Who Comes Up with These Titles? by Jennifer J. Chow

I really like punny titles. They’re cute and reflect my quirky sense of humor.

 

Recently, my marvelous editor, Angela Kim, at Berkley Publishing asked me to come up with a title for Book 3 in my Sassy Cat Mystery series. I balked at giving her suggestions. Why? Well, the title for the first book in the series changed a lot from draft to finished copy, and I worried about offering her an inadequate name.

 

My process for crafting a title starts with the theme of the book. In Book One, my main protagonist is a pet groomer, and the victim in the story is an unscrupulous dog breeder. I wanted to tie the title to animals and called my manuscript, Doggone Dangerous. (If you can’t tell, I enjoy alliteration.)

 

In the end, though, the marketing team came up with a more brilliant title: Mimi Lee Gets A Clue. I love how it places Mimi, my main character, center stage and employs a double meaning. The “get a clue” phrase could refer to the hints that Mimi picks up, but it also alludes to her getting a clue about her own life.

 

When I needed to come up with a list of potential titles for the third book, I started scrounging around for ideas. I wanted to exert my creativity, but I also understood I’d be constrained by certain parameters; the Mimi Lee name needs to start off each title because I’ve already created a pattern for the series (the second book is Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines).

 

After seeing the first book’s title evolve over time, I wondered about other writers’ experiences. Did they also have trouble making up names? Had their titles changed from the beginning drafting period until the final product?

I took an informal survey of fellow mystery writers to find out. I’ve listed the authors and their titles below:

 

·         *Daisy Bateman’s Murder Goes to Market was shortened (her agent’s suggestion) from This Little Murder Went to Market; note the fun reference to the five little piggies

 

·         Ellen Byron’s Murder in the Bayou Boneyard (Cajun Country Mysteries) was originally known as Halloween Horreur; to avoid readers mistakenly thinking there was a typo, her publisher suggested the final title

 

·         Becky Clark’s titles have remained the same, but she keeps a long list of murder-y words on hand, so she was well-prepared for both her Mystery Writer’s Series and the first book, Puzzling Ink, in her upcoming Crossword Mystery series

·         Vickie Fee’s One Fete in the Grave (Liv & Di Series) changed from Oh, Slay Can You See after some author and editor collaboration

·         Leslie Karst exchanged the title A Matter of Taste for Dying for a Taste (Book One in her Sally Solari Mystery Series) to make it sound more murder-oriented.

·         *Kate Lansing’s Killer Chardonnay remained the same from beginning to end; the series name, though, changed from Vino Valentine Mysteries to Colorado Wine Mysteries

·         Lisa Q. Mathews created all the titles in her Ladies Smythe & Westin Mysteries; however, the title for the first one, Cardiac Arrest, started off as Sweet Way to Go

·         *Elizabeth Penney’s Thread and Dead (Apron Shop Series) came from her own creative mind, as did the title for the first book in the series

*= These are 2020 Debut authors!

 

What’s the takeaway message? Some authors nail the title on their first try. Others need to employ a little tweaking. And always trust your editor and agent!

 

As for me, my editor and I have narrowed down the possibilities for Book 3. Suffice it to say, I’m definitely leaning toward her suggestion!

 

On a side note, you can use this mystery title generator as a starting point for inspiration: https://blog.reedsy.com/book-title-generator/mystery/

 

Have you heard of book titles changing? Share those stories and your favorite titles below!