Selecting a Title

Selecting a Title

Selecting a title for the essay/communication that has been written can be enjoyable, be creative.  Following are suggestions to help develop an effective title.

1. Select a title that is appropriate for the audience (reader) and tone of the writing.
2. Create a title that stimulates interest and motivates the reader to continue to read.
3. Keep the title short—between three and seven words.
4. Choose one that reflects the subject matter, main idea, for which it is named.
5. Reject single words as title; one word titles are not specific.

After the title has been selected, consider the following points:

1. Do not underline the title or put quotations marks around it when it appears at the top of the writing.
2. Do underline any words that normally require underlining (novels, plays, ships, airplanes, etc.
3. Capitalize the first and last words of the title as well as all verbs, nouns, and words of five or more letters. Do not capitalize conjunctions or short propositions.