Describe the book in a few sentences, or give a handful of keywords if that is all you have. Add the genre, the feel you are after and any words to use or avoid. Hemmingway suggests ten titles in different shapes: short ones, a phrase that could come from the story, a name or a place. Each comes with a few words on what it promises a reader.
The titles are drawn only from what you say about the book. It has not read your manuscript, so three sentences of plot give it more to work with than a single word.
What makes a title work
- It tells the reader which shelf. If a stranger could not guess the genre from the title, keep looking.
- You can say it aloud. You will repeat it to everyone who asks what you are writing. Hard to say, hard to spell and hard to remember are the same fault.
- It comes from inside the book. An object, a place or a line somebody says usually beats an abstract noun with "The" in front, which could sit on any novel.
- It is not already everywhere. Search a bookshop site before you grow attached.
An example
Asked for three dry, slightly funny titles for a cosy mystery about a woman who inherits her aunt's failing seaside hotel and finds the guest books go back further than the building, titles along these lines are what to expect:
1. Previous Guests. Quiet, a little ominous, reads as a mystery.
2. Older Than the Roof. Says the puzzle outright.
3. Half Board, Full History. The joke title, for a lighter cover.
Pick the two closest and ask the chat for ten more in that direction.
From a plot or from keywords
A plot summary gives titles with a point of view. Keywords alone, such as "hotel, aunt, guest book, sea", give titles built from those words, which is quicker and plainer. If the plot is still loose, the plot generator can firm it up first. For non-fiction, say so in the genre field and ask for a subtitle too.
Common questions
Is the book title generator free?
Yes. Hemmingway has a free trial with no card needed, and this tool opens it with your answers filled in. You sign up once, and the titles are written in the chat.
Does it check whether a title is already taken?
No. It suggests titles and does not search any catalogue. Look each favourite up in a bookshop or library search before you settle on it.
Can it come up with a title if the book is not written yet?
Yes. A working title needs only the idea. How to write a book with AI covers what comes after.
Can it title an article or a blog post?
It can, but the headline generator is set up for that. A book title promises a mood. A headline promises a piece of information.
Will the titles sound like AI?
It is built not to. Hemmingway-1, the model behind it, came first on sounding like a person in our own blind test, Human-Likeness. The test for a title is simple: say each one aloud, and drop any you would feel shy saying to a bookseller.