If you want to sell books, you need a great title. In fact, it’s one of the most important aspects of writing a book that sells, yet I see many authors get stuck or fail to deliver. Or, they just don’t have a reliable process that works.
To write a title that sells, follow these steps:
First, you must do the keyword research to see which words people are looking up when they want a book on your topic, and then you should brainstorm your titles, keeping those keywords in mind.
Next, look to see if the titles you came up with are available by checking on Amazon. This is a pretty good indicator. However, be aware that not all authors publish on Amazon. I am working with a client right now who found a book with one of the titles we were considering that is not being offered on Amazon. She found it on the author’s website. She also found that this author was already getting media attention for their book.
Now, if the book had been written by an author who was not savvy, it might be okay to go ahead, if the domain name was available, but in this case, the other book was already getting publicity, so I would pass.
The next step is to check to make sure the domain name is available. And you always want to use a .com not a .net or .org or anything other one, because people always go to .com first. So, it will be more difficult to get found if you don’t have a .com, and it’s even worse if the business that has the .com is in your niche and is your competition. Then, you end up marketing to send your competition business and nobody wants to do that!
The next step is to narrow your list to your top 3-4 titles, and then ask your ideal market for feedback.
If your market isn’t excited about any of them, you have two choices, go back to the drawing board and go through the process again or start testing them with paid ads.
The biggest issue that I see authors go through is that they want to fall in love their title. If you can find a title you love, that’s great, but sometimes, all the ones you fell in love with are taken, or you can’t think of one, or the domain name for the one you want isn’t available. At that point, the first thought usually is to cave and go to a .net or another domain or add the word “book” on the end of your title. Don’t do it!
You will lose eyeballs and, therefore, sales.
Instead, dig deeper for a more creative title. Approach it from another direction. For instance, instead of trying to write a title based on what your book is about, try writing a title based on the feeling someone would get from getting your solution. Or, the benefit they would get.
Here’s an example:
Successful Aging vs. The Feeling Great! Wellness Program for Older Adults . The first is more descriptive while the second talks about the feeling one would get from it.
Getting feedback can also help. I have found that when you ask for feedback, sometimes your clients will give you other ideas that you hadn’t thought of, some good and some not so good. You have to look for suggestions that are appropriate for your book, that make sense, are written in title form, and that touch you emotionally. I guarantee you will get some suggestions that don’t fit the bill and if you don’t have all four, forget it!
When I ask for feedback, I look at who is giving it to me, and I give more credence to those suggestions that come from colleagues I respect and clients I have worked with who are my ideal ones.
And finally, if you still can’t get a title that you love that you audience is excited about, either settle on one that will work, or hire someone with the expertise who can write it for you.
Want to learn more about writing bestseller titles? Grab a copy of my Bestseller Title-Formula Checklist at www.booktitlesecrets.com
Ellen Violette helps busy creative visionaries, leaders and change-makers, write a bestseller, launch to #1, and market their book to get more clients, open doors to bigger opportunities, make more money, & a bigger impact, and leave a lasting legacy. She is an award-winning book and business coach, podcast host, CEO of Create a Splash Marketing & Grammy-nominated songwriter.
