All Caps In The Title?

DoomieBey · Nov 22, 2009

Hey, before someone blasts me for not researching enough, I DID look and look and look to see if the following question was already asked and answered, but I didn't see it - so here goes:

"Is the main title in a nonfiction book supposed to be in all caps, if there is a subtitle adjoined to it?"

"Is there a rule? Or is it a matter of choice?"

kaitie · Nov 22, 2009

I think, and I might be wrong on this, that when you email a query you use all caps for the title because you don't want to be using special formatting that can get messed up because of encoding difficulty. Otherwise just normal title caps in italics works.

alleycat · Nov 22, 2009

I could be wrong about this (since I write fiction), but I believe it should be all caps with a colon between the title and subtitle. That's the format I've seen suggested, although I can't remember the reference.

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 22, 2009

It's generally best in email to put titles in all-caps, because italics can get messed up in the emailing process.

And subtitles should follow a colon. 1848: A YEAR OF REVOLUTION or NAKED GRILLS: BARBECUING WITHOUT THE SAUCE or whatever.

jclarkdawe · Nov 22, 2009

Not only does it avoid the problems italics can cause (which can including any italicized words being stripped from the document), it helps the title POP a bit in the document. And your title should always have as much POP as it can. Even if you think your title sucks, giving it any POP helps.

And you'd be amazed as what some email programs can do to your document.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

DoomieBey · Nov 22, 2009

Not sure if I just didn't make myself clear in my question; or if the misunderstanding is coming from somewhere else - assuming there is one - but I was talking about a title to be placed on a book, not an email or query.

"What would or should be the cover title format for a nonfiction book, when there is a title and subtitle?"

escritora · Nov 22, 2009

but I was talking about a title to be placed on a book, not an email or query.

Caps aren't necessary. I think it's a matter of style. I've seen both. To differentiate btwn the two the main title is usually in a larger font than the subtitle.

thothguard51 · Nov 22, 2009

Your publisher makes the decission unless you are self publishing and then you make the decisision. Being non-fiction makes no difference, it really is a design issue depending on what you are trying to achieve. Suggest you go to your local book store or library, or even do a search on Amazon of other books like yours to see how the successful authors achieved layout design.

alleycat · Nov 22, 2009

Doomie said:
Not sure if I just didn't make myself clear in my question; or if the misunderstanding is coming from somewhere else - assuming there is one - but I was talking about a title to be placed on a book, not an email or query.

It's sort of funny, but I didn't see anything about e-mail in your original post. When I saw the other replies that kept mentioning e-mail, I went back and read your original post more carefully in case I missed that you were asking about an e-mail proposal. No, there's not a thing about e-mail in the original post.

I think my suggestion still stands (unless someone more knowledgeable on nonfiction formatting comes along). Use all caps and a colon on the manuscript title page.

DoomieBey · Nov 22, 2009

LOL, okay Alleycat...

And thank you all.

By the way, I'm hoping for success with a publisher. In the event I don't, I plan to self publish via Lightning
Source - which is why I wanted to know. Lightning Source offers no assistance on such matters, but have the best profit margin. Of course, if I am successful in landing a contract, then this post will at best assist someone else - so it's a win/win. Thanks.

alleycat said:
It's sort of funny, but I didn't see anything about e-mail in your original post. When I saw the other replies that kept mentioning e-mail, I went back and read your original post more carefully in case I missed that you were asking about an e-mail proposal. No, there's not a thing about e-mail in the original post.

I think my suggestion still stands (unless someone more knowledgeable on nonfiction formatting comes along). Use all caps and a colon on the manuscript title page.

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 23, 2009

Doomie said:
but I was talking about a title to be placed on a book, not an email or query.

That's not a decision the author makes, hence our assuming that you were talking about queries.

But since you're contemplating self-publishing, I'll give you an answer:

"What would or should be the cover title format for a nonfiction book, when there is a title and subtitle?"

Click to expand...

Whatever you want it to be. All caps, sentence case, no caps, main title in bold and subtitle in italics: I've seen them all from every publishing house in the world.

Go to a bookstore or library and look around until you see something you like and do that.

In general, US practice when writing titles in sentence case is to capitalize a) the first word, whatever it is, and b) every word thereafter except for articles and prepositions; if the subtitle follows a colon, the first letter should be capitalized even if it is an article or preposition.

DoomieBey · Nov 23, 2009

@IceCreamEmpress: Okay, and thanks for your input. I kind of figured that it all depended upon one's taste, but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask. I mean, it's one of the reasons many people join this site, correct? To ask questions??

And I certainly hope I didn't stir you by my clarifying that I wasn't talking about queries or emails. Thanks again.

IceCreamEmpress said:
That's not a decision the author makes, hence our assuming that you were talking about queries.

But since you're contemplating self-publishing, I'll give you an answer:

Whatever you want it to be. All caps, sentence case, no caps, main title in bold and subtitle in italics: I've seen them all from every publishing house in the world.

Go to a bookstore or library and look around until you see something you like and do that.

In general, US practice when writing titles in sentence case is to capitalize a) the first word, whatever it is, and b) every word thereafter except for articles and prepositions; if the subtitle follows a colon, the first letter should be capitalized even if it is an article or preposition.

IceCreamEmpress · Nov 24, 2009

Doomie said:
And I certainly hope I didn't stir you by my clarifying that I wasn't talking about queries or emails. Thanks again.

No, I wasn't the least bit cross with you about that, just explaining the source of my own confusion. Your question was a good question; I just didn't understand it, is all.

Best of luck with whatever works for you, whether it's trade publishing or self-publishing.

All Caps In The Title?

DoomieBey

kaitie

With great power comes

alleycat

Still around

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

DoomieBey

escritora

.

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

alleycat

Still around

DoomieBey

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

DoomieBey

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago