It’s hard to believe there is very little useful guidance about how to title your book, and yet that’s the case. The advice that exists is minimal or useless.

Deciding on the perfect book title for your book is important in the same way that companies spend millions of dollars deciding on the names of their products. Professional writers know that the title of their blog post is important because it will draw attention to the content they write.

Spending quality time deciding on the perfect book title for your book is worth every second because your book title is the first and most memorable detail about your book people will recall.

In this guide, you’ll learn the best practices for securing your book’s place in the eyes of readers and buyers.

Why Are Book Titles Important?

Book titles are important because they are the first detail about your book that immediately signals a reader’s interest. Your book title must appeal to readers by incorporating these top five characteristics:

1. Your book title must grab the attention of the reader, just as when you go fishing, you must put a worm on the hook or you won’t attract any fish.
2. Your title must be memorable or it will be easily forgotten. We live in a fast-paced society and are quickly distracted by other shining baubles.
3. Your title must inform the reader about the book’s content. Though the title catches attention, the reader needs to make a decision about whether or not the content is of interest, particularly to them.
4. Your book’s title must be easy to say out loud. If it’s too long or too hard to say, it will be difficult to benefit from viral and word-of-mouth marketing.
5. Your title cannot be embarrassing or generate ill will for the person saying it. A title like “Racial Injustice Is Just” will create a storm of criticism directed at the person who’s trying to recommend your book.

Let’s take a moment and investigate these five attributes a little further.

1. Catch the Reader’s Eye

Not only do we live in a fast-paced society, but we also are distracted by lots of competing impressions. Your title has to stand out from the crowd or it will easily be overlooked. If you make the misfortune of having a boring title, it’s likely you’ve undercut your chances of success in marketing. Remember that strong positive responses will also generate strong negative responses, but it’s the bland response that nails the coffin shut.

2. Unforgettable and Unusual

It’s one thing to stimulate a reaction and be forgotten, but something entirely different when you get a reaction and are remembered. Your book title must be memorable because you want a reader to be interested in your content and messages, and also able to tell others about your book. If a book is recommended by a friend but the friend can’t remember the book’s title, you’ve potentially lost a reader and a sale. A memorable book title must also be easily found on Google and Amazon; if your title is too bland or common, the search engines may not be able to identify it.

3. Descriptive of the Content

Nonfiction books must inform readers about what they’ll learn in your book. The book Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan wound up on every fishing book list available at the time it was published; the title was completely misleading because the book was a book of poetry and had nothing to do with trout fishing or fishing of any kind. While this caused a number of collective giggles in academia and poetry circles, it’s likely that purchasers of the book were disappointed with their discovery and raced to the post office to return their copies.

The last thing you want to do is block your reading audience from having an immediate interest in your book. Nothing should be in the way of your potential readers’ immediate interest and engagement. An informative book title is like the sirens’ call to Odysseus’s mariners who are eager to learn more about what you have to say because the subject matter has high interest to them.

A good measure of your book title is asking yourself what would happen if you are at a party and mentioning the title of your book. Would the person you’re speaking with ask you what your book is about? If so, you have not yet discovered your perfect title. In fairness, your book’s subtitle also has an important role to play, which we’ll discuss at the end of this guide.

4. Easy to Say Out Loud

When your book title is easy to say, it’s more likely to remain memorable and easily mentioned to other people. Some examples of memorable titles are Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. People are more likely to remember your title when it can be easily understood and pronounced. The point is to avoid being sophisticated and then win the prize for obscurity. Remember also that nobody likes to feel socially awkward, so if a book title sounds odd or isn’t easy to say, people will probably not mention it. Word-of-mouth is a very important source of book sales, so making the title easy to say will carry your sales much further.

5. Short and Not Embarrassing

When your book title is short, there is less to remember and this makes it easier for people to talk about your book. Short titles are also best because a shorter title leaves more room on your front cover for design. There are different philosophies about how short a book title should be; some experts say that a 1-word title is the best, while others argue that up to three or four words is better because this provides more information and less ambiguity. Think about some of the book titles you remember and you’ll realize that many of them have very short titles. There’s Animal Farm, A Tale of Two Cities, The Prince and The Pauper, Hunger Games, The Grapes of Wrath, etc. There are many, many more examples.

And, as mentioned, you don’t want a book title that embarrasses the person saying it. People often don’t enjoy being socially incorrect, so if your book title is embarrassing, you can be certain you’ll have just placed a big obstacle in your viral marketing channel.

Three Steps to Creating the Perfect Book Title

Follow this advice as you begin to consider and explore the possibilities for your book title. Remember not to be in a rush on your quest. Take time and allow yourself the flexibility and space to be creative. If it takes a few days or weeks or even a few months, the time you spend is worth it because you only have a second or two of your readers’ initial attention, and you have to make those brief moments as powerful and effective as possible.

Step 1: Become Crystal Clear About Your Goals as an Author.

What is it you are trying to achieve? Are you trying to brand yourself as an influencer in your profession or are you writing the biography of a famous person you admire from the 1600s? As you can see, the effect of your book title will be vastly different.

A book title can be used in many different ways, and here is a short list for you to use as you reflect on your personal goals with your book. A book title is effective for:

• Selling your book
• Establishing your credibility
• Attracting media attention
• Branding collateral for professional identity
• Advertising your book
• Use your title in speeches, PowerPoint presentations, and to connect with other people
• Identifying you in industry news, blog posts, white papers, etc.
• Name dropping in media events
• Mentioning in a professional bio
• Identifying your book in Amazon, SEO, and basic searches
• Use in a series of books to identify a set
• Marketing T-shirts and other promotional materials

Once you know what you intend to do with your book, you’ve taken a step forward with defining your book title choices. Remember how effective Chicken Soup for the Soul was with starting a book publishing empire? And there’s the financial book series by Joe Maas: Exit Insight, 401(k) Insight, Investment Insight, Marketing and Sales Insight … all of these titles serve Mr. Maas as an investment advisor who is offering key information about different aspects of his profession. Also reflect on this catchy title and its appeal to college students: The Best Four Year Vacation EVER by Victor Slicktor, and Too Blessed to Be Depressed by Loren McWilliams, a born-again Christian. For shock value, consider Are You a Corrupt Christian? by Annette Evans.

As you can see, if your intentions are to be an authority in your profession, you want to use titles that sound authoritative, such as the books by Mr. Maas. If your intentions are to appeal to the college market, Mr. Slicktor’s title is compelling, especially when combined with his subtitle God, Please Forgive Me for My Four Years of Sinful Pleasure. His title and subtitle have enormous market appeal to college students and young adults.

Step 2: Use Brainstorming to Advance Your Ideas.

Brainstorming is an ideal activity for accessing your creativity, and your subliminal thoughts and feelings. We are sometimes limited when using our conscious minds, but when done correctly, brainstorming can draw from the deeper resources that lie below the surface.

Brainstorming is not an activity you do just once for 30 or 60 minutes. When brainstorming for potential ideas and titles for your book, it might be especially helpful to do several brainstorming sessions over a period of weeks, and even months. Each time you brainstorm, you’ll probably be getting closer to the truth of what you wish to convey, so don’t stop too soon. Because we live in a largely superficial culture, we often accept results at the surface level when there is so much value and richness lying below.

When you brainstorm, do not let your conscious mind sabotage your efforts. It’s very easy for you to write down a few ideas, look at them, and decide “Oh, this is too ridiculous to use.” By accepting those words and phrases that seem “too far out there”, you are opening the door to the words and phrases that lie just beyond; the words and phrases that seem too odd or too extreme are actually the gateways through which you can pass to your subconscious mind, where it’s likely your treasures are waiting for you.

Here is a list of 17 suggestions that may help you exercise your mind and access your subconscious, leading to your nirvana of success.

1. Use Clever Phrases from Your Book. It’s actually a common practice for authors to pluck a key phrase from a key scene in their book and use that for their book title. Remember, you are trying to capture the essence of your book’s content, so the phrase has to be meaningful to the book as a whole.
2. Be Open to Long Phrases, and Shorten Them Later. Be careful not to be too quick to edit your ideas. Write out everything that occurs to you so you have a lot of material to review and think about. As a writer, you know your first draft is usually wordy; later, when you have the time and focus, you can polish the ideas until they shine.
3. Remember to Use Keywords. We live in a world where search terms are king, or if not king, they are the king’s advisers. Think about your future reader; if they were going to look for a book with your content on the Internet, what are some of the keywords they would use in their search? Also remember that your subtitle, which we’ll talk about later, will afford you the chance to use additional keywords so you can garner more search engine traffic. Consider the value of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.
4. Promise a Benefit. Here are two classic favorites whose titles very clearly inform the reader about the benefits of buying and reading these books: Think and Grow Rich, How to Win Friends, and Influenced People.
5. Keep it Simple. Complicated titles make things complicated. By keeping your title simple and direct, you’re making your book title memorable and easy to tell others. Notice the power of Getting Past No, The Power of Now, and Perfect Health.
6. Name Your Audience. Consider naming your audience in your book title so people understand immediately if your book is the solution to their questions and problems. Book titles such as Success for Future CEOs and Starting Your Career in Big Pharma will get noticed by people interested in these topics.
7. Identify a Problem and its Solution. This often fits well in the how-to category; Removing something negative from the reader’s life is a popular book title strategy. Lose 25 Pounds in 3 Weeks, or Potty Train Your Dog in Two Days are examples.
8. Use Numbers to Emphasize Your Authenticity. People respond strongly to numbers. Suggestions like The Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Monthly Income or 25 Quick Recipes For a Slender New You appeal because of their apparent credibility. One book title you may be familiar with is The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love at Lasts.
9. Excite the Reader’s Curiosity. Cats and people are curious and when you pose an idea but keep the answer secret, you develop interest and tension. Book titles that use unexpected contrasts or impossibilities create curiosity about your book and invite the reader to know more. When you propose a concept that seems uncertain or unlikely but offers to make good on its claim, you’ll attract attention. A book title like The 4-Hour Workweek is a great magnet because everyone wants to know how to work four hours a week and still pay all their bills and enjoy a life of leisure.
10. Metaphors Are a Powerful Lure. We respond to metaphors because they signal associations in our own lives that have special meaning. Calling your book Chicken Soup for the Soul, you immediately connect with the concept of a mother’s care and the familiar feeling of being nurtured back to health. Another example is Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. You instantly have a strong idea of what the book is about because the metaphor is so deeply suggestive.
11. Use Alliteration in Your Title. Alliteration is fanciful and will make your book title memorable. Some examples include Black Beauty, Gone Girl, Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol, and The Two Towers … you get the idea. These book titles are easier to remember because of the pairing of consonants. Vowel sounds work well, too.
12. Change a Well-Known Phrase. When you use a popular phrase in a different way, you call attention to your book and create curiosity. There is a special feeling when an expectation is not met, but is enhanced cleverly instead. Consider The War of Art or All Quiet on the Eastern Front.
13. Slang Gets Noticed. Because it’s out of the ordinary, slang is effective in catching the eye of the reader. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg is a good example, as is Gangsta Granny, Luv Ya Bunches, and Sweet Thang.
14. Trope Titles. A trope is a figurative word or expression. Common tropes are a damsel in distress, the mad scientist, the wise old man… Tropes also can appear as titles such as The Art of …, The Myth of …, How to …, Confessions of …, etc. The danger is that these titles can seem overused and boring, but if you are clever enough to think of a twist, your title might be attractive to readers.
15. Make Up a New Phrase or Word. Language is always evolving, especially in our ever-changing society. Words that were never heard of just five years ago are suddenly well-grounded in our culture. How many times have you heard the expression “No problem” Or “Keep me postal”? Even so, creating a new word or phrase could seem out of place or too peculiar, yet the title A Clockwork Orange made a very strong impression and served Anthony Burgess well. Just make sure the word is easy to say and makes clear sense.
16. Hunt Online. One of the best research activities you can do is go to Amazon or Goodreads and study other book titles for some great ideas you can apply in your brainstorming sessions.
17. Use SEO to Identify Keywords and Phrases that are Popular.

It may be surprising to realize, but book titles cannot be copyrighted. If you wanted to, you could call your book “The Odyssey”, “The Decline of the West”, or Gulliver’s Travels”.

However, if you do choose to name your book after a popular book, you may actually be making it harder for people to find your book because it’s misleading and will probably result in negative reviews from people who buy your book expecting the original.

Step 3: Review Your Brainstorm List and Select Your Best Ideas.

After you’ve invested considerable time brainstorming ideas for your book title, it’s time to make your final choice. By now you should have a long list from which to choose. Resist the temptation to ask other people what they think about your final set of possible book titles because the people you ask will either want to please you by picking the title they think you want them to pick, or they have a different perspective than you on book titles and, after all, they haven’t gone through the lengthy process you have, nor are they as fully familiar with your book’s content as you are. This is the time to rely on your own abilities and intuition. Remember, you can always change your book title later if you feel you’d like to.

As you begin to narrow your brainstorming list down to the top 10 candidates, remember the five tips discussed at the beginning of this guide and make sure your book title finalists grab attention, are memorable, informative, short, and easy to say, and not embarrassing. Bring your list down to the top five, and then down to the top three, and check in with your feelings and intuition about which title is best.

Do You Need A Subtitle?

Nonfiction books benefit by having a subtitle. The general is that the title captures the reader’s interest and the subtitle contains the explanation or the promise of your book. Also remember that your subtitle gives you the advantage of providing additional keywords for your book to be found online, a big benefit. The subtitle gives the reader more information about your book’s content, the people intended to read it, and the value it brings this audience. Give as much attention to the subtitle as you did to select your title because they are meant to work together.

Final Thoughts

Selecting a prominent title for your book is essential for effective marketing. While the front cover is also very important, remember that many people will hear your book’s title before they ever see your book’s cover. Time spent on carefully filtering ideas and doing book title research is an excellent investment because with Amazon posting over 7,000 new titles every day, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd!

Don’t let this thought impede you; while your book title is a critical decision, your effectiveness in marketing your book is the true decider of your book’s destiny. White Glove Book Marketing offers book marketing packages that help you get noticed. Please contact us for information about how we can help you achieve your Dream!

White Glove Book Marketing is a full-service ghostwriting, editing, proofreading, publishing, and marketing company dedicated to serving our clients’ best interests. Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve your Dream!

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