The Surprising Power of a Good Title by Poppy Gee

The Mysterious Book Shop in New York... floor to ceiling crime novels with different, captivating titles.

BUSINESS: Let’s talk titles.

Do you start with one, or does it emerge organically from your writing process? How important is a title in shaping your project—or even selling it?

On Friday at the Currumbin Crime Writers Festival we heard from a leading publisher and a top literary agent – both estimated that 80% of manuscripts have their titles get changed when they are published. 

Given this, I don’t there is much point in labouring over a clever title.* The working title should be something that inspires you to write, but something that you aren’t too attached to in the event you’re asked to change it.

My debut novel was originally called KELP. It was named after the massive sea gardens of bull kelp that grow in the Southern Ocean. The resilient, brown, leathery plant is attached to rocky reefs by a suction disc. Fronds reach in excess of ten metres, undulating through the cold water, forming a golden canopy just below the surface. I liked the metaphor the kelp presented, of something strong and slick that might drag a person to a fatal end in the depths. My agent thought KELP as a title was not sellable. I used to be a subeditor, writing headlines and captions for a daily newspaper. I like thinking up catchy descriptions, so I sent her a long list of titles, including BAY OF FIRES, the stunning area where my novel was set. We agreed on that, and the publisher liked it too.

My next novel I gave the working title VANISHING FALLS. It’s the name of a real waterfall that falls into a creek, which disappears via subterranean waterways. Farm animals have been known to vanish down the tunnels. It’s not impossible that a human could disappear down there too. This name remained on the published novel.

As a reader, I often choose novels based on the title. Novels I’ve bought recently for the name alone include CAT FIGHT, MONTANA 1948, THE SUMMER WIVES, GOTHICTOWN, WHEN THE RECKONING COMES, WE LIE HERE, THE TOBACCO WIVES, MEMPHIS, CROSS MY HEART. All these titles arouse interest in me. I want to find out what happens or I’m keen to spend time in those worlds.

I learned today that author Benjamin Stevenson thought of his international bestseller title EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE, then he wrote the novel to suit it. Now he’s got a series with similar titles. Dervla McTiernan wrote a novel to the working title WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? It summarised the draft she was writing. Her publisher loved it, and it stuck.

I love playing around with different titles. They help me shape the different drafts of my novels. They're the magical spark that compels me to write. Helen of Troy was the face that launched a thousand ships; a good working title is one that will launch thousands of words!

*Confession: I spend far too much time brainstorming perfect titles for this blog. As a former newspaper subeditor, it annoys me how long I take to do this!