How to Name a Book Series: The Indie Author's Complete Guide
Your series name is a long-term brand investment. Choose well and readers will search specifically for your series on Amazon, remember it in word-of-mouth recommendations, and follow it across platforms. Choose poorly and you'll spend years fighting discoverability problems. This guide gives you four proven naming strategies with real examples from bestselling series.
4 Proven Series Naming Strategies
Location-Based Names
Name your series after a place — the setting becomes the brand. Works exceptionally well for fantasy, gothic romance, and cozy mystery.
Examples:
- •Outlander (Scotland-set historical romance)
- •Thornhaven Chronicles (fictional gothic estate)
- •Pern Chronicles (fictional planet)
- •Mitford Series (small town cozy)
💡 The location should be distinctive and evocative — avoid generic names like 'The Forest' or 'The Castle.'
Character-Based Names
Build the series around your protagonist. Especially effective when the character becomes the brand (detective series, thriller series, paranormal heroes).
Examples:
- •Jack Reacher series
- •Eve Dallas / In Death series
- •Harry Potter series
- •Stephanie Plum novels
💡 Best for series where the character is more interesting than any single plot. Harder to replace the protagonist if you want to continue the world.
Theme or Concept Names
Abstract concepts, colors, elements, or emotions can create powerful series brands. Common in romance (color series, element series) and fantasy.
Examples:
- •A Court of Thorns and Roses series
- •Shades of Magic trilogy
- •The Mortal Instruments
- •Wheel of Time
💡 Concept names work best when there's a clear thematic thread across all books. Readers should intuitively understand the connection.
World or Realm Names
Name the series after the broader world or universe rather than a specific location. Signals epic scope and invites readers into a rich, expandable world.
Examples:
- •Stormlight Archive (The Cosmere)
- •The Expanse
- •Discworld
- •Tamriel Chronicles
💡 World names scale well as you expand the universe with spinoffs, novellas, and companion series.
Series Naming by Genre
| Genre | Common patterns | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Romance | Trope words, location + romance, character name + world | Ultra-generic (The Love Series), explicit heat-level naming |
| Fantasy | World names, arcane objects, royal titles + world | Apostrophes in the middle of names (K'rel'ath Series) |
| Thriller | Character name, organizational names, single-word concepts | Overly long subtitled names that don't fit spines |
| Cozy Mystery | Location + mystery/cozy/café, character name + profession | Names that sound identical to existing popular cozy series |
| YA | Abstract nouns, divergent-style concepts, emotion words | Names that feel dated to a specific cultural moment |
5-Step Name Availability Check
Search Amazon
Search your proposed name in Amazon Books. Check for existing series with the same or very similar name, especially in your genre.
Check Goodreads
Search Goodreads for the series name. Look for active series, completed series, and any shelves that use the name.
Google your name
Search [Series Name] + book. If the first three results don't show your work, you have a discoverability problem before you even launch.
USPTO TESS search
Visit USPTO.gov → TESS and search for your proposed name as a wordmark in IC 016 (books) and IC 041 (entertainment).
Check domain availability
Even if you don't build a dedicated website now, check if yourseries.com is available. Consistent branding across platforms is valuable as the series grows.
Strong Series Names Multiply Your Review Value
When a reader loves Book 1 of your series, they search for it by name. A memorable, distinctive series name means they find Book 2 immediately. A generic name means they might not find it at all — or worse, find a competitor's book instead.
iWrity helps you build the review foundation that powers series momentum. ARC readers who review Book 1 become invested readers who naturally look for Book 2 — especially when your series name is branded consistently across every book's cover and Amazon listing.
Start Building Series Reviews →Frequently Asked Questions
Should my series name include the genre or a keyword?+
For indie authors on Amazon, genre-suggestive series names can help discoverability, but they're not required. More important is that the name is memorable and signals tone. A name like 'The Thornhaven Chronicles' implies epic or gothic fantasy without naming the genre explicitly — and it sounds more marketable than 'The Fantasy Dragon Series'.
How long should a book series name be?+
Keep series names to 1–4 words. Shorter names are easier to remember and display better in Amazon's series page titles and spine text. If you want a longer descriptive subtitle, pair a short name with a subtitle: 'Thornhaven: The Complete Chronicles.'
Can I trademark my book series name?+
Yes, book series names can be registered as trademarks in the US if they function as a brand identifier (multiple books in the series). File with the USPTO under International Class 16 (printed matter) or 41 (entertainment services). Check both USPTO TESS and Amazon to ensure the name isn't already in use before building your brand around it.
Does my series name affect Amazon SEO?+
Your series name is indexed by Amazon and appears in search results. A series name that contains relevant keywords (e.g., 'The Dragon Shifter Chronicles') may help discoverability at the margins, but it's much less important than your book title, subtitle, and seven backend keywords. Don't sacrifice a great name for marginal SEO benefit.
How do I name individual books within a series?+
Each book title should work standalone AND as part of the series. Common patterns: noun phrases that escalate in scope (The Ember King → The Iron Queen → The Shadow Throne), emotion-based titles that hint at arc (A Court of Thorns and Roses → A Court of Mist and Fury), or location-based titles that build world geography. Avoid generic titles that could belong to any book in any series.
Should I name my series before writing Book 1?+
Ideally yes, but it's not critical. Many authors find the series name naturally as they write Book 1. What matters most is committing to a series name before Book 2 releases, so you can start building the series brand consistently across covers, subtitles, and reader community platforms.