critical Missions” above and make sure each title grabs attention, clarifies your message, sticks in your reader’s mind, is easy to say and reflects well on the reader.
Step 5: Test Your Titles
Now that you’ve got your “top 5”, it’s time to do some testing.
First, Google your title to make sure there are no other books with the same title or titles that are so similar they’re almost identical.
You may also want to do a quick search on Amazon as well.
After you’ve cleared all your titles, you can test them by posting them online in writer’s groups or forums, or if you already have an email list, you can send out a survey.
If you have a mentor or writing coach or belong to an in-person writing group, you can test them there, too.
The one group of people you don’t want to test your titles on? Friends and family. They are biased toward making you feel good, and will likely refrain from giving you the constructive feedback you need if they think it will hurt your feelings.
Or maybe they’re a bit jealous, and will give overly critical feedback based on those emotions.
So…stick to other writers, mentors, and your existing audience of readers.
100+ Book Title Prompts & Templates to Write Your Title 10x Faster (+ Examples from Real Books!)
Now that you understand the process of writing your brilliant book title, it’s time to give you the goods I promised.
Below, you’ll find over 100 book templates and prompts, for nonfiction and fiction genres, along with a real book title example for each one (note: only the templates contain examples).
If you find the templates/examples a bit too cumbersome and just want some quick inspiration, consider scrolling on to the “prompts” which are much shorter.
After all the lists, I’ll give you a bonus tip about how to use AI to help you brainstorm book titles using these templates – so stick around or scroll ahead to read that tip.
Alright…here we go.
Nonfiction Book Title Templates
1. The Power of [Topic] + Why [Topic] Matters in [Area of Life]
Example: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
2. The Art of [Skill/Practice] + A [Positive Adjective] Guide to [Topic]
Example: The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living by Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler
3. [Complex Topic] Made Simple
Example: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
4. The [Number] [Key Principles] of [Topic] + Powerful Lessons for [Desired Outcome]
Example: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
5. The [Intriguing Concept] + How [Topic] Affects [Broader Area]
Example: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
6. [Topic] Exposed + The Hidden Truths Behind [Industry/Field]
Example: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
7. A History of [Topic] + From [Starting Point] to [Ending Point]
Example: A People’s History of the World: From the Stone Age to the New Millennium by Chris Harman
8. The [Adjective] [Person] + Uncovering the Story of [Historical Figure/Event]
Example: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
9. [Action Word] Your [Aspect of Life] + A [Professional]’s Guide to [Topic]
Example: Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice by Michelle Obama
10. The World Without [Element] + How [Topic] Shapes Our Reality
Example: The World Without Us: What would happen to Earth if humans vanished by Alan Weisman
11. [Number] Things [Successful People] Don’t Do + Strategies for [Positive Outcome]
Example: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success by Amy Morin
12. [Improve] Your [Aspect of Life] + Practical Solutions for [Common Problem]
Example: Quiet Your Mind and Get to Sleep: Solutions to Insomnia for Those with Depression, Anxiety or Chronic Pain by Colleen Carney and Rachel Manber
13. The [Number]-Hour [Goal] + Achieve [Desirable Outcome] in Less Time
Example: The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
14. [Topic] Through Time + How [Group] Shaped [Aspect of World]
Example: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
15. [Action], [Action], [Action] + One Person’s Journey Through [Topics/Places]
Example: Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
16. The [Number] [Key Concepts] of [Field of Study]
Example: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
17. [Challenging Topic]: A [Underrepresented Group]’s Perspective
Example: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
18. Think Like a [Admired Profession]: [Subtitle About Applying Their Methods]
Example: Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty
19. The Unexpected Approach to [Common Problem]
Example: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
20. Why [Everyday Activity] Is More Important Than You Think
Example: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker
21. The Hidden Benefits of [Seemingly Negative Concept]
Example: The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms
22. From [Origin Point] to [End Point]: The Evolution of [Complex Concept]
Example: From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds by Daniel C. Dennett
23. Inside the [Profession]: Revealing [Little-Known Aspect]
Example: What Doctors Feel: How Emotions Affect the Practice of Medicine by Danielle Ofri
24. [Common Issue]: Debunking Myths and Revealing Solutions
Example: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
25. The Complete Guide to [Skill/Topic]
Example: The Definitive Guide to Body Language by Allan and Barbara Pease
Nonfiction Book Title Prompts
- The Art of…
- The Science of…
- The Power of…
- The Secret of…
- The Magic of…
- The Myth of…
- The Truth About…
- The Future of…
- The History of…
- The Psychology of…
- How to…
- Why We…
- What If…
- Beyond…
- Inside the…
- [Topic] Simplified
- [Topic] Demystified
- [Topic] Reimagined
- [Topic] Unleashed
- [Topic] Mastery
- Understanding…
- Mastering…
- Discovering…
- Exploring…
- Unlocking…
- A Guide to…
- An Introduction to…
- The Complete…
- The Essential…
- The Ultimate…
- [Number] Ways to…
- [Number] Secrets of…
- [Number] Steps to…
- [Number] Principles of…
- [Number] Laws of…
- From [X] to [Y]
- for Beginners
- Made Easy
- The [X] Advantage
- The [X] Solution
- Rethinking…
- Reinventing…
- Revolutionizing…
- Transforming…
- Hacking…
Fiction Book Title Templates
1. The [Adjective] [Precious Item or object]
Example: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
2. [Hero’s Profession] of the [Fantastical Realm]
Example: Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. [Emotional State] and [Intense Feeling]
Example: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. The [Occupation]’s [Family Relation]
Example: The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan
5. The [Color] [Object]
Example: The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
6. The [Season] of our [Abstract Concept]
Example: The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck
7. The [Ancient Artifact] of [Mythical Place]
Example: The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
8. The [Royal Title] of [Fictional Kingdom]
Example: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
9. The [Time Period] [Event]
Example: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
10. The [Adjective] [Character]’s [Relation or Object]
Example: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
11. The [Emotional State] of [Character Archetype]
Example: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
12. The [Animal] in the [Location]
Example: The Lion in the Living Room by Abigail Tucker
13. [Protagonist’s Name]’s [Life-Changing Journey]
Example: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
14. The [Number] [Familial Relationship] of [Character Name]
Example: The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
15. [Adjective] [Body Part]
Example: Cold Skin by Albert Sánchez Piñol
16. The [Color] [Object]
Example: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
17. [Character’s Name]’s [Life-Changing Event]
Example: Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
18. The [Adjective] Lives of [Character Type]
Example: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
19. The [Color] of [Abstract Concept]
Example: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
20. [Character’s Name]’s [Life-Changing Decision]
Example: Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
21. [Protagonist’s Name] in the [Unfamiliar Setting]
Example: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
22. [Action Verb] with [Character Type]
Example: Dancing with the Tiger by Lili Wright
23. The [Measurement] of [Emotion]
Example: The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
24. [Character Name] and the [Object/Place]
Example: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
25. The [Object] of [Character Name]
Example: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
26. [Action] on the [Setting]
Example: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Fiction Book Prompts
- The [Character]’s…
- Whispers of…
- Echoes from…
- Shadows of…
- The Last…
- A Song of…
- The [Color] [Object]
- [Character Name]’s Promise
- Beyond the…
- Beneath the…
- The [Adjective] [Noun]
- [Verb]ing [Noun]
- The [Number] [Plural Noun]
- A Tale of…
- Chronicles of…
- Daughter of…
- Son of…
- The [Profession]’s [Relative]
- [Noun] of [Place]
- [Place] [Number]
- The [Adjective] Ones
- [Verb] the [Noun]
- When [Character] [Verb]s
- After the…
- Before the…
- In the Shadow of…
- The [Noun] Thief
- [Character]’s Revenge
- The [Adjective] [Profession]
- [Verb]ing in [Place]
- The [Noun] Keeper
- [Adjective] [Plural Noun]
- [Noun] and [Noun]
- The [Animal]’s [Body Part]
- [Season] in [Place]
- The [Adjective] Hour
- [Character]’s Choice
- The [Noun] Conspiracy
- [Verb] or Die
- The [Adjective] [Profession]’s [Relative]
- A [Noun] of [Abstract Concept]
- The [Object] in the [Place]
- [Character]’s Legacy
- Dreams of…
- Secrets of…
Bonus Tip: How to Use AI to Brainstorm Book Titles Even Faster
If you need a little assistance with brainstorming your book titles, AI is your guy. (Or gal, however you want to think of it.)
You can easily plug these templates and prompts into an AI like Claude or ChatGPT and have it generate dozens of possible book titles within seconds.
You just need a short description of your book, these templates and a few AI prompts.
Both Claude and ChatGPT have free versions that are perfectly adequate for this task, but you’ll always get more quality responses (and a longer response limit) when you upgrade to their pro versions (both are 20 bucks per month).
So first, you need to sign up for ChatGPT or Claude and start a new chat.
Then you can use this AI prompt to generate book titles:
I’m writing a [genre] book about [topic]. Can you generate 15 potential book titles using these prompts and templates?
Book Title Prompts:
[List your favorite book title prompts and templates here]
For example, if you’re writing a nonfiction book, your AI prompt might look something like this:
I’m writing a self-help book about developing emotional intelligence in the workplace. Can you generate 15 potential book titles using these prompts and templates?
Prompts:
- The Art of…
- The Power of…
- How to…
- Why We…
- The Power of [Topic] + Why [Topic] Matters in [Area of Life]
- The Art of [Skill/Practice] + A [Positive Adjective] Guide to [Topic]
Or if you’re writing fiction, your prompt might look something like this:
I’m working on a book about the latest advancements in neuroscience and their implications for everyday life. Please create 20 book title ideas using a combination of these prompts and templates:
Prompts:
- The Science of…
- The Future of…
- The Truth About…
- The Psychology of…
- [Complex Topic] Made Simple + An Easy Guide to Understanding [Topic]
- The Power of [Topic] + Why [Topic] Matters in [Area of Life]
Feel free to tweak your AI prompt and make it as detailed as possible.
And sometimes, AI doesn’t 100% nail a title but it’ll spark your brain to create a better version of one.
Try it out and have some fun!
Related Reading: 30+ Insanely Useful Writing Resources for Authors in 2024
Go Forth and Create Your Perfect Book Title
Whew! What a journey.
You learned why your book’s title is of vital importance, what it must accomplish to get people reading, and all the steps for how to write a book title.
And I delivered on my promise to give you over 100 book title prompts and templates to kickstart your creativity.
Oh yeah, and we talked about how you can leverage AI to brainstorm your titles faster!
I think it’s safe to say you now have a solid grasp of how to write a brilliant book title.
Now it’s just a matter of putting the knowledge and templates to use.
So open up a new document or grab a notebook and get going.
Your perfect book title is waiting to be written!
