By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

The saying goes “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in the marketing world, the cover and title are crucial to the book’s success. No one picks up a book that doesn’t catch their attention with the cover and title. As a book publicist, I have gathered the tips and tricks for titling books in my awarding-winning Book Title Generator, which outlines 4 key factors for naming your book:

1. Make it Memorable

You want your title to stick with potential readers, so make it stand out! Use words that evoke emotion, try out some literary devices such as alliteration or allusions, or capitalize off of the popularity of “clickbait,” aka dramatic or sensational phrases that encourage the reader to seek out further information. Ask yourself, “among the hundreds of thousands of books out there, how can my book title stand out?”

2. Make it Descriptive

What is your book about? The title is the first indicator for readers, so you want your title to reflect the plot of the book. A single-word title may have worked decades ago, but with how many books exist now, it can easily get lost. However, you want to avoid overly complicated or difficult-to-remember titles, so consider using a subtitle. On Amazon, you can put 200 characters in your title, so take advantage of it! Subtitles increase searchability and pique the interest of potential readers. Use the title and subtitle to explain the theme, the genre, a character, or another aspect of your book that makes it unique!

3. Tell them the Genre

Genre is very important when it comes to book marketing, as people will often be seeking out specific types of books, so make it clear from the start. Include a reference to the genre directly in your title or subtitle. For example, if your book is about the paranormal, include that in the subtitle. If your book is part of a series, include that. Reaching your target audience is key to a book’s success!

4. Use Keywords to Increase Searchability

Keywords are what people enter into a website when searching for a product. For most products, this is straightforward, i.e. search “car wax” for car wax. For books, however, keywords are more subjective. This is why descriptive titles are so important; you want to include words or phrases that accurately describe your book but are also common things that people would type into a search bar. Figuring out keywords can take some effort: try typing a similar title or genre into Amazon or Goodreads and see what comes up. Are the results comparable to your book? If not, you may need to rethink your title. Additionally, there is new technology that many writers use to help with keywords. Software such as Publisher Rocket can analyze data directly from Amazon and determine the profitability and competition for specific words or phrases.

These four points are just the starting point to developing a strong title but are easily the most important. Taking the time to develop a title using these tools is crucial to your book’s reach, profitability, and long-term performance. Don’t be afraid to change your book’s title if it will increase your chances of success! For more information, check out Book Title Generator, which offers even more details on these key points, as well as more tips and tricks, a plethora of real-life examples, and a list of resources for authors to use.

The Bottom Line: The title is the first thing readers are drawn to when looking at books, so make it descriptive, make it memorable, incorporate the genre, and utilize keywords to increase your success!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award-winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book  www.BookTitleGenerator.net