Monday, February 29, 2016

Why You Need a Unique Book Title in an Increasingly Digital World

A few weeks ago a friend recommended a book to me. The title was easy to remember, but I couldn't recall the authors name. No big deal, though, right?  Wrong. When I went searching for the book on Amazon, about twenty different books with similar titles popped up. And because I couldn't remember the author's name, I couldn't figure out which one to buy.

Which got me thinking about titles and the importance of having a unique one.

Here's the thing: in an increasingly digital world, you have to think about book titles not just as something that grabs attention at shelf, but something that is uniquely searchable. And unless you are J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, you can't expect potential readers to remember your book title AND your author name. You need to make it as easy as possible for readers to find your book, which means ensuring that when they type the title into a search bar, be it Google or Amazon, your book rises to the top. Otherwise you may lose them, and a lost reader is a lost sale that likely won't come back.

So here's my public service announcement: before you fall too deeply in love with your title, type it into Amazon, Goodreads and Google and see what other titles rise to the top. If there is another book that has your title, consider changing it. If there are multiple books with your title or similar titles, then don't even pause to consider. Change it. Your future readers will thank you.

Here are a couple of resources to help you come up with that perfect, unforgettable title:

7 tips to nail the perfect title

Finding a great title for your book or story

The truth about picking book titles 

Coming up with a good book title

And just for fun:  Random book title generator

Happy writing!

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