Book Titles: What "A Thousand Splendid Suns" can teach you about finding a bestselling title for your book

By Susan Kendrick

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Have you ever had that rush of recognition, that "Aha" when you finally run into the passage in a book that contains its title? This was the case, as it is with many books, when I read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

The phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi, is quoted twice in the novel. The first time is when Laila’s family prepares to leave Kabul. Given all we know about the characters at this point, the title comes alive in a new way. The phrase is repeated again when Laila decides to return to Kabul from Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines of the book. Each time the meaning of this phrase deepens because of what we now know, what we have seen through the lens of the story.

What does this mean for you and your book?

This example is important because it illustrates the power of taking the title of your book from a phrase in the book itself. Remember, this was the Book Title No. 1 posting, called the “Look to Your Book” book title strategy. This strategy, and the Hosseini example, do beg the question, “Which came first, the title or the book?” Did Hosseini, a lover of poetry, have the phrase, "a thousand splendid suns" in mind for the title before he wrote the book? Or, did this piece of poetry become part of the writing of the book, and then become a natural choice for the title?

For you, an author looking for the best title for your book, this second possibility should send you straight back into the pages of your own manuscript. Look for a phrase that stands out with such power--on its own and within the context of the book as a whole--that it becomes a strong candidate for your book title. Another thing to consider is that for your readers, finding the title of your book within its pages produces the same reaction described above. That phrase, the title, suddenly takes on much greater significance because they now understand it within a larger context of your book. What a great way for your readers to feel that satisfying sense of oneness with your message and loyalty to you as its author.

Again, “Look to Your Book” for the hidden gem that may be waiting to become your book title. It’s a proven method for many a bestseller and one that will gratify your readers as well, deepening their appreciation for you and what you have to offer them.

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