Titles - and Subtitles - Sell Books!

>“brand”. Then as you make your brand into a
Does a title really sell a book? The short answer is,household word, you ensure future sales. As each title
yes. You must be careful in choosing your book titlein the series is published, you know that people will buy
because if a book does not attract a reader initially, itthe latest book to complete the series. Think Harry
will be overlooked and not purchased. The book title isPotter or Nancy Drew.
the element that creates the initial attraction to theThe subtitle of your book is a great way to increase
book.sales. The subtitle gets to the heart of the book and
Watch people who are browsing in a bookstore. Aconvinces the reader of the book’s benefits. It
catchy title grabs their interest and makes them reachlets people know that the book is unique and that they
for the book out of curiosity. A great title makesreally can’t live without it. It makes the reader
browsers think, “Really?” or “What does THATbelieve that he or she just can’t live without it
mean?” or “That’s what I need”. Think— and that is your objective.
long and hard when choosing your book’s title.Check the following subtitles:
The title must give some clues about the book’s• Woman-Sense Rules! — The Spiritual
contents in a snappy “one-liner”.Woman’s Guide to Finding Yourself When You
Many authors struggle fiercely with the title choice, notDidn’t Know You Were Missing
realizing that the title is there somewhere in the• Fit to Cook — Why “Waist” Time in the
book’s contents. They just haven’tKitchen?
recognized it because they are too close to the• Climb Your Stairway to Heaven — the 9
project. Sometimes it helps to talk to impartial, unbiasedhabits of maximum happiness
persons. Tell them what your book is about, and then• Light the Fire — Fiery Food with a Light New
listen to their feedback.Attitude!
Alternately, on the tongue-in-cheek advice of one• Spell Success in Your Life - A road map for
publishing professional, open a bottle of wine and startachieving your goals and surviving success
writing. Make a list of everything that comes to mindIn the title and in the subtitle, you can use humor or
about what you have written in your book. Nothing isemotions to sell your book, but avoid clichés and
too silly, but do try to strike on the central theme or“corny” expressions, or overly common sayings.
message.They soon become stale and annoying. Keep your title
When your list is complete (and the wine is all gone),unique, catchy and relevant.
group your notes into categories. Choose theBefore making the final decision on your book title,
snappiest, most intriguing words that say somethingconduct a title search (Click Here to see our course,
about your book without sounding like a boringIdea to Book…to Success — the fast, easy,
explanation.simple way! for instructions on title searches). Although
Perhaps these titles will help you:you cannot copyright a title, duplicating titles only leads
• Woman-Sense Rules!to confusion, and you want people to buy your book,
• Fit to Cooknot a competitor’s book. Make your book title
• Climb Your Stairway to Heaven(and subtitle) one that increases the likelihood of
• Light the Fireincreasing your book sales.
• Spell Success in Your Life© Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.
If you are planning on a series, your title should be your