After You Have a Book Title

   I've decided to continue from my post last week and share a bit more information about book titles.

 After coming up with your title, you might want to Google it to make sure no one else has it, if that's important to you. If you come up with a one-word title, it is less likely to be original. There might be many books that have similar one-worded titles like yours, so don't fret if you (for example) want to name your book, "Torn" as there are multiple books with this title.

   Publishers sometimes change titles to make the book seem more intriguing to readers. What are the first two things that catches the eyes of a book browser? The cover (or spine, depending on how it is set on the shelf) and the title. That phrase, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" doesn't apply to a lot of people (myself included, as far as books go). You should always be sure about your title, even at the risk of it being changed.

 Authors can’t copyright their titles in America, although they can be trademarked in certain situations. "Harry Potter" is trademarked and so is the "For Dummies" book franchise.

 This is when your book can be trademarked:

"Trademark law protects literary work titles in two main situations. The first is where a series of works is developed from the title. The very popular “For Dummies” book series is a familiar illustration of this principle. The title “For Dummies” has become associated with publications on a variety of topics and is entitled to trademark protection as the brand name for “non-fiction books, guides, manuals, catalogs and brochures on a wide variety of topics” as stated in trademark registration records.

The second instance where protection is available arises when the title is applied to related products or services. We are all familiar with toys developed around movie titles. The title of the work becomes a protectable trademark when it applied to toys or other products associated with the movie. Other, less recognized situations when protectable brands are created arise when the title of the work is used in providing services - such as business consulting services, newsletters, educational services and blogs - that relate to the published work. In these situations, the title of the work becomes associated with both the original work and the related or ancillary service, and becomes entitled to trademark protection." - Monroe Moxness Berg

 Titles can be tricky. Only certain words should be capitalized

These are words you shouldn't capitalize:

Articles: a, an, the

Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or, for, nor, etc.

Prepositions (fewer than five letters): on, at, to, from, by, etc.

 This also comes in handy if you title the chapters of your book.

 You should have a title page in the beginning of your manuscript. It's one blank page with only the title of your book and name/pen name on it. The title should be in a larger font than your name, and it should be above your name.

 Pick any font that suites your book! If you're going to send your book out to agents and publishers, you'll want to look professional and show that you've put some detail into your book. Although, if they request that your book be in a certain font and/or format before sending it to them, follow the guidelines.  

Happy writing! <3
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How to Come Up With a Book Title

    I know, I disappeared for a while. I'm sorry! I went to the beach with my cousins, came back with a cold, and I've been studying, but I'm back now and we're going to be talking about book titles today.

 I had the hardest time coming up with a title for The Darkest Light. I was more than halfway finished with the book before I finally thought of a title, so I know how frustrating it is when you have most of your novel planned out, yet don't have this very important piece of the book figured out.

 Coming up with a title should be the easiest part, right? No, it's not. Publishers sometimes change titles to make the book seem more intriguing to readers. What are the first two things that catches the eyes of a book browser? The cover (or spine, depending on how it is set on the shelf) and the title. That phrase, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" doesn't apply to a lot of people (myself included, as far as books go).

  A title is supposed to represent your book's subject without giving too much away. At least, this is the case for a fictional book. When writing non-fiction, I would assume you would have to have a more out-right title, like the book I read on self-publishing, "How to Publish, Promote, & Sell Your Own Book: The insider's guide to everything you need to know about self-publishing from pasteup to publicity" by  Robert Lawrence Holt.
 
 A title is supposed make reader's curious, so being subtle is key when coming up with a title for your novel. I have some tips for coming up with a title for your novel. I hope this helps!

 1. You can use a word, or more than one word, from a sentence from your book. You will either come up with a title like this during the process of writing your book, or when you're finished writing it.

 2. If you're really struggling to come up with a title, maybe have a friend read your book and ask for advice with coming up with a title.

 3. You could incorporate your main character's name into the title. Here are a few examples: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Julius Caesar," and "Anne of Green Gables."

 4. You could incorporate the setting of your book into the title. Here are a few examples: "The Jungle Book," and "Little House on the Prairie."

 5. Consider a mysterious title. This is bound to draw attention to your book; it will spark curiosity. The main quote from my book is, "Where there is light, there is a way out of the darkness." This is where my title, The Darkest Light came from. I thought of this quote while I was writing, and I was struggling for a way to incorporate it into the title and the book.

 6. Use an image from your book. For this, you'll want to pick something that will come up often throughout the story so the reader can connect the title to your writing.

 7. Use a familiar phrase, but twist it to make it your own. When you find that right phrase or sentence that could fit as your title, write it down and start twisting it around to make it fit with the story you've written. Even if it doesn’t match just so, it will get your readers thinking.

8. Write down every possible title that pops into your head. Make a list! This is important because what if you think of a title, but wasn't sure about it so you didn't write it down, but then, sometime down the road, you realize that it's actually perfect. You might have forgotten it! You might only be able to remember part of the title!

9. You could get an idea from other book titles. Read titles from the same genre of your book. I'm not saying steal another author's title, but it might inspire you to think of your own.

10. Try to keep your book title relatively short. Maybe don't reduce it to one word, but if you have a title that's too long, it can be difficult to remember. Long and surprising titles can spark interest, but sometimes, if they're too long like the self-publishing book I mentioned above, the title can be hard to remember. Can you imagine a friend coming to you and saying, "Hey, I just finished reading this book on self-publishing by Robert Lawrence Holt. It's called 'How to Publish, Promote, & Sell Your Own Book: The insider's guide to everything you need to know about self-publishing from pasteup to publicity.'" Would you be able to remember that title? Doubtful.


 Hope these tips help you come up with a title for your book!

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Q&A: Author Ashley Earley

   Here's an interview I had with the lovely abookwithbea!

About this Author:

Ashley Earley is a 19-year-old author who lives in Georgia, where she’s working on her next book. When she’s not writing, she’s posting on her blog, reading, spending time with her friends, or obsessing over a book character. Her obsession with books started at the age of twelve, before developing a love for writing at the age of fourteen, when she wrote her first novel. [from Goodreads]

Note: She is the author of book ‘Darkest Light’ [Check my review of it in my previous posts] Here are some questions so that you’ll know her more!

• What urged you to be an author?

Ashley: I was inspired to become an author for many different reasons, but mainly, I just love books! This quote from Toni Morrison is also a playing factor:
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

• What’s your writing routine? Ashley: I don’t really have one. I try to write 10,000 words (roughly 5 pages) a day but that doesn’t always end up happening during the week, so I usually write as much as I can on the weekends.

• What’s the hardiest and easiest thing about writing? Ashley: The hardest thing is finishing a book, because editing comes after and editing is not my strong suite. It’s difficult for me to spend days revising my own book when I’m ready to get started on my next one! The easiest thing has to be making up characters. I already know my characters’ personalities and how they will interact with others before I even have a title for my book lol.

• Do you do lots of research for your books? Ashley: Depends on the kind of book I’m writing.

Check her out:

http://www.ashleyearley.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/ashley_earley

 

Thank you abookwithbea! Your questions were fun to answer!
Guys, please go check out her blog because she's super sweet and wonderful to work with!

Me As a Writer

    I have a lot of different quirks as a writer. Here is to name a few:

 1. All writers have different experiences with writing, but I think we all have this general need to write. It's like a craving. You can't just eat just one potato chip; just like writers can't write a sentence to make the craving go away. We write because we love it, and once we start, we can't stop. I am one of those people that will not stop writing for anything. Sometimes not even for food lol.

 2. I love to write for many different reasons. Whenever I write, I become a different person in a whole other reality. I can be whoever I want and do whatever I want in my stories. I like the characters I create, even the ones that are diabolic and evil. It's fun and challenging to wear different masks when trying to become another person. Each character is special, so while I feel proud and accomplished every time I finish a book, I also feel sad because it's over.
 
 3. A lot of writers are awkward (I think it's because we mostly keep to ourselves and sit at our computers all day as we try on different personalities when we write) and I definitely fit into this category. I can't remember ever not being awkward, or shy. If I've just met you, I probably won't talk to you until you speak first, unless I somehow suck it up. Usually, I say something random...Then I feel like a total idiot and want to smack myself in the face.

 4. Remember what I said above at #1 about not throwing off my groove for food? Yeah, well, if I'm writing and there is food next to me, I will eat every crumb and not even realize it. I might not even be hungry, but if there is a newly opened bag of chips next to me, every chip in that bag will be gone before I even hit my fifth page.

 5. I listen to music really loud when I write. I listen to music loudly in general, but when I write, I continue to turn it up because I think I can't hear it. When I get focused and in my zone, I somehow drown the music out.

 6. I despise editing like no one else. I do it as many times as my book needs it, but I grumble about it the whole time. I really, really hate it and everyone in my life knows this, so when a friend asks me how I am, all I have to say is that I'm editing and they're like, "So you're having just a jolly ol' time then!" No, no, I can assure you that I am not!
It doesn't take me long to edit, but that doesn't matter. I don't like it, at all.

 7. When I'm writing or reading something intense, I get super antsy and cannot sit still! I have to stop and pace around my room for a few seconds before I have to start up again. I just can't sit still when things are getting intense haha.

 8. I try to write about 10,000 words (5 pages) a day but because of my work and school schedule, I find it a little difficult so this is usually my goal during the weekends. I keep the goal during the week because it motivates me to write. Having a goal is really useful to me!

 9. I like writing the classic way just as much as I like to use my Word.doc to write. And when I say, "the classic way" I mean with a good old-fashioned pen. I write in notebooks and journals when I go out of town if I don't feel like lugging my computer around, and then transfer everything to my doc when I get home. I know, it sounds like a pain, and sometimes it is but I like to write like this every now and then.

10. I sit in the weirdest positions when I write. I'll have my feet pulled up against my chest; I'll sit Indian-style, I'll sit with one of my feet propped-up on a drawer on my desk with the other underneath me; I sit and write with my chair leaning back. I can go on and on but I'll stop there lol. But seriously, I sit in super weird positions when I write.

This is probably my all-time favorite quote about writing because it puts a funny spin on something that is aggravatingly true,

 "Writing a book is like telling a joke and having to wait 2 years to know whether or not it was funny." -Alain de Botton

Happy writing! <3

www.ashleyearley.com
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Infinite Book Reviews ∞: October Book Challenge

Infinite Book Reviews ∞: October Book Challenge:

Hello!!

Just wanted to let ya’ll know that I am taking part in the October Book Challenge on Instagram! Follow me at ashley_earley to see all the cool pics I will be taking this month!

Above, I have attached the list of posts that everyone will be partaking in. Join in
on the fun!!! I’d love to see your pictures!

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