Challenge to Help Me with a Title and Subtitle for my Next Book
This morning, I listened to an excellent talk about book cover design. The key points: the title must be the hook and the subtitle must be the offer (that is, what the book has to offer the readers).
On most bookseller sites, the shopper will not be able to read the subtitle in the one-inch image--that's a given, so the title must be the hook to get the reader to click on it; then they'll see the subtitle on the book description page.
So, with this in mind, I quickly realized that the title, Finding Solace, of the book I'm going to publish next year says nothing about its subject matter. The subtitle, The First Year of Living with Terminal Cancer, does reveal the book's topic, but it'll disappear in the small image on Amazon and other bookseller sites. I always had a feeling that the title, Finding Solace, was not going to make it to the finished product (and now I know why), and recently I have been referring to it as just the "code" name.
I am proposing a contest. Help me! If I use your idea for the title, the subtitle, or both, I will acknowledge your contribution in the book and send you a free, signed copy before its release to the public. If one person comes up with a great title and another with a great subtitle, there will be two winners, each receiving credit as promised and a free, signed copy of the book.
Again, the title must be the hook and must tell the potential buyer about the book in as few words as possible, because it has to be visible in the one-inch image. If the potential buyer then clicks on the image and reads the subtitle, the subtitle, then, must tell the reader what the book has to offer them and my promise to them about the content.
The book is about my first year of living with a terminal disease. It’s about the prognosis (the label) of incurable and inoperable. It's about all the tests, procedures, treatments, and side effects, and about navigating all the obstacles (stages of grief, extremely persistent quack cure recommendations, and the pain of side effects). It includes all the conversations with friends, family, and strangers. Also, it highlights all the joys of reconnecting with friends and family, resurrecting my hobbies, and slowing down and trying to enjoy each moment and life overall.
Here are some of my ideas so far:
> Title: Cancer! Cancer! Cancer!
> Title: Terminal Cancer Changed My Life
> Title: That Damn "C" Word
> Title: Living with Terminal Cancer
> Subtitle: Finding Solace During the First Year of Living with Terminal Cancer
> Subtitle: The Journey This Year Was All About Finding a New Way to Live
> Subtitle: The diagnosis of terminal, incurable cancer is not an excuse to stop living
On most bookseller sites, the shopper will not be able to read the subtitle in the one-inch image--that's a given, so the title must be the hook to get the reader to click on it; then they'll see the subtitle on the book description page.
So, with this in mind, I quickly realized that the title, Finding Solace, of the book I'm going to publish next year says nothing about its subject matter. The subtitle, The First Year of Living with Terminal Cancer, does reveal the book's topic, but it'll disappear in the small image on Amazon and other bookseller sites. I always had a feeling that the title, Finding Solace, was not going to make it to the finished product (and now I know why), and recently I have been referring to it as just the "code" name.
I am proposing a contest. Help me! If I use your idea for the title, the subtitle, or both, I will acknowledge your contribution in the book and send you a free, signed copy before its release to the public. If one person comes up with a great title and another with a great subtitle, there will be two winners, each receiving credit as promised and a free, signed copy of the book.
Again, the title must be the hook and must tell the potential buyer about the book in as few words as possible, because it has to be visible in the one-inch image. If the potential buyer then clicks on the image and reads the subtitle, the subtitle, then, must tell the reader what the book has to offer them and my promise to them about the content.
The book is about my first year of living with a terminal disease. It’s about the prognosis (the label) of incurable and inoperable. It's about all the tests, procedures, treatments, and side effects, and about navigating all the obstacles (stages of grief, extremely persistent quack cure recommendations, and the pain of side effects). It includes all the conversations with friends, family, and strangers. Also, it highlights all the joys of reconnecting with friends and family, resurrecting my hobbies, and slowing down and trying to enjoy each moment and life overall.
Here are some of my ideas so far:
> Title: Cancer! Cancer! Cancer!
> Title: Terminal Cancer Changed My Life
> Title: That Damn "C" Word
> Title: Living with Terminal Cancer
> Subtitle: Finding Solace During the First Year of Living with Terminal Cancer
> Subtitle: The Journey This Year Was All About Finding a New Way to Live
> Subtitle: The diagnosis of terminal, incurable cancer is not an excuse to stop living
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