
A good title is not the key to making your book do well but a bad title will certainly have a negative affect.
The title is the first thing the reader sees and getting the title right is possibly the single most important marketing decision you will make – even though most authors do not think of it as marketing.
A practical technique is to select precise nouns and strong, active verbs, then place them together to pack a punch. For example: the title for my novel “Forgiveness Be Damned” is far more compelling than calling the book “Tommy’s Dysfunctional Family”.
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The 5 Attributes Of Good Book Titles
- Attention Grabbing – be provocative, controversial, exciting
- Memorable – your book cannot be recommended if it does not have a memorable title
- Informative – delivers an idea of what the book is about, without a long-winded explanation
- Easy to say – not a tongue twister, an understandable title
- Not embarrassing or problematic for someone to say aloud to their friends
Titling conventions:
- short action words – Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
- short character description – The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
- objects – Romancing the Throne, by Nadine Courtney
- relationships – The Idiot’s Guide to Keeping a Woman, by L.M. Wasylciw
- organizing principle – Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding
- setting – Mystic River, by Dennis Lehane
- theme – War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
- quote – Something’s Gotta Give, by Nancy Meyers
- line from the book – The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
- line from the bible – East of Eden, by John Steinbeck
- character name – Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White
So much of book marketing goes back to word of mouth. You want your book AND title to inspire and motivate people to talk about it.
“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish.”