Have you ever gravitated to a book because of its title? We all have. A book title, along with the cover design, flap copy, and author bio all play a major role in how a potential reader perceives a book. It’s part of marketing and helps them decide if they want to take the next step and buy.
As an aspiring author, one of your tasks is to come up with a title that will resonate with your ideal readers. There’s no point in planning, researching, and writing your book only for it to flop because of a bland title.
Now, if your goal is to produce a book as a legacy item to share with family, such as a family memoir, this part of the process might not be as important. But if you want your book to sell, you’ll need a kickbutt title.
Let’s start with what makes a great book title:
- It should be easy to say—something that’s rolls off the tongue, especially if you plan to use it with branding materials.
- Simple to remember—by readers and yourself. You’ll have to repeat the title many times to promote it. Don’t make it hard.
- Informative—it tells exactly what’s inside. Think: What does your book promise the reader?
With this in mind, here are three steps to help you craft a book title that sells: Check, Try, and Test.
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Check
First, do some mental prepping by researching what’s already out there.
Review your home library
- Review the book titles on your bookshelf and think back to what attracted you to those books. Don’t limit your search to books inside your genre; anything can help spark ideas.
- For those books that didn’t make it to your bookshelf via a recommendation: Did their titles have a bearing on your choice to buy them? If so, why? Was the title (or book content) controversial or provocative? Think about the promise that the title makes to the reader and how the author might have come up with it.
Check out bestselling titles
- Amazon is one of the top platforms authors use to boost their visibility and of course, sell books. Search the website for bestselling books in your genre or in related genres and topics. Their titles and subtitles will give you an understanding of what’s already out there.
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Try
Now that you’re primed on current titles, it’s time to brainstorm. Remember: Your title must be easy to say, easy to remember, and informative.
Experiment with:
- Declarative statements –Breakfast Is a Dangerous Meal; French Women Don’t Get Fat
- Questions – How Will You Measure Your Life?; What to Expect When You’re Expecting;Who Owns the Future?
- Promise statements –How Not to Die; Book Yourself Solid; Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now
- Bold statements—Why You Will Marry The Wrong Person; When Things Fall Apart
(Note that the above examples aren’t necessary bestsellers, nor a reflection of whether the book contents support the titles–they’re merely examples of great titles.)
Remember to document title ideas as you write. Epiphanies, “Aha!” moments, and sudden bursts of genius will undoubtedly happen during the process. Jot down these key phrases, ideas, and topics as they come and keep them in a separate section of your writing notebook, a dedicated file folder, or a special tab in your software—whatever will help you retrieve them as needed.
Check search engines
What problem does your book solve? Type in a question that your book answers. Sometimes, the most effective titles are those that are most direct; Why We Get Fat, How to Make Money in Stocks, and Where to Draw The Line probably didn’t take much brainstorming, but they’re all successful based on their Amazon rankings, and they answer a question.
If one of your titles comes up as a movie and/or a popular book such as What to Expect When You’re Expecting, go back to the drawing board and finesse your best ideas.
Get automated help
You should come up with a solid list of titles but if you get stuck, automated titles can sometimes spark unexplored ideas:
Portent’s Content Idea Generator
Kitt.net Random Book Title Generator
Fictionalley.org Title Generator
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Test
Once you have a solid list of 10-20 titles, you should check online to see which ones should be modified or eliminated. Go back to Amazon one more time. Generally speaking, if your title is already taken but your book is significantly different (i.e., genre, content, year of publication), you’re safe from a copyright standpoint. If not, or if your title is attached to a known brand, try modifying it.
Survey friends, colleagues, and online connections
Once you’ve settled on 3-5 finalists, survey others for feedback. LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media platforms are great for this, and some even have survey capabilities. If you’re a business owner, you should have an email list or some other type of audience group you can survey.
The beauty of surveying is that you’ll get multiple perspectives, reactions, and emotional responses from potential readers, or others who might buy your book as a gift. It will also help you promote your book and drum up some pre-publication interest.
Though your book title may not guarantee sales, it’s still a significant part of the marketing process. Make sure it works and that’s it’s simple, memorable, and informative. Otherwise, you risk losing potentially loyal readers–readers that never made it past the front cover.