Don’t know what to name your book

Don’t know what to name your book? You’re not alone.

Hi, I’m Tony B. Richard.

Book titles and character names are some of the hardest things and usually take several months of brainstorming. My wife came up with several; I think my editor came up with one or two, other authors helped, and I did the rest.

Working titles were often the main character’s name…

…but even that changed occasionally. Adam Rabinowitz was originally Adam Goldman, but that was too close to Geogram, and every time we read his name, a smart speaker or cellphone would answer.

“From Roswell to Area 51” was easy…

…it was what I was writing about.

“The Good, The Bad, and The Undecided”…

…was modified from an old western movie. It was originally “The Three Generals”, but since one was Good, one was Bad, and they were both trying to gain the undecided’s loyalty, it made perfect sense.

“Defying Gravity”…

…was hard, and it took a long time. But, when we picked it, it was perfect. I was hesitant because there was an old TV series with that name. The movie “Wicked” hadn’t come out yet, so I didn’t know it was a song in it.

By the way, you can use the name of other books, movies, songs, etc. But it’s generally frowned upon if you copy a big name, hoping that it will generate sales. However, Canadian author Emily Schultz’s book Joyland got a big boost in sales when Stephen King released a horror novel with the same name. So, if it becomes big after, it’s a bonus.

I’m Tony B. Richard. Thanks for watching.