How to Write and Publish Your First Book 5: Creating a Bestseller Title

Home > Blog > Create a Book > How to Write and Publish Your First Book 5: Creating a Bestseller Title

When you write a book, there is a difficult moment when the end is in sight…

You need to come up with a title [sigh].

The problem with creating a bestseller book title is that you, as the writer, are too close to your book to be able to choose a good title. In fact, you’re the worst person for creating a book title because you’ve ended up with tunnel vision.

You don’t believe me? Here’s proof:

Let me give you an example of a novice writer who struggled to find a title for his book (I’ll reveal the famous author’s name in a moment). First, he created two titles.

The author’s favorite title was: ‘Broadband and White Sand’.  What do you think, could it become a bestseller?

Doubtful, right?

The author had a second choice: ‘Millionaire Chameleon’.

Meh – that’s even worse, don’t you think?

Then the novice author had a brainwave. He thought, “Why not ask my potential readers for a title?”

He asked, and someone came up with pure gold. They suggested: ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’. And this title carried author Tim Ferris to the heights of bestsellerdom!

I’m going to take a leaf out of Tim’s playbook.

My upcoming book is missing its title. Can you help, please? 

Here a the summary of my upcoming book:

Are you afraid of aging? Most people in their fifties and sixties begin to dread getting older. They fear falling sick, becoming weaker, or even losing their mind. What if you could stop or even reverse the process of aging?

Read about thirteen youthful agers who have made their mature years the most exciting and productive time of their lives. Find out their secrets of getting the body back in shape, sharpening the mind, and getting the creative juices flowing. After reading this book, you’ll start to look forward to life past retirement as a time of freedom and joy.

Would you please help me with a title for my book? Please vote for the best title (or offer your own idea).

CLICK HERE TO VOTE 

Thanks! I really appreciate your help.

How to Start Thinking About a Title for YOUR Book

I found some great resources for creating great titles of both nonfiction- and fiction books.

Creating a Book Title for Nonfiction

If you are looking for some awesome posts, check out Bryan Collins’ article: How to Pick a Bestselling Title. Bryan shares examples and stats of how small title tweaks made a huge difference to sales figures.  And he explains how to do research for a good title, spells out what makes a great title, and suggests how to finally test your title.

Another excellent resource is Self Publishing School’s article on how to title books.

Self Publishing.com offer a totally free book title generator tool.

Another excellent post for those of you will write non-fiction is an article by Jane Friedman, Secrets to Developing the Best Title for Your Nonfiction Book.

Jane says: “The title and subtitle of your promotion-driven book must work together to entice readers to make a purchase. Titles are short, simple, visual, metaphorical, and resonant, creating an emotional response. Titles grab the gut. Titles sell.”

As an example, Jane quotes Guy Kawasaki’s story of how nobody at a private boys’ school signed up for a course called “Home Economics for Boys.” The class filled up immediately when the school changed the name of the course to “Bachelor Living.”

Creating a Book Title for Fiction

If you’re more interested in writing fiction, check out Joanna Penn’s article: On Changing Book Titles and Covers: My Own Experience And How You Can Do It Too.

This is a tell-all post where Joanna explains the mistakes she originally made when titling her books and how and why she later changed the titles.

I hope you find these resources useful.

If you have 2 minutes to spare, please do go and vote for a title for my book, okay?

RECENT POSTS

How To Launch A Writing Career: 10 Tips For Success

Many creatives want to launch a writing career, but taking the steps to do so is a frequent roadblock. The good news is, if you want to launch a writing career and are committed to doing so, you’re likely to succeed.  Of course, the definition of success is...

6 Book Introduction Examples: Helpful Secrets To Compelling Intros

The topic of book introduction examples is vital to dive into due to their influence on readers’ mindset. How a reader feels when he or she starts chapter one and page one of your manuscript impacts how they respond to your writing. When you’ve spent weeks, months, or...

5 Tips To Write Faster: Finish Your Book In Record Time

Did you know that if you want to write faster than the average typist (40 words per minute) there are actionable steps you can take to do so? Whether you are working on typing out your debut novel or have been in the game for years, there’s always an opportunity to...

Vision Boards For Writers: 3 Ways To Achieve Your Dreams

Vision boards are more than just a fun activity to engage in at the start of a new year or season. While vision boards are often designed to be aesthetically pleasing and can be a relaxing activity, they actually can be more helpful to your writing dreams than you...

JOIN OVER 2 MILLION READERS

WANT YOUR NEXT BOOK TO BE A BESTSELLER?

Then you need KDP Rocket – the killer advantage of pro authors.

Related Posts

About The Author

Mary Jaksch

Mary Jaksch is best known for her exceptional training for writers at WritetoDone.com and for her cutting-edge book, Youthful Aging Secrets. In her “spare” time, Mary is also the brains behind GoodlifeZEN.com, a Zen Master, a mother, and a 5th Degree Black Belt.

Latest Posts

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

How to Find Freelance Writing Work (2024 Guide)

Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money on the side. But as you may discover once you get a foothold in the industry, it’s more than possible to turn it into a full-time job and lifelong career. There are some hurdles that you have to overcome,...

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

31 Ways to Find Inspiration for Your Writing

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. - Jack London No matter how much you love writing, there will always be days when you need inspiration from one muse or another. In fact, I would argue that inspiration is not just a desirable...