When it comes to capitalizing book titles, there are a few standard rules that you should follow. In short, for a book title you will always capitalize the first and last words. You’ll also capitalize verbs, pronouns, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
You won’t capitalize articles, coordinating conjunctions, or prepositions.
Let’s break down each of these rules and take a closer look at some examples.
Capitalize First and Last Words
As mentioned, you’ll always capitalize the first and last words of your book title no matter what those words are.
For example, “The Catcher in the Rye” and “Pride and Prejudice” both follow this rule.
Capitalize Verbs, Pronouns, Nouns, Adjectives, and Adverbs
In addition to the first and last words, you’re going to capitalize certain parts of speech in your book title. These include verbs, pronouns, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
For example, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table” both follow this rule.
Don’t Capitalize Articles, Coordinating Conjunctions, or Prepositions
On the other hand, articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, (and, but, or), and prepositions (in, on, at) are not capitalized.
For example, “The Fault in Our Stars” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” both follow this rule.
