by Namita Moolani Mehra

The ad agency girl in me tends to come up with titles before developed story ideas. My Storystorm output for the last five years are essentially long lists of potential picture book titles. I’ve gone ahead and developed about 10% of these title ideas into full manuscripts, and about four of those manuscripts have gone out on sub with my lovely agent. Two subs turned into contracts, and I’m happy to report that one of those contracts, a humble Storystorm title idea, is now a published, award-winning picture book—THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU, illustrated by Kamala Nair and published by Two Lions.

Over a decade of working in advertising and another decade building my own brand has made me a lifelong student of branding and creative strategy.

If I say Nike, you will immediately think, “Just Do It”.

If I say McDonalds, your brain will go, “da, da, da, da, da, I’m lovin’ it!”

If I say Dove, you might even recall women of all shapes and sizes posing in nothing but their underwear in the “Campaign for Real Beauty”.

These iconic advertising campaigns have built memorable brands with high recall taglines.

I was fortunate to work on Dove and saw first-hand, the power of an idea to inspire a global movement (even Oprah got on board!)

To see a soap brand boldly engage in a conversation around the definitions of beauty and self-confidence was incredible. Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” was the outcome of a global study that revealed a prevalence of low self-esteem in young women and girls around the world. I like to call this key insight, this data-point or truth . . . a ‘golden nugget.’

It was literally my job to find golden nuggets for brands through research, consumer and competitive analysis. Golden nuggets are often creative currency.

THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU is a story about the Indian Festival of Lights, but more importantly, it’s a story about believing in your ability to shine bright even through the darkest times. Holidays and festivals are usually portrayed full of joy, but they can often be a hard time for people living abroad, part of a diaspora, or immigrant families. For children celebrating cultural holidays that are lesser known for example, in their classroom, it can be an emotional roller-coaster not feeling seen.

As an Indian living outside of India most of my life, I often found myself in situations where other children didn’t understand my traditions or culture and it would dim my light. I would fade to fit in, instead of shining bright to stand out. Struggling with a sense of belonging and overcoming self-doubt was my golden nugget for The Light Within You. The title popped into my head even before I had written the manuscript. The heart of the story lies in the many moment the grandma (Nani) and her grandchild Diya shares. Nani tells us that “Diwali is more than a festival, it’s the light within you.”

As a published author, I think of book titles as taglines and the story premise, promise or heart, as a golden nugget.

Interestingly, book titles are also like an ad for your story!

Like taglines, titles present us with an opportunity to grab the reader or buyer’s attention in a few words. Iconic advertising campaigns tend to have powerful taglines driving them and I would encourage you to try starting with a strong title too!

Don’t forget—the primary purpose of advertising is to sell. Taglines sell and I bet good titles do too! Write down a few of your favorite picture book titles and analyze why you love them.

  • Is the title easy to remember and memorable?
  • Is it short and sweet?
  • Is it kid-friendly?
  • Does it have universal appeal?
  • Is it punny or funny?
  • Does it reveal the story’s heart?
  • Is it believable?
  • Does it spark curiosity?

Sales and marketing teams at publishing houses have a lot of experience with titles and may challenge your proposed title. My upcoming book, THE GREATEST RIVER, illustrated by Khoa Le and published by Harper Collins was originally titled ‘The Greatest Mother”. I loved my title because the story is about the Holy River of India that millions refer to as ‘Ma’ Ganga—Ma meaning mother. I was attached to the original title because of the spiritual significance, so when the sales team suggested a change, I was resistant. As I sat with their feedback, I realized that readers might not understand the mother reference and could be confused or misled. The publisher suggested we change the title to The Greatest RIVER and it occurred to me that this new title has more universal appeal. It creates a sense of curiosity while still fulfilling on the wider promise of the story—the power of nature to heal AKA my golden nugget.

Have you found your golden nugget? Once you do, it might lead you right to an amazing title!

As a POC author writing culturally specific stories, titles play an important role for me to reach and connect with wider audiences.

Don’ t be afraid to have multiple title options to run by your critique partners or editor. People are passionate about titles and love weighing in on them!

Namita Moolani Mehra is an award-winning, agented children’s book author and the founder of social-impact business, Indian Spicebox, a company that has helped fund almost one million hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita’s published books include Veena And The Red Roti, The Light Within You, and Anni Dreams of Biryani. She has also authored children’s cookbooks, including The Magic Spicebox and Superfoods for Superheroes. Namita crafts delightful culinary experiences like cooking classes and street food pop-ups. She currently lives in Singapore with her husband, two children, and a dramatic doodle. Visit her online at NamitaMehra.com. Namita is active on Instagram @indianspicebox.

Namita Moolani Mehra is giving away a copy of her new book THE GREATEST RIVER.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.