The Importance of Titles

Everyone's heard the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover," and most of us have learned to believe it. It can be used in a metaphorical sense or a literal one, as any great book, movie, CD or video game might easily be saddled with a terrible cover.

The same logic applies to titles, as they usually are largely up to the author. The thing is, a title functions as the very first introduction the audience will have to the story in question. So the problem is, while everyone knows they shouldn't judge a book by its title...

...well, they do.

Sure, a great title won't usually sell an audience member. But it will lead him or her in and convince them to take a closer look, which a poor or generic title won't do. A great title makes a statement, hints at the content and sometimes even sums it up.

So what does a great title need to convey? The answer is that it should be unique and stand out, or be memorable, or easy to recognize - or if possible, all three of the above.

The forms a title can take, following one or more of these specifications, can vary. Memorable, easily-recognized titles can often be accomplished through one - or sometimes two - words. For example, the iD Software game Doom has a title with an immediate impact, as does Jaws, Watchmen, Psycho or Alien. Examples of great two word titles are Evil Dead, Half-Life, Fahrenheit 451 and The Stand.

Longer titles can work, though, especially if they make an interesting statement, or ask a fascinating question about the contents of the story itself. One of the best examples of this would be Philip K. Dicks's story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? which can't help but make the reader think to themselves. The book was later on adapted into the science fiction movie Blade Runner, also a good title. Another great example would be Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is complicated but interesting enough to stand out and force the reader to digest it. And who doesn't shiver at a title like I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream?

The result of all this is that it's hard to say what makes a great title - but it's very good to have one. Overall, probably the most important thing is to try to avoid overly-generic titles such as Blood Hunt 4: There Will Be One, or Attack of the Invasion, both of which make no unique statements whatsoever and use overly-used words that are commonly associated with other titles.

When it comes to titling your story, movie, song or novel, it pays to put the time in and think of something special. A weak title will be forgotten, but a strong one will elevate the work and always be remembered.