What's in a title?

Coming up with a title for your book can feel like the hardest part and you may decide to leave it until the very end or have a working title which changes as the book progresses.

The title is very important as it is one of the first things to engage a potential reader (apart from the cover design) and should reflect the essence of the book, whilst awakening curiosity and interest. However, when writing your first book, the chances are that you won’t have the luxury of being well-known, so the title will need to go that extra mile for you.

Most non-fiction books have both a title and subtitle and rather like dancing partners the two should move together in harmony – one leading and the other following. The title should entice and engage, whilst the subtitle gets to the heart of things.

Rules of the Red Rubber Ball
Find and Sustain Your Life’s Work
Kevin Carroll

My curiosity was immediately aroused by this rather funky title, which didn’t give much away, particularly since the subtitle isn’t featured on the cover, but on the first page. Unusual but effective.

So, be different. Don’t be afraid to go for a title that is out of the ordinary. In these days of information overload, it can be the unusual things which capture your attention.

How to Run Your Business Like a Girl
Successful Strategies from Entrepreneurial Women Who Made It Happen
Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin

I bought this book shortly before starting my own business and it was the words ‘like a girl’ that attracted me to it. Enough said!

In other words, connect with your audience. If your book is aimed at a very specific target audience then let them know it on the front cover!

One Small Step Can Change Your Life
The Kaizen Way
Robert Maurer, Ph.D.

I’d heard of the Japanese principles of Kaizen, but it was the idea of achieving success in a way that is actually manageable that I found appealing.

In short, small is beautiful. Some book titles state that you can change your life in a weekend (as if!) or imply that it contains everything there is to know on a particular subject e.g. “The complete book of…” (Does this mean that others are incomplete?!). You may find that sometimes less is definitely more.

What Should I Do with My Life?
The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Questions
Po Bronson

I was struggling with this very question when I saw an advert for this book in a tube station! It is a subject very dear to my heart and the book has become one of my absolute favourites.

The direct approach works. A title doesn’t always need to be cryptic to be engaging. Sometimes you can just tell it like it is and it will hit home.

I should add that all of the above have great cover designs, which enhanced my initial interest. ‘Rules of the Red Rubber Ball’ even has a circle of red rubber embedded in the cardboard front cover, which delighted me no end.

Have a think about book titles that you have found memorable, funny or engaging or go into your local bookstore and see what takes your fancy and why…