First impressions last. That’s what most people say, although perhaps this would not apply to all aspects of life. Sometimes things change – for better or for worse – and we just forget how they were initially. In the arts, this may be an entirely different concept. For instance, the title of a song, a TV show, a poem, a novel, or a movie would definitely create a cloud of ideas for the reader or audience. How a title is worded can reflect directly (or indirectly) how creative the people behind the book, movie, or song are.
When a person goes to a bookstore to browse through the shelves, the title is of course the first thing that he/she would notice. For those who are buying books without a list in mind, the title of a book can become one of the biggest factors when deciding on making a purchase or not. Surely, if the title is interesting, creative, or intriguing enough, most people will take time to read the description at the back cover of the book for more information. If a title is not striking enough, it is likely that the person would not even lift the book off the shelves.
In the past (and the present) authors of books have had more than one idea for their stories’ titles. It takes a lot of thought and consideration when choosing which title to go for. Sometimes, the advice of other people in the process is heeded – such as the help or opinion of editors or fellow writers. Ultimately, it will go down to the preference of the writer to choose whatever title he/she feels gives the best shout-out for the whole book.
Check out what Harper Lee almost called To Kill A Mockingbird, and what F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was almost titled. These and more classic books were almost titled differently from what we have come to know today. Read more on these from a MentalFloss archived post by Stacy Condradt.