Saturday, May 3, 2014
69 awesome and awful autobiography titles.
8 comments:
LOL: Hitch-22
Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me (R. Kelly) Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?: A Memoir (George Clinton)
larger than life [eddie large]
Thanks for this list. It gave me the idea to create the best Autobiography Quotes. Keep up with the good work!
this helped me a lot with homework
Wow.great post.
lolol very punny !
Autobiography Topics: Create Your Life Story
Writing about yourself is probably the most difficult type of writing. It is easy to describe people, events, or phenomena around, but it is quite hard to look inside your own mind and heart and to express everything that you find there. Why do people need autobiographical writing? There are numerous reasons. Some people want to save their memories, and others want to show that they are suitable for a certain college or vacancy. Some of us simply need a way to share emotions and reveal hidden feelings with the help of writing. You can find more reasons in our guide on how to write an autobiography .
Different types of autobiographies serve different purposes. In the article below, we’ll provide you with an autobiography topics list divided into several parts: autobiography ideas, memoir topics, autobiographical essay topics for students, and personal essay ideas. You’re welcome to use all these materials in order to create your own piece of writing.
Autobiography Ideas: Instructions and Creative Titles
An exhaustive autobiography covers your entire life, and there is no need to recommend particular topics. There is only one topic – you. However, we’ve decided to give you some instructions. In such a way, you will have a basis to start from. Don’t forget that your autobiography should be titled appropriately in order to draw the attention of potential readers. That is why we also recommend you to look through the list of creative autobiography title ideas.
The autobiography belongs to the category of creative writing. Consequently, there are no particular requirements or rules you should follow. Anyway, you may follow our instructions to facilitate the writing process. You should include these chapters in your autobiography:
- Early years
- Family members
- Teenage problems
- First work experience
- Important people
- Life-changing events
- Challenges you have faced
You can pick several points or include all of them – it doesn’t matter. Inspiration and your desire to write an autobiography are much more important. If you want a wide audience to be interested in your writing, you should create an interesting title. Here are some options to think about!
10 Inspiring Autobiography Title Examples
- Long Way to Myself
- Me & My Troubles
- Short Story of a Long Life
- Steps Forward and Steps Back
- Why Not, or How I Have Changed My Life
- Being Good in This Cruel World
- Why I Don’t Believe in Faith
- Decisions and Choices: What If?
- Trying to Make a Difference
- One, Two, Three: Fight With My Life
Memoir Topics: Share Priceless Memories
If you want to tell your readers about a certain period of your life, choose a genre of memoir. While an autobiography is the book of your entire life, a memoir is just one chapter. As a rule, a memoir is much shorter than an autobiography, so you’ll spend a lot less time writing it. Many famous people create memoirs to share the stories of their success or to let their fans learn more about true facts of their life. We highly recommend you to read several memoirs in order to find inspiration to compose your own.
If you can’t get inspired enough, payforwriting is here to help you! Pick one of these autobiography ideas and topics for a memoir and create a real masterpiece:
1. My month in Spain
Actually, you can write about any period (day, week, or year) and any country. Everything depends on your experience. Tell your readers how you got in this country, how you lived there, and what you have learned. Mention the peculiarities of the local life: food, weather, habits, etc. Such a memoir might be similar to a travel blog.
2. The person(s) who changed my life
Some people leave indelible marks in our memory. Unfortunately, those memories are not necessarily good. Still, we can learn important things even when we meet people who hurt us.
3. Unusual experience
Volunteering, travels, and festivals are bright and memorable events, so don’t hesitate to share your emotions with your readers. In addition, you will be able to read your own writings later and revive good memories.
4. Victory or failure
These topics are not aimed at drawing much attention, as people prefer to think about their own victories and failures. However, such memoirs might be good lessons to remember.
5. A life-changing conversation
Yes, that’s true! Even one conversation can make a difference. Words said at the right time by the right person are worth a dozen motivational books. If you had such an experience, don’t neglect the opportunity to share it.
Autobiographical Essay Topics for Students
The main purpose of the autobiographical essay is to show your personal qualities and skills that will impress an admissions board. Remember that this essay is not the same thing as a CV or resume. Admissions officers don’t need a list of your achievements and grades: they want to hear your personal voice and evaluate your personality. Choose one of the autobiography topics for college essays listed below and narrow your theme in the way you want.
- Important achievements
- Imaginary friend
- The first responsibility
- School teacher/mentor
- Siblings’ relationships
- Family traditions
- How you have solved your family issues
- How parents influenced your decisions about your future
Personality:
- My personal credo
- My greatest passion
- My inner demons
- My personal moral code
- My worst mistake
- What is the difference between faith and religion?
- Is lying necessary?
- Can morality exist without any religion?
- Is love more important than everything else?
- Should tolerance be limited?
Creative Autobiography Ideas to Write Personal Essays
This sub-type of autobiography is the most intimate one. We can’t compose a list of specified topics for you, as every person has a unique mix of experience, emotions, and moments that can be described in personal essays. However, we can give you a few tips on where you may find inspiration to create an excellent personal essay.
1. Open your heart
That might sound banal, but strong emotions are a really good source of inspiration for writers. Don’t be afraid of your feelings until you can control them.
2. Meet new people
New people bring new stories, and every story can be told. Our lives are just a small piece of the full picture. Look at the world from the perspective of other people, and you’ll be surprised.
3. Read books and watch movies
Good stories are often based on older good stories. Looking for inspiration in works of genius is normal. You don’t have to start from scratch or reinvent the wheel, right?
4. Read autobiographical stories
As we’ve mentioned before, many famous people write books about their lives. Don’t miss a chance to learn more about your idols and find new ideas for your own writing!
We are sure that every writer has his or her unique ways to find inspiration. Remember that the first sentence is the most difficult. Just make it!
Your life is full of emotions, impressions, and feelings that are worth sharing. Your experience can be helpful and interesting for a wide public. The most important thing is to present it in the right way. We hope that our autobiography sample and topics will serve you well. It doesn’t matter what autobiographical genre you choose. Just don’t be afraid of writing the first sentence!
A list of informal report topics you can find on payforwriting.
- Retirement Farewell Speech Example
- Farewell Speech Example
- Business Owner Farewell Speech Sample
- Receiving a Twenty Year Service Award
- Princeton Graduation Speech
- Never Giving up on a Dream
- Medical Student Graduation Speech
Semi-formal
- Tribute Presentation Sample
- Greenpeace Organization
- Treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Marketing Manager Speech Sample
- Demographic Policy and Abortion in China
- Causes of Teenage Drug Addiction
- Positive Effects of Classical Music
- Developing of Professional Skills of the Employees
- College Psychologist Speech
- How to Plan an International Trip
- Demonstrating a Marketing Plan for New Product Line
- Destructive Effects of GMO on Children
- Child Adoption Speech
- Become a Volunteer
- Why Videos Go Viral
- Party Planning for Children’s Birthday Parties
- Modern Relationship Problems Presentation Sample
- The Advantages of Jogging
- Let’s Become Vegetarians
- Killing Routines
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Book Title Generators
Looking for a name for your novel?
…Or your celebrity autobiography?
Or perhaps you have no intention whatsoever of writing a novel. But wouldn’t it be nice to know what your book would be called, if you did?
Well, you’ve come to the right place! Let the Book Title Generators do the work:
In the interests of full disclosure, here are mine…
Chick-Lit: Where Rainbows Might Speak
Crime: The Mortal Fissure
Literary: The Indubitable Torchlight Of Tuamgraney
Celebrity Autobiography: TARA SPARLING: My Spirited Pilgrimage
Christmas: Where Elves Might Rejoice
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87 comments for “ book title generators ”.
Some Kisses Must Lose!
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Oh dear. Sounds like a right tearjerker. Although – just throwing it out there – perhaps you could concentrate on the kisses that win??
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I have a few 😀
The Iron Kiss (NEED TO WRITE THIS 😀 )
The Hollow City (interesting)
The One-Eyed Room (What?)
The Dead Street (Uhhh, creepy…)
Where Clouds Bleed (Started writing it)
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Where Kisses Could Tell The Sophorific Question of Beverley (If I ever dared write Literary, this would be it!) The Hollow Kiss
I seem to have a thing about ‘kisses’ – lol! I’m a sci-fi/fantasy writer and kissing is usually the last thing I focus on in a novel – perhaps the kiss could represent something else though 😉
I have book title envy, M.J.! They are some of the best I’ve seen and in particular I’m dying to read The Hollow Kiss! How I didn’t give my own initials the best shot, having made up the generators, will remain a mystery to me now for all time 😉
I re-posted your generators on my fb page and a friend of mine who’s a reverend really likes his chick-lit title! [Why They Should Run] – I hope I can draw a few more people to your page for you – I can’t believe you designed these generators yourself! Awesome job 🙂
Compliments AND a PR shoutout. Could turn my head! Thank you so much. You’ve made my day 🙂
Just thought I’d give you an update – I’ve been writing The Hollow Kiss for this NaNoWriMo and I’m just past the 40K mark! You will definitely be getting a head nod for the inspiration in my acknowledgments when the book gets published – lol!
This is most excellent news. Fame and fortune will be mine erm, sorry – I meant yours! The very best of luck with finishing this week – very exciting getting close to the NaNo finishing line. Great stuff!
- Pingback: Flash Fiction / Book Title Generator Competition | Tara Sparling writes
- Pingback: Flash Fiction / Book Title Generator Competition – REMINDER | Tara Sparling writes
Oh my, let me try my hand on this:
Some Wishes will Heal (“goodness, I’d love it if mine could” *buys the book*)
The Indecipherable Wilting of Tynset (*Peers at the name* “my golly, it’s Scandinavian!” *book purchase complete*)
The Salt House (“WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SALT HOUSE?” *book in the basket; returned to the retailer the next morning*)
No wonder some titles seem to glare at you from the shelves. Seriously, this name generator is an internet-sent blessing, the pinnacle of technology.
Oh, yes. Very pinnacley indeed. In fact I was up all night writing algorithms. Which were subsequently discarded in favour of some plain old wordplay 😉 But you have some hard core heavy duty excelling titling there, my friend. Why not just test the waters by writing all three?!
I’ve already starting writing one of them. Do you think I could turn it into a bestseller 😉
Most certainly! Just another 80,000 words to go and you’re there!!
Oh my goodness, these are so much fun!
How Rainbows Can Steal (Your Smile) – Makes me think that a seemingly good thing turned out poorly for the chick lit heroine.
The Indubitable Eulogies of Quail Hollow – This has small town spirituality revealing larger truths about the world written all over it.
The Mortal Room – Ooo, so creepy! Obviously some death-dealing kinkery is going on behind closed doors.
Tracy Cembor: My Spirited Tempest – Indeed, I have a life story like none other!
I wanted to respond to these with something pithy and erudite, but I’m afraid The Indubitable Eulogies of Quail Hollow is just so intelligent-sounding that it seems to have short-circuited my brain… I think I need to lie down now. People should warn me when their book titles are going to sound this amazing 😉
So heartbreak could win – That one should be perverse comedy about some kind of bet.
The poisonous counterfoil of … I don’t know, Polish cities don’t have sexy names – How about a book that actually has a poisonous counterfoil in it? Main character gets the coupon, wins the prize and gets poisoned. So to heal himself up he uses all money he won.
The sullied city – That one is obvious. Cleaning lady who “cleans” the city at night.
Przemek Kucia: My fortunate era – That one I like the most 😀 If I’ll be so lucky to write have my biography written, I want it to be the title!
Great generators, it was a lot of fun ^^ Thanks
You’re welcome! Great titles you have there. And I love your poisonous counterfoil idea. Although for a minute I thought you were suggesting putting an actual poisonous counterfoil into your paperback. Which could have caused some major problems, not least in making money out of it 😉
This is way easier than the way I’ve been doing it! How about one for Speculative Fiction?
Oh, you’d never know what I might come up with next! Incidentally though, just how have you been doing it up to now?!
AND you’ve got generators!! I LOVE it! I give generators on my blog too: mostly sci-fi and fantasy worldbuilding! These are wonderful! Thanks so much Tara!! Patti
What fun! How Wishes May Cry (a bit weird) The Indecipherable Endgame in Prince George BC (Hmm. Sounds literary.) The Salt Wall (intriguing!) My Tremendous Gamble (this one’s great; too bad I’m not a celeb) Thanks for these, Tara!
Oooh, I LOVE these, Audrey! You certainly came out with some of the most interesting I’ve seen. You need to start writing The Salt Wall immediately. I agree that your chick-lit title sounds a bit weird, but no less weird than some of the stuff I’ve actually seen published. And don’t let a lack of celebrity status put you off writing My Tremendous Gamble : after all, it hasn’t stopped other people. And there’s always the political autobiography, should you plan on taking over the world in 2015! Thanks for giving us your list! – T.
Fun post: How wings would come The splendid glassworks of Glastonbury (I have to write this one) The 9 millimeter cause Diana: my everlasting resolution.
Great stuff, Diana. It’ll be tough going to write 4 books in 3 months, but with titles like these, how could you not?!
This was brilliantly fun. Many thanks for the great giggle. (and ideas!) Cheers
You’re most welcome! Glad you liked it. Hope you write them all 😀
This blog is so funny!
Ah now, you’re just trying to butter me up, Helen. But that’s fine around here. In fact, it’s positively encouraged 😀
Haha! Buttering up is what social media is for!
This works as well as anything I’ve tried! We need one for Children’s and Middle Grade fiction now.
Great idea! Best of luck with them!
I love these generators!
How Faith Shall Lie.
The Quantifiable Provenance in New York.
The Law’s Street.
My Privileged Measure.
Awesome titles! Now if only I didn’t have two on-going novels, I’d be tempted to write these.
Ah, who needs sleep anyway? They’re too good to ignore! Thanks for your titles, Mandeline.
I LOVE it! I have a list of worldbuilding and names and currency on my blog and now I’ve listed this one with your credit Tara!
Oh thank you! I appreciate the mention – glad you liked it!
And Smiles Can Lie
Hey Tara! I don’t see a sci-fi or sci-fi romance generator!! We need one for that please!! Patti
Hi Patti! The generators I do really only exist to make fun of overused stereotypes and clichés in lazy or unimaginative book marketing… unless a genre is guilty of them, it’s not really my area. I don’t think the sci-fi romance genre is there yet, but as soon as it is, rest assured I’ll be all over it like a rash!
So I just had to go for the mash up of Political Autobiography Crime Thriller “My Secret Exploration at Broken Station” perhaps starring Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders… LOL
Go for it! No reason you shouldn’t cross your generators for cross-genre books…
‘where arms can run’ I guess its an arms race
😀 Nice…!
This is so amazing! I could use one for fantasy and children’s though. Those are my two genres. I thought my titles were really cool. Once I’ve finished one of the fifteen million books I have going right now I’ll try for one.
And wishes might heal
This one sparks interest especially since I’m always wishing or dreaming.
The indecipherable tyrants of Castro (Valley. I think just Castro sounds cooler though.)
The salt commons
AJSK: My Tremendous Gateway
I love that one a lot too since my life has had a sort of gateway to writing through my odd childhood.
Thank you so much, Tara. I really loved it. If you could come up with this, you must be a great writer. That’s what I hope to be. Sometimes I do just have to believe that wishes could heal…
Glad you liked them, Ajsk. Now pick a favourite and get focused, the rest can wait!
It really helped me a lot! I was thinking of a title for a book for 2 weeks… and then I found this. ‘Why truth bleeds’ Thanks for making this generator
You’re welcome Lyra – I made these as a joke, really, but I’m constantly delighted that people actually seem to find them helpful too!
If Dreams Can Tell That sounds cheesy.
The Moribund Question of Elbayader. I’m confused o.0
The Ninth Kiss Ooh~ that’s nice.
I.M: My Hidden Conquest
I think cheesy is the whole point, ISM 😉
You have inspired me tough it didn’t quite fit my story. So now I have; How Wings Shall Break… Still not shure it will work
I’m sure you’ll make it work, Ghost. Or tinker around with it a bit. These generators are just a fun way of getting started!
The One -eyed Alley. I like it.
I like it too, deborah. When can I read it? 😀
This is brilliant! Fun, inspiring. 😀 Two of mine were : So wishes cannot come – imagine sad 1920s epic novel. And A Tremednous Resolution – chick-lit fast paced short novel! Well done for creating these, Tara.
Not at all, Annika, my pleasure… They were only meant to be a bit of a laugh but I’m constantly surprised that so many of the titles could actually be usable!
Hello Tara – Having recently discovered TaraSparlingwrites.com via Barmcake Magazine re-tweeting your Crime book title generator – I was enthused to create my own Fantasy Fiction book title generator in response…
Thanks for the like! All the very best, Zizzi.
Glad to be of inspiration, Zizzi! Thanks for the shout-out.
I’m using my real name and my own name here. Real: •And Hearts Shall Turn — A story of a false lover who discards the girl they pretended to love? •The Petrified Comunicants of Birdsview — A tale of . . . ??? •The Shadow Alley — A mysterious book telling of the many killings that take place in an out of the way alley? •JTT: My Fearless Quest — Sounds just like me!
Pen: •So Rainbows Shall Turn — A girl with a perfect, rainbow life gets tossed around when rainbows turn to storms. •The Indubitibal Communicants of Birdsview — Huh? •The Mortal Alley — Similar to the other alley one, perhaps a sequel? •Tyleenia Taylor: My Spirited Quest — Same as before?
That’s a LOT of books. You’d better start immediately!
Chick-lit : How promises cannot weep
Literary Fiction : The incandescent mendicants of Delhi/Riyadh
Thriller : The Dead Cradle
Autobiography : Psycho-Wordsmith : My Inspired Struggle
I’m sensing a pattern here
A pattern of darkness indeed. And possibly royalties!
A Downward Spiralling pattern of dark royalties.
Why Dreams Can’t Fall The Indecipherable Transformation in Overton The Salt Square Amanda Forrestier: My Tremendous Detour
“How Rainbows Can Come”
How lovely…
Glad you like it!
These are great, my two favourites – Chick-lit: Where Yesterday Could Heal and Literary: The Mock Wilting of Westfield 🙂
Some lovely alliteration there all right, Raven – I love it when a total lack of plan comes together.
I got: How wishes would stay The salt oak Unknown name: My tremendous depths
Lovely! These sound ideal for guerrilla marketing tactics. Think your pseudonym needs a bit of work though 😉
I love your book title generators, it helps me a lot :* I got: How thoughts will bleed And I also spend some time to make: Some smiles speak Poisonous silence Dreams must heal Stealing clouds Where clouds can cry This titles= lots of ideas
Chick Lit: And Yesterday Should Speak Literary Fiction: The Mock Torchlight of Duffy Manor Crime Thriller: The Broken Fissure Showbiz and Political Autobiography: RILEY SILVER: My Secret Pilgrimage
Thank you very much, this had inspired a few book ideas!
If Thoughts Could Speak The Flawless Torchlight of … The Assassin´s Fissure My Beautiful Pilgrimage
Thank you for the titles, i already have a couple of ideas 🙂
These are one of the best generators I’ve ever seen! Most combos actually make sense 🙂
Chicklit: And Desires Should Weep Literary: The Yearning Mendicants of Southbroom Crime/Thriller: The Bitter Cradle Autobiography: My Intoxicating Struggle (o.o)
I have a pen name as well as my real name so I did both:
Pen Name: Chick-Lit: Some Promises Can’t Hurt. Literary: The Incandescent Masking In Whitfield Crime: The Dead History Autobio: Samantha Evans: My Inspired Odyssey
All of those are perfect. And I write every genre so it works. May use them all
My Real Name: Chick-Lit: If Kisses Must Lie Literary: The Sporofic Provenance In Saluda Crime: The Hollow Street Autobio: Maggie Black: My Brazen Measure
Some of these don’t necessarily fit but I could make it work. Thanks Tara.
Hi Maggie, glad you like them! It’s just meant as light-hearted entertainment so I don’t mean for anyone to take it too seriously 😉
Hahaha very helpful thanks. I’ve written my autobiography, took no time at all, literally: Liberty, My Beautiful Silence. Not much to say in a completely blank book. (A bit like the one I saw of Diana Spencer’s Little Book of Wisdom – not very kind really).
It’s breaking the Silence that counts, eh, Liberty? Explosive stuff! Such a beautiful silence you kept all these years, in fact… until someone offered you a megabucks book deal. Congratulations!
Your faith delights me 😀
I have never considered writing chick-lit, but I am tempted to reconsider now that I have the title, “How Kisses Cannot Sail.” Armed with this title, the obvious direction for my novel will be to roam into dadaist territory, and write the first groundbreaking, crossover dadaist/chick-lit work to grace the literary scene. I’m quite excited, thanks!
Not half as excited as I am at the idea of a Dadaist/Chick-Lit crossover, Blathering. You throw in a healthy cake recipe and some ennui, and I’m your devoted fan forever.
Now there’s a challenge I’m destined to fail at without question. Healthy cake????
Oh, it exists, I’m sure of it. A supermodel told me in the new cookbook she just brought out for Christmas.
I’m trying to write a sad story, about a girl who was abandoned at birth and grew up alone on the streets, always abused, lied to, and yelled at. She shot someone out of fear and ran from the police. The titles I got don’t really go with it, so any ideas?
Hi Andrew. These title generators were designed as a bit of a joke and not meant to be taken too seriously. I hope you have fun with them and wish you luck in titling your book!
I have a few: If Rainbows Could Fly (already started writing that) The Indubitable eulogies of Overland Park (if I ever dared to write that) Taylor My Sprited Tempest (huh) If Eleves Could Jingle (maybe I’ll do a picture book for that one)
If Truth Could Lie
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Top Biography Titles
Favorite biography titles here at bhs--available at the lmc.
What is a biography?
Visit the Library Media Center's "Books & Ebooks" webpage to see our catalogs!
The Glass Castle
A Child Called 'It'
A Long Way Gone
Into the Wild
Stick Figure
If I Die in a Combat Zone
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
I Am Malala
Hole in My Life
This Star Won't Go Out
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Black Like Me
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Angela's Ashes
Girl, Interrupted
More information about famous/historical figures can be found in the library's biography databases! Try Biography in Context or Biography Reference Center--see our webpage linked above for more info.
Connect with Jessica Wismar
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Book Title Generator
10,000+ good book titles to inspire you..
Generate a random story title that’s relevant to your genre. You can pick between fantasy, crime, mystery, romance, or sci-fi. Simply click the button below to get started.
The International Bestseller
Three's a Crowd
How to come up with book title ideas.
Need an original book title, and fast? We got you. Here are 8 ways to come up with book title ideas.
1. Start free writing to find keywords
Write absolutely anything that comes into your head: words, phrases, names, places, adjectives — the works. You’ll be surprised how much workable content comes out from such a strange exercise.
2. Experiment with word patterns
Obviously, we’re not advocating plagiarism, but try playing around with formats like:
“The _____ of _______”
“______ and the _____”
These will work for certain genres, though they are by no means the only patterns you can play around with. Have you noticed how many blockbuster thrillers these days feature the word “woman” or “ girl” somewhere in the title?
3. Draw inspiration from your characters
If your central character has a quirky name or a title (like Doctor or Detective) you can definitely incorporate this into your book title. Just look at Jane Eyre, Percy Jackson, or Harry Potter, for instance — working with one or more or your characters’ names is a surefire way to get some title ideas down. Equally, you can add a little detail, like Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure, to add a little color to a name and make it title-worthy.
4. Keep your setting in mind
Is your book set somewhere particularly interesting or significant? Even if your title isn’t just where the action takes place (like Middlemarch by George Eliot), it’s something to have in the back of your mind. You can include other details, like The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum or Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, to give your readers a sense of action and character, as well as setting (which tend to be linked).
5. Look for book title ideas in famous phrases
Think Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird here — this is a central symbol and significant piece of dialogue in the novel. It’s enigmatic (what does it even mean? Is it a warning? An instruction?) and makes us really sit up when these words appear in the text itself. Try and think of your inspiration for writing your book or sum up your central theme in a few words, and see if these inspire anything.
6. Analyze the book titles of other books
You might be surprised at how many books refer to other works in their titles ( The Fault in Our Stars by John Green comes from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar , and Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men takes its inspiration from a Robert Burns poem). Going this route allows authors to use an already beautiful and poetic turn of phrase that alludes to a theme in their own book. From Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials , so many books have used this technique that might also work for you.
7. Don’t forget the subtitle
In non-fiction publishing, there’s a trend of evocative or abstract titles, followed by a subtitle that communicates the content (and is packed with delicious keywords that the Amazon search engine can’t resist). This is also another way to get around long titles — and to add a little panache to an otherwise dry subject matter. In the United States, it’s also quite common to have “A Novel” as a subtitle (if, you know, it’s a novel). In the United Kingdom, this practice is much rarer.
8. Generate a book name through a book title generator
If you’ve gone through all of the above and are still wringing out your brain trying to come up with the golden formula — fear not! There are other ways to get the cogs whirring and inspiration brewing, such as title generators.
And speaking of cogs whirring, let us present you with the...
15 best book titles of all time
Witty, eye-catching, memorable — these famous book titles have it all. Without further ado, here are 15 best book titles you can take inspiration from.
- I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
- The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
- Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
- The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
Looking for even more story title ideas?
If you’re agonizing over your book title, you’re not alone! Some of the best book titles today emerged only after much teeth gnashing. The Sun Also Rises was once titled Fiesta ; Pride and Prejudice was once First Impressions . Then there was F. Scott Fitzgerald, who reportedly took forever to think of a good title. He ultimately discarded a dozen ( Gold-Hatted Gatsby , The High-Bouncing Lover , and Trimalchio in West Egg included) before reluctantly picking The Great Gatsby .
So it’s tough out there for a novelist, which is why we built this generator: to try and give you some inspiration. Any of the titles that you score through it are yours to use. We’d be even more delighted if you dropped us the success story at [email protected] ! If you find that you need even more of a spark beyond our generator, the Internet’s got you covered. Here are some of our other favorite generators on the web:
Fantasy Book Title Generators : Fantasy Name Generator , Serendipity: Fantasy Novel Titles
- Sci-Fi Novel Title Generators : Book Title Creator , Story Title Generator
Romance Book Title Generators : Romance Title Generator
Crime Book Title Generators : Tara Sparling’s Crime Thriller Titles , Ruddenberg’s Generator
Mystery Novel Title Generators : The Generator .
Or if you think that generators are fun and all — but that you’d rather create your own book title? Great 👍 Kick off with this post, which is all about how to choose your book title . And once you've got the words down, make sure you capitalize your title correctly .
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Choosing a Title for Your Autobiography
The title of your book gives the reader a promise of what's to come.
Some of our clients come to us with a title already picked out, before they've even begun to write. Others wait for the title to be revealed to them in the writing. Which way is better? It depends.
We get asked this question a lot: how do I choose a title for my book?
Should I start with a title?
Choosing a title for your memoir, especially a thematic title, before you start your project can be a great guiding force, helping you narrow the focus of your book as you write. For instance, Arthur and Lila Mae Debenham had chosen a title for their book years before they even started the process: Tender Mercies. They knew they wanted their book to reflect the "tender mercies" that God had bestowed upon them in their course through life, and this theme guided our efforts in the writing process, helping us decide what events to include and what to leave out.
But if you don't have a title already picked out, don't panic. It's much more common for writers to choose a title after they've begun or even finished writing. Often, the writing process itself will reveal a theme, phrase, or tone that suggests a title.
Thematic title
Start by considering what themes run through your narrative. What are the most important ideas in your book? Love, faith, survival? Look for a title that reflects the message you want to convey. Here are some examples of thematic titles from some of our clients:
Look Beyond the Weeds by Beverley Sorenson Taylor reflects her undying optimism and positive outlook expressed in her book, despite some difficult circumstances.
Unfaltering Faith by Hank Hoole details the author's religious conversion and how his faith has shaped his life. Riches of His Grace by Fay Miles and the above-mentioned Tender Mercies also reflect this theme.
Life is What You Make It by Nif Hicken. This title was a direct quote from Dr. Hicken that summed up his philosophy. "Life is what you make it. It's up to you to make it good and happy."
Dancing My Way Through Sanpete by Lois Johnson and I Could Have Danced All Night by Barbara Christensen each incorporated their authors' love of dance.
Puns, double meanings, word play, and humorous titles
Some day I will write a memoir entitled The Road Unraveled (a play on M. Scott Peck's book titled The Road Less Traveled , which was in turn taken from a line from a Robert Frost poem.) I wrote a little book about my childhood called Alison Wonderland, which is what my grade school nemesis used to call me.
Are We There Yet? Fifty Years and Counting by George and Shareen Keller is a fitting title for this hilarious book that chronicles a large family's travels--on the road and through life.
Grandpa McNaughtan Had a Farm chronicles the history of a family farm, obviously referencing the nursery song "Old MacDonald."
Although the following examples are not from our clients, these titles manage to be both clever and descriptive:
Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with the Specials is the autobiography of Horace Panter, bass player for the ska band The Specials.
Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr references both her career as a writer and her struggles with alcohol.
Tall, Dark and Gruesome by--who else?--scary-flick star Christopher Lee.
Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (aka the Pioneer Woman blogger)
Watch your tone
Lest you get carried away with puns, make sure that the tone of the title matches the tone of your book. If your autobiography is lighthearted, then a humorous title will help prepare the reader for what to expect. If your narrative is of a more serious nature, then make sure your title reflects it.
Can I just use my name?
There's nothing wrong with calling your book "John Smith: a Personal History" (if that is indeed your name). You can combine your name in a subtitle with a more thematic title, like Papa Genius: the Extraordinary Life of Marvin Johnson or Merline Leaming: a Modern Classic . Just keep in mind that the title of your book (along with the cover) is your first introduction to the reader. If you have a compelling title and cover, your book is more likely to be read and enjoyed.
How do you get from dry genealogy facts to a compelling story? This presentation from RootsTech 2020 will hopefully inspire you as well as give you tools to write your ancestors’ stories. (Audio with slides) Join me on a fascinating journey as I find one of my ancestors and write her story.
Hello there! We've been so busy making books that we haven't gotten around to posting many articles lately. But since we've had so many new people join us recently, I thought it might be helpful to give a little refresher course on some great things you can find in our blog.
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Book Title Ideas: Choosing Your Own & Generators to Use
Posted on Mar 17, 2023
by Chandler Bolt
I get how frustrating it can be.
Writing the book might seem like the most difficult part…and then you have to actually title the darn thing!
When it comes to writing a book , coming up with reasonable book title ideas is surprisingly one of the hardest parts to complete. It’s difficult because titles are essentially short hooks that advertise your book using the fewest words possible.
It’s also what readers look for first when they discover new books, and can take less than 5 seconds to make a decision.
This is why it’s so crucial to craft a perfect name.
Nonfiction Book Title Generator
Tip: Use a noun or verb for best results.
Enter your information below to get your customized Book Title recommendation! Need more than 1 title recommendation? Submit again!
Your Title Ideas:
Here’s how to come up with book title ideas:
- Use a book title generator tool
- Write down the problem you’re solving
- Create a subtitle to clarify
- Make it memorable
- Make sure it’s genre-appropriate
- Create it to stir intrigue
- Include your character in the title
- Get feedback from your target audience
To help spur your creative process, we’ve created a few essential guidelines for you to follow as you craft the perfect book title ideas for your masterpiece.
Since there are different title considerations for fiction and non-fiction, we broke these two topics down separately into:
How to Choose a Book Title for Non-Fiction
- How to Choose a Book Title for Fiction
Let’s create your bestselling title!
Before you publish a book , you have to come up with an effective title. For some authors, this is easy and the most fun part. For others…it can be what holds them back from publishing.
As you begin crafting your book title ideas for your non-fiction book, the key is knowing that non-fiction readers are looking for solutions.
Whether it’s losing weight, becoming a master in sales, or becoming better at fostering relationships, they’re simply looking for a book that will solve their problem. After all, most people who write nonfiction books are looking to help people in some way.
To leverage this idea, here are a set of rules to consider:
#1 – Book Title Generator Tools to Use
There are a ton of book title generators out there. And if you’re someone who lacks even the inspiration for a title, these can help you big time.
Book title generators are great tools because they can give you a wide range of different names to choose from.
One thing many authors face when choosing a title is sticking too close to the name they previously thought of. This can blind you to potential other titles in various formats.
However, some of these tools can fall very flat, resulting in names that don’t make sense and should not be used as actual titles.
Therefore, we didn’t just round up a list of every book title generator we could find. Instead, we tested a huge list and decided that these are truly the only ones worth your time.
Here’s a list of the best book title generators:
- Nonfiction – Title Generator – Check out this awesome Nonfiction Book Title Generator Tool from SelfPublishing.com!
- Fantasy – Fantasy Novel Title Generator
- Fiction – Create Your Own Story Title Generator
- Science Fiction – Pulp Sci-Fi Title-O-Tron
- Sci-fi and Fantasy – UKRifter’s Book Title Generator
- Fiction – Story Toolz Half Title Generator
- Fiction – Adazing Book Title Generator
- Nonfiction – Portent’s Content Idea Generator
- Nonfiction – CopyWritingCourse Book Title Generator
- Nonfiction – Book Title Generator
Give these a try, and comment down below your favorite! Also, let us know if you want any book title generators we should add to this list.
#2 – Your Title Must Include a Solution to a Problem
Your title should be crystal clear on what your readers will achieve by reading your book. Experts say that a title with a clear promise or a guarantee of results will further intrigue your readers.
Here are some questions to consider when creating your title:
- Are you teaching a desirable skill?
- Can your personal discoveries impact someone’s life?
- Can your book solve a very difficult problem?
Here are our favorite book titles that offer a clear solution to a problem with promising results:
- Asperger’s Rules! How to Make Sense of School and Friendship by Blythe Grossman
- How Not to Die : Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger
- The 4-Hour Workweek : Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss
ACTION STEP: Write down the best solutions or teachings your book offers and form these into potential book title ideas.
#3 – Use a Subtitle for Clarity
A great non-fiction title employs a subtitle to clarify what the desired outcome will be from reading your book.
In this video clip, Chandler explains in 5 simple steps how to create a compelling subtitle:
Here are some questions to consider when creating your subtitle:
- How can your subtitle further expand on achieving a desirable outcome?
- What are the biggest pain points that your subtitle can provide a solution for?
- How can you further address your innovative solution in the subtitle?
Here are our favorite book subtitles that spell out what their readers can expect from reading their books:
- The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna
- Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
- Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead by Laszlo Bock
ACTION STEP: Make a list of 10 attention-grabbing subtitles that promise big outcomes and other positive benefits.
#4 – Make Your Title Unforgettable
Make an effort to be more creative and fun with your book title! Use alliteration to make your title easier to read and remember. A memorable and light-hearted title adds additional character to your book and is also a great way to attract readers .
Catchy titles are memorable, boring titles are not.
But also keep in mind: if your title is overly clever and not clear, it can cause more confusion than it’s worth. The key is using catchiness in a way that is clear. That’s what will make your book title stand out.
Here are some questions to consider when creating your memorable title:
- Will a fun title turn a normally boring subject into something more interesting?
- Will adding humor to your title further entice readers?
- Will a cleverly written title stand out from other books in this genre?
Here are our favorite books that engaged us with clever titles and subtitles:
- Me Talk Pretty One Day and Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls by David Sedaris
- Trust me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday
- Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt
No matter which method works best on creating a compelling title for nonfiction books, a good thing to remember is to always test multiple titles with different audiences to determine which book title generates the biggest response.
Getting good feedback is the only way to know for certain which title is perfect for your book.
ACTION STEP: Experiment with different types of styles and poll your audience to determine whether a comedic, shocking, or even bizarre title will be the most appealing to your target audience.
How to Generate Book Title Ideas for a Fiction Novel
Generally, fiction titles are allowed more creative wiggle room than their non-fiction counterparts. That being said, an effective fiction title must still pique your readers’ attention .
And while it’s true that you can title your fiction book with random names, it still must catch the reader’s attention .
Here are some key guidelines to keep in mind:
#1 – Your Title Should be Appropriate to Your Genre
Your novel title should use language that resonates with both your book genre and target audience . For example, a romantic book can call for dreamy language whereas an action book can warrant strong and powerful words.
This means that you must know your book’s genre and words that best fit the style of title.
Here are some questions to consider for appropriate genre titles:
- What genre best fits this story?
- Which are the perfect choice words for your genre?
Here are our favorite fictional titles based on genre:
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Godfather by Mario Puzo
ACTION STEP: Based on the genre of your book, pick out a few keywords that best suit its category and evoke strong emotions in your readers.
#2 – Your Book Title Should Pique Your Reader’s Interest
Create fictional titles intriguing enough to capture the imaginations of your readers , and get to them to read your story.
A great fiction title teases and leaves your audience wanting more. You want your audience to read your title and think, “I must read what’s behind that great book cover !”
Here are some questions to consider on how to pique interest with your title:
- Which key components of your story best captivates your readers?
- What emotions do you want your readers to have once they read your title?
Here are our favorite fictional titles that drew our attention:
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
ACTION STEP: Choose a theme that will best draw your reader’s attention. Come up with 5 titles that will catch your reader’s attention and pique their curiosity.
#3 – Look to Your Characters for Book Title Inspiration
A great book title captures the spirit of the protagonist. Some authors simply use the hero’s name for their title.
Others have combined the names of their hero along with their special qualities to inform the audience about their protagonist’s accomplishments like Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.
On the flip side, a formidable antagonist can also be an amazing book title.
A sinister name can convey a sense of dread and expectation for what’s to come like Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. Both choices are great title ideas and should be seriously considered for your fictional book.
Here are some questions to consider when including a character as a title:
- Between the hero and villain, who impacts the story more?
- Are there any stunning qualities from your characters that will draw a reader’s emotion ?
- Can the plot of the story be summed up as a title?
Here are our favorite fictional books that use characters for its title:
- Harry Potter (Literary Series) by J. K. Rowling
- Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
ACTION STEP: Determine which character best conveys what the story will tell in your title. You may also include creative words or themes to further showcase the character’s unique qualities or the journey itself.
#4 – Get Feedback From Your Target Audience
The people who will know if your title is a good fit best, are the people who would pick your book out of a lineup. This is why it’s so important to know the target audience for your book from the start.
This can be difficult if you’re not a part of a writing group or aren’t active on social media.
However, here are some tips for getting book title feedback:
- Create a poll in a Facebook writing group
- Reach out to some friends or family you know read in your genre and ask for their feedback
- Post a poll on Twitter with your various options
- Do all of these in order to get a wide variety of input
Your Next Steps
Ultimately, the title of your book depends on you, the author. By following these constructive guidelines, you will be able to generate a number of book title ideas you can use to find the perfect one that grasps the attention of readers and soon become an Amazon bestseller in no time!
#1 – Join your FREE training!
This training was created just for you. Make sure to save your spot and sign up right now so you can learn exactly what it takes to write and publish your book within 90 days…or even less!
You won’t find this guide anywhere else. Take advantage of this offer so you can spark multiple book title ideas in as little as an hour!
#2 – Create a list of book title ideas
Now is the time to fire up that imagination and start brainstorming! We gave you a number of different actionable steps to help you generate book title ideas that work well.
Now is the time to make a list of every potential book title you can think of! The more, the merrier.
When this is done, you’ll want to go through and jot down any that really make you feel something in a separate list. These are the ones you’ll use for the next step.
#3 – Get feedback about the top title
It’s hard to pick a title by yourself because you’re too close to the book. What will help you find the best title is putting the options out there for your target audience to choose.
A fantastic way to do this is to join writing and publishing groups online where you can post polls.
For example, our Facebook Mastermind Community has a very large number of experienced authors who respond to polls just like these on a near-daily basis.
Locate a group you like, join, and start polling about your title!
Want feedback from other authors and coaches on your book?
Check out our school to learn more! Free web class training on how to write your book in 90 days!
Chandler Bolt
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Constructing the memoir of your life can be a truly grueling process. The most crucial element to consider, of course, is the enticing title. The stakes are incredibly high — with the wrong label, your entire life could be inaccurately represented. For widespread applicability, I have laid out options for some niche lifestyles.
For the foodie:
- BuzzFeed, what kind of cheese am I?
- What to expect when you’re expecting a food baby
- DTF: Down to feast?
- I’m eating fries in my parked car
- I’m just here for the cake
- I almost just ate something healthy
- The art of consuming Domino’s pizza
- And then they gave me an oatmeal raisin cookie…
- Boba for the soul
- Coffee and carbs: A delicacy like no other
- How did I get food on my forehead, again?
- I put too much Kraft parmesan on my spaghetti
- Are you going to finish that?
For the risqué:
- I asked for a water cup and filled it with Coke
- “This is my face. I’m not mad”: The plight of RBF
- Nobody cares
- Is it better to roast or to toast?
- Sugar, spice and everything nice or sarcasm, Pepsi and everything sexy?
- Do I want bangs, or should we just talk about my feelings?
- Sorry, Mom.
- “I’m 29. I can finally play a high schooler on TV. Thank you, Jackson Stewart”: On starting my Disney career later in life
- I did a thing, and I’m not sorry
- Goal Digger
- I turned off my autocorrect, and I only journal in pen: A baddie’s guide to writing
- Trial and lots of error
For the hot mess:
- I never really know what’s going on
- I’m late, and I’m sweating
- Still in bed
- Call me again in 3-5 business days
- Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over my internal monologue
- “I think I just said the funniest thing ever”: The story of my delusional comedy career
- I haven’t changed my sheets in like a year.
- Floor-seat mentality with a nosebleed budget
- I wasn’t gonna cry in Starbucks though, yk?
- Do I look like an Android user?
- Rock my Crocs off
- “Sorry, my Uber is here”: A beginner’s guide to exiting swiftly from awkward situations
- Crap, I really need to finish my memoir
Okay, maybe these titles don’t reflect your life story in their simplicity, but hopefully they made you smile a bit.
For more stream of consciousness musings, contact Alanna Flores at alanna13 ‘at’ stanford.edu.
Alanna Flores '22 is a Managing Editor of The Grind. Contact her at alanna13 'at' stanford.edu.
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Jul 4, 2020 - Explore 36's board "Book Titles and autobiography ideas" on Pinterest. See more ideas about book humor, book title, books.
69 AWESOME AND AWFUL AUTOBIOGRAPHY TITLES · 1. Me (Katherine Hepburn) · 2. The Memoirs of an Amnesiac (Oscar Levant) · 3. Long Walk to Freedom (
"From Darkness to Light: My Journey to Overcoming Adversity" · "Against the Odds: The Story of My Triumphs and Struggles" · "Breaking the Mold: My Life as a
10 Inspiring Autobiography Title Examples · Long Way to Myself · Me & My Troubles · Short Story of a Long Life · Steps Forward and Steps Back · Why Not, or How I
Autobiography Book Title Generator TaraSparlingWrites. The Christmas Book Title Generator. In the interests of full disclosure, here are mine…
Top Biography Titles · What is a biography? · The Glass Castle · A Child Called 'It' · A Long Way Gone · Into the Wild · Stick Figure · If I Die in a Combat Zone · I
How to come up with book title ideas · 1. Start free writing to find keywords · 2. Experiment with word patterns · 3. Draw inspiration from your characters · 4.
Thematic title · Look Beyond the Weeds by Beverley Sorenson Taylor reflects her undying optimism and positive outlook expressed in her book
#2 – Your Title Must Include a Solution to a Problem · Asperger's Rules! How to Make Sense of School and Friendship by Blythe Grossman · How Not to Die: Discover
I never really know what's going on · I'm late, and I'm sweating · Still in bed · Call me again in 3-5 business days · Sorry, I couldn't hear you