No marketing strategy works best than the title of your book. You may have an enticing cover design or the most captivating first line, but a boring title will get your book nowhere. The title of your book will determine whether a buyer will pick it or not. If the title is not interesting enough to grab the reader’s attention at first sight, there are slim chances it will be picked. Readers judge a book by its title.
The whole process of choosing the right title can be overwhelming; it is not just enough to come up with a memorable book, you also want the title to summarize the tone of the book. Is it romantic, scary, or sweet? There is stiff competition in the writing industry therefore as a writer you have a few seconds to impress your readership with your title.
Think of the title as a siren call, calling out to all potential readers to pick your book. If you take time in crafting the perfect title people will be interested in your book, even if you are an unknown author who is self-published.1 The right title will encourage readers to want to know more about the storyline. Think of the book “The Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris. Are you not just drawn to the title?
Success does not come in a silver platter and writers know this all too well. As confusing as it may seem, it is possible to choose an intriguing title. It would be helpful to consider published author’s experience 2 and editors note of the kind of titles that sell more. If you wouldn’t mind receiving guidance in this regard, here are some useful tips so keep reading and feel free to take notes.
Keep the Rules in Mind
The first thing to remember before you write your tile is the five main rules of a book title. It should be
- Short: The marketing approach has been revolutionized thanks to the internet and now digital platforms are the in-thing when it comes to selling your books. As long as you keep the title short, they can be used practically anywhere you deem fir to sell them, in tweets, in URLs, and in e-books. A short title allows for more space and flexibility of the cover design.
- Simple: Don’t give in to the urge to try to squeeze all the concepts into the title. You could end up confusing your readers with several unrelated topics. Keep it simple 3 with one or two concepts.
- Easy to remember: Readers often have the habit to recommend a good book to a friend. If you want more publicity for your book, give it a title that is easy to remember and most importantly, memorable.
- A preview but not the summary. As much as you want to whet the appetite of your readers by dropping a hint of the story in the title, don’t summarize the whole story. Leave out the juicy details to motivate them to want t read your book.
- Unique: Your title should be original and unique. The simple way to go about this is to Google the phrase. It is now difficult to have a title that’s not yet out there already, but being unique ensures you stand out from the crowd. Unless you are ready for some unpleasant comparisons.
Importance of Brainstorming
Brainstorming potential title is a lengthy process that can take up to months, but it is actually worth the effort. Write down every title that you think possibly could think of. You might get inspiration from a notable phrase in your novel. It is also important to throw in relevant keywords so that when people search for a topic in your book, it will appear on search engine results such as Google and Amazon.
Sources
- http://nybookeditors.com/2015/11/traditional-or-self-publish-whats-best-for-you/
- https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/how-to-choose-your-novels-title-let-me-count-5-ways
- https://www.iuniverse.com/en/resources/writing-and-editing/4-steps-to-choosing-your-book-title
