A clever title is great if it is
clear, but a clear title is always preferable. The best? A
clear and clever title. A shorter title is better than a
longer one. Your reader will spend only four seconds on the
cover. While some long titles have succeeded, usually the
shorter, the better.
A title is part of your book's front cover.
Busy buyers including bookstore buyers, wholesalers,
distributors and your audiences buy mainly because of the
cover. Dan Poynter, author of Writing
Nonfiction, says, "The package outside sells the product
inside." Make your cover sizzle.
Start with a working title before you write
your chapters. Include your topic, your subject and use the
book's benefits in your sub-title if possible. Here are your
ten tips for titles that sell:
1.
Create impact for your title - check out magazine print and
radio ad headlines.
Check out other authors' titles on the bookstore shelves.
Your title must compel the reader to buy now. Which title
grabs you? Elder Rage or Care giving for Dad?
2.
Include your solution in your title.
Does your title sell your solution? Make sure it answers the
question rather than asks one. For instance, Got Minerals?,
or Minerals: The Essential Link to Health. Also, use
positive language instead of negative. For instance, Without
Minerals You'll Die can be Minerals: The Essential Link to
Health.
3. Make it easy for readers to buy.
Readers want a magic pill. They want to follow directions
and enjoy the benefits the title
promises. For example, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by
John Kremer gives at least 1001 ways for authors and
publishers to market their books.
4. Expand your title to other books, products, seminars, and
services.
Make sure that your title will work well with the title of
your presentations, articles and press releases you'll need
to promote the book. Such seminars and tele-classes titled
"How to Write and Sell Your Book- Fast!" and "Seven Sure-
Fire Ways to Publicize your Business" come under the
umbrella "fast book writing, publishing and promoting."
5. Use an original expression - a way of expressing one idea
for your book - yours alone.
Sam Horn, author of Tongue Fú!, puts her special twist on
defusing verbal conflict.
6. Include benefits in your subtitle if your title doesn't
have any.
Specific benefits invite sales. For instance, Marilyn and
Tom Ross' Jump Start Your Book Sales: A Money-Making Guide
for Authors, Independent Publishers and Small Presses.
7. Choose others' book covers in your field as models.
Go to your local bookstore with five-colored felt tips pens
and paper. Browse the section your book would be shelved on.
Choose five book titles and covers that attract you. Photo
copy or sketch those, noting the colors, design, fonts, and
sizes of fonts. Add other colors you like. Place the book
cover you love near your workstation to inspire you. For the
final copy, use professional cover designers.
8. Be outrageous with your book title.
People do judge a book by its title. Your reader will spend
only four seconds on the front cover and eight seconds on
the back cover. It must be so outstanding and catchy that it
compels the reader to either buy on the spot or look further
to the back cover. Take a risk. Be a bit crazy, even
outlandish.
9. Be your strongest salesperson self.
Choose the strongest words, benefits, and metaphors to move
your audience to buy. Titles do sell books.
10. Include your audience in your title. This gives your
book a slant.
When your title isn't targeted, other famous authors' titles
win out. Always make your title clear and make it easy for
your audience to recognize they need your book. Your title
and front cover is your book's number one sales tool. Short
titles are best, say three to six words. John Gray didn't
get much attention with his book "What Your Mother Couldn't
Tell You and What Your Father Didn't Know." He shortened it
to the now famous, "Men are From Mars, Women are From
Venus."
An outstanding title sells books. Make sure to give this
part of your book, the number one essential "Hot-Selling
Point," some time and effort.
Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach,
Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and
"How to Market your Business on the Internet" she offers
free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach
Says...and Business Tip of the Month at:
www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free
articles.
reprinted courtesy of SPAN (Small
Publishers Association of North America) of which we are a
member