When Should You Figure Out Your Book's Themes, Genre, Title, and More?
And does it matter when you finalize these details?
One of my favorite things as a writer is when I sit down to write and the words just flow effortlessly from my mind and onto the page. Getting in that creative "flow" state where you're not thinking about anything else is truly an amazing experience.
Unfortunately, as we all probably know, writing isn't always this easy. And many first-time authors find that worrying about the logistics of their books—like the title, genre, themes, or book description—can actually keep them from writing.
So, today, we wanted to talk about when you should start thinking about these elements of your book and why these components of your book (which we often catalog under our metadata section) matter.
What order should you go in when thinking about your book's title (and subtitle), genre, etc.?
The answer to this question is a little ambiguous. Every writer works differently; you might start with a strong idea of a book title, whereas another author may be inspired by a specific genre or theme.
However, since many authors have at least a vague idea of the story they want to write before they start writing, they naturally think about the potential themes and the genre of the book.
That doesn't mean you can't start out with a character or title and go from there! You will want to think about the book's genre and the message(s) early on in the process, though.
Why should you think about genres and themes at the start of your writing process?
The short answer to this question is that having some basic knowledge about the themes you want to express in your writing and the various genres your book can fit into is that it makes the writing process significantly easier.
There are ways you can draw readers in and play on tropes in your genre, so it's useful to know what those tropes are. You can also subvert readers' expectations more easily when you know what they are and aren't expecting from a book in your genre. And while you don't have to be totally controlled by the conventions of your genre, you'll likely find it easier to bring your story together when you know the genre you're writing in.
The themes and messages you want to share are also crucial components of your book. They're like guideposts you can use and refer to as you write. If those themes you want to come through aren't apparent enough in your work, you have the chance to work backwards and ask yourself how and where you can organically incorporate these messages or themes into your story. While this might sound like a pain, it's way less time-consuming to realize that your message isn't clear sooner rather than later!
When should you determine your title, book description, etc.?
Again, everyone's process looks different. However, we've found that it's normally easier for authors to come up with a title and book description once their manuscript is complete, at least developmentally (i.e., the central plot, structure, and character arcs won't change, and your manuscript is ready for copy edits). You have material to pull from, and you can look back on the most memorable scenes in your book and see if anything specific jumps out at you.
Neither your title nor description is required to start writing your book, so don't let not having these pieces of the puzzle prevent you from writing!
Beyond the genre, message, and title, it's also common for authors to wait to write their introduction—and sometimes their conclusion—after everything else has been written. Authors often put a lot of pressure on themselves to write the perfect introduction or concluding paragraphs, but knowing that everything else is done can take some of that pressure off. Plus, at this stage, you've hopefully found your voice as an author, which will probably help you write a description that matches the tone and mood of your book.
Ultimately, every project will look different, but having a rough idea of what elements of your book you should tackle first will hopefully ease some of the uncertainty that can come with writing a book.
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We look forward to hearing about your incredible book project.
Write on!
Kim Eley
KWE Publishing
“Creativity doesn’t wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.”
– Bruce Garrabrandt
Join Us For Our Next Webinar, “How to Engage Other People's Audiences to Sell Your Books Faster!”
We’re excited to share our upcoming webinar for July with KWE Publishing! For the past sixteen years, Jackie Lapin’s Conscious Media Relations’ Radio/Podcast Tours have helped nearly 400 luminaries, leaders, filmmakers and authors grow their businesses, sell more books, create viewership and change more lives by introducing them to up to 9000 radio shows and podcasts, including such clients as Don Miguel Ruiz, Dr. Joe Vitale, Marie Diamond, James Twyman, Arielle Ford, Hay House and more. She’s booked more than 10,000 interviews for her clients. And on July 22, she will be speaking with you, our amazing writing community! Please join us. Jackie will share, “How to Engage Other People's Audiences to Sell Your Books Faster!” Sign up and bring your questions for our amazing subject matter expert!
Registration Is Open for The Next Bestseller Workshop!
I wanted to share this fantastic offer from Jennifer Wilkov of Your Book Is Your Hook. She's an expert, too, on pitching your book to TV and film producers. She limits this offering, The Next Bestseller, to a small group, so check it out if you are interested!
The Next Bestseller™ Workshop is a safe space that provides you with the dream team to help you prepare and practice your pitch BEFORE you have to talk about it to the professionals and others.
Don't get caught in another conversation about your book or project that you don't feel ready for.
After you attend The Next Bestseller™ Weekend Workshop, you'll never pitch your book or project the same way again - and you'll have more confidence when you talk about it with others.
You never know when you'll have an opportunity to talk about your book or project. Someone asks you, "What's your book or project about?" ...and you fumble for what to say, start rambling on, or stutter and can't figure out what to say.
It could be at your next writers' conference, book or film/tv industry event, pitchfest, or even on an airplane, during a professional networking meeting, or at a charity or social event.
Everyone is interested in a great project or book with a great hook – whether they are an industry professional, an avid reader, or film/TV fan.
For you to be successful with your book or project, you'll need to be prepared to talk about it and not just pitch but have a real conversation about it.
The workshop will be held virtually from Friday, October 31, through November 2, 2025. Only eight writers can register to ensure each writer receives individual attention.
Resources:
Here at KWE Publishing, we want to share a few of our favorite resources with our newsletter readers. Check back weekly to see what resources we recommend!
If you’re a writer who wants to build or has already built a business around your writing, you know that there are a lot of moving parts involved. It’s easy to get overwhelmed at times, and while it’s fantastic to get advice from others, there’s so much advice out there that it can be hard to know where to start.
is there to help!Created by USA Today bestselling author
, is a fantastic resource that “sits at the intersection of craft and commerce, helping writers build more sustainable businesses that allow them to thrive while creating work that lights them up inside. We strive to give authors agency in a world that too often seems intent on stripping it away from them.” So, if you’re interested in learning more about creating a long-lasting writing business, check out The Author Stack!