Ep27: Titles Talk..How To Come Up With A Book Title That Aligns With Your Brand And Business

[00:00:00] We are back. And this episode is all about how to come up with a title for your non-fiction book. You might be trying to figure out what your title is for your book, or you may have already had a title in mind.

[00:00:13] But what I've come to realize about having a book title is they're not set in stone until you see them on a book cover and think, yep.

[00:00:21] That's the one. That's the one I want for my book.

[00:00:23] So today we are going to cover the title, but also the subtitle for your book, because having a title is really important, but it's a subtitle. That's going to really draw the reader to your book and get them to buy your book, read your book, and to make a difference in their world.

[00:00:40] Now the title for my very first book, the six pillars of a rewarding life changed several times.

[00:00:45] And so did the subtitle. So don't get stuck on trying to figure out the name of your book before you've written your draft, because writing is always going to be the most important thing to get your book done.

[00:00:57] Now, when it comes to the title. Your title should always create an expectation with your reader because it's going to be the first chance to make a lasting impression. And it plays a real vital role in whether a potential readers will pick up your book and turn the page. Coming up with your title, it requires a balance of creativity, clarity, and relevance. You want to create expectations, be also want to intrigue.

[00:01:22] Now here's what I mean by that. So let's look at an example of the six pillars of a rewarding life.

[00:01:27] Originally I thought my book was going to be called the six pillars of taking action. I just don't believe that it sounds effective. It's not creative and the subtitle was improve your life by reaching your goals. They're very broad, very mundane at titles, and they don't really create that intrigue that I've been talking about.

[00:01:47] And to be honest, that clarity in what the rate is expected to learn. Because goals, his goals are such a broad topic. Taking action is such a broad topic. So I've changed it to the six pillars of a rewarding life. And a rewarding life for me that created the entry because. Rewarding life is not something that we hear on a daily basis.

[00:02:08] We always hear about action and we always hear about goal setting, but rewarding life. To me, it's more appealing as a main title. And then the subtitle changed the subtitle change from. Like I said, improve your life by reaching your goals. It changed to a powerful approach to taking action and living with direction. So you can see the difference in the two. The second title is more specific than the first.

[00:02:35] And that's what I wanted to really convey is specificity, because it's an approach. It's about an approach to living our awarding life. And to take action. And to find your direction into where you want to go.

[00:02:49] Now this change. When I saw the first title on a mockup cover design, I really wasn't impressed because it didn't really. Come out at me,

[00:02:57] it didn't really want me to read that book. And I was thinking I really need to change this title. So I changed it and I got the cover designer to do up a couple of more mock drafts. A couple more mock designs. And when I got it back, I was like, yeah, that's the one, this is what I've been w this is what I've been looking for.

[00:03:14] So I changed it to that. Now, sometimes your title may not feel great while looking at it on the first round of cover design and it's okay, because you are more than okay. To change your title during the process, because I certainly did. So don't think that the first title you have is going to always be the title that you carry through into that final published book.

[00:03:35] So what else should your title do?

[00:03:38] Your title should do five things. First capture attention. In a world, bombarded would be the information your title needs to stick in the mind of a radar. It should really pique curiosity and make potential readers stop and go. This is a book that I want to get to know. This is the book that I want to read and know more about. The second thing, it should create expectations.

[00:04:01] Your title should provide a hint about what your book is about, and you want to convey that as a promise to the reader. So tell them what they can expect to gain from reading your book. Thirdly, you want to create an emotional connection? A good title can stir emotions and it can make readers feel really excited.

[00:04:21] Curious. And. Even empathetic depending on your book's topic.

[00:04:26] The fourth thing your title should do is to make it easier to become searchable. Online and in bookstores, titles are key search terms. Optimize your title to increase the discoverability of your book because that's going to lead to more sales and potential clients.

[00:04:44] And finally establish author branding. Your book is part of your author brand, and it should align with the image you want to convey to your audience. So just to recap quickly, the five things, your main title should do. Capture attention, create expectation, create an emotional connection, become searchable and establish your author branding. Now the biggest question is how do you come up with your title and subtitle?

[00:05:12] So you may have a title in mind since you very first thought about writing a book. This was the case for me with published impact. As it's the motto I carry in my coaching business. If you're struggling for a title. Start brainstorming start refining your ideas.

[00:05:28] And the best way to start is to begin with a few key words related to your book.

[00:05:32] So begin with a few key words, jot down words or phrases that come to mind. When you think about those key words, mix and match until you're able to find something that's going to resonate and. Your title should be captivating. And if you include a subtitle, which I would assume you would. This should give you the expectation of what the reader can expect to gain from your book

[00:05:52] You also want to then ask for input from others.

[00:05:55] So don't be afraid to ask for opinions and suggestions from your audience, from your potential readers. Because in previous books, I found that creating a poll of title preferences, where I asked people on my email list and audience to rank their, to rank their least favorite titles. It's a great way to really find what resonates and I've used those results in the past to form final titles. So remember that even though you may love your title, you want it to really sit well with, whoever's going to read your book. Another way to come up with your title is to search Amazon and other online book selling platforms. Study the titles of best-selling books in your genre. What makes them effective? Are there common elements you can incorporate into your title.

[00:06:37] Some awesome titles are atomic habits wide for story. The four hour workweek there's different titles. Some might have numbers in some might only be one word titles. Find a title that's really relevant to your topic and to the problem you're trying to solve for others.

[00:06:55] You also want to be creative, but not too clever. So don't sacrifice clarity for the sake of being too clever with your title. Your title should provide

[00:07:04] a clear indication. Of your book topic.

[00:07:07] So when someone picks up your book, they should have a basic understanding of what they'll find inside and how that book is going to solve their problem. However it doesn't mean your title needs to be a long descriptive sentence aim for a balance between clarity and conciseness, because a concise title is easier to remember, and it's also more visually appealing. And then once you've come up with a list of 20 titles, maybe a minutes, 25 titles. You then want to narrow it down. Before you narrow it down. You need to ask yourself, does it capture the essence of the book? Is it memorable? Does it evoke curiosity or emotion? Is it unique within the book's genre? And is it easy to pronounce and spell?

[00:07:55] What you'll find is when you're able to answer those questions, you're then able to refine your titles within to a certain few.

[00:08:03] And that's, what's gonna make it easier for you to select the right one. So keep refining your title until you find one, that's going to resonate strongly with your target audience. 'cause coming up with a perfect title for your non-fiction book. It's really an art and a science.

[00:08:16] It requires creativity, but again, not being too clever. It also requires a deep understanding of your books, content, which I'm sure you have. So remember that your title, it's not just a label, it's an invitation, it's an invitation for your readers

[00:08:31] and it's your promise, essentially, of what your potential clients, your readers, they're going to discover within your book.

[00:08:37] So invest the time, invest the effort, make a title that represents your book, represents your brand. And it really entices readers to explore what's in the pages.

[00:08:47] So, what I want you to take away from this episode today is to write down 20 titles and subtitles. Choose one that you're going to identify with the most and keep it with you. It may not be your exact title, but you'll eventually narrow it down into something that you're going to be excited by. It. But also remember, I'll leave you with this.

[00:09:05] Your main title creates intrigue. It. captures attention, and the subtitle should set the expectation for your reader, for your potential clients, for your audience. So with that, thanks for listening. And I'll catch you on the next episode.