Can you guess the most important thing about a book? That’s right, its title. Your book’s title should be so compelling that when your ideal audience reads it they immediately say…
“ I want that! ”
And, out of all the million variations of titles out there… there’s only FIVE types that are the most compelling.
Here they are…
The first one is what I call ‘ Name It And Claim It ‘ book title. The secret power of this type is its ability to make you feel like you’re going to get what it says. For example, Financial Peace. When you’re holding a book with that title in your hands (and you’re someone who’s in financial turmoil) your heart rate immediately drops. It’s as if you’ve already achieved that outcome – financial peace.
Then, the second type is ‘ The Declaration ‘ title. Stop Your Divorce. Double Your Income. Think and Grow Rich … and so on. Notice how these are all actions. When somebody grabs a book with this type of title they think, “Yeah, this is what I’m going to do!” ” I’m going to think and grow rich…” ” I’m going to stop my divorce…”or “ I’m going to double my income! ”
Next. The third type is the ‘ How To ‘ title. The secret power of this type is in the fact that it always has an outcome attached to it. There’s always a benefit implied. For example, Frank Kern’s latest book: _How to Get High Paying Clients, Even if Nobody Knows Who You Are_. Do you see how compelling that sounds?
Think about it. If you’re someone looking to get better paying clients, but you’re not an authority in your industry yet, when you’re just starting out… this title hits the nail right on the head. You cannot NOT feel compelled by it because that’s exactly the kind of outcome you’re looking for.
And here’s another great thing about How To titles: They make excellent subtitles, too.
Moving on…
The fourth title type: ‘ Information Goldmine ‘. This type is probably the most practical of all five. Why? Because you’re saving someone hours of research… For example, Social Security Benefits Guide … _US Hockey Scholarship Directory… The Hundred Great Places To Have An Outdoor Wedding_… These books are information gold mines for people who are in fact-finding mode.
And last but not least, the fifth title type is ‘ Questions ‘. _What to Expect When You’re Expecting … How To Know When It Makes Sense To Refinance_. The tricky part to wordsmithing a great Questions title is that to get it right, you really have to understand the conversation that’s going on in people’s minds. You need to do a bit of homework and spend time understanding your audience. But if you do, this title type can be the most powerful.
And there you have it.
Five templates to use next time you’re stuck with naming your book, lead magnet, or report.
For more on these templates, head over to the podcast.
