Phone: 770-887-1462 Free Newsletter Signup

Rob Eagar

Marketing expertise to spread your message like wildfire.

  • Start Here
  • About
  • Books
    • The Author’s Guide to Marketing Books on Amazon
    • The Author’s Guide to Email Marketing
    • The Author’s Guide to Media Interviews
    • The Author’s Guide to Write Text That Sells Books
  • Coaching
    • Book Marketing Master Class
    • Private Author Coaching Sessions
    • Amazon Book Description Service
    • Media Interview Training
    • Concierge Book Launch Consulting
  • Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Bestseller Case Studies
    • Client List
  • e-Courses
    • Mastering Amazon for Authors
    • Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget
  • Free Tips
    • Articles and Hot Tips for Authors
    • Blog
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Contact

Aug 10 2014

How to Create Killer a Title That People Will Read

If you’re trying to attract a larger audience, you have to get people’s attention in the first place. Thus, learning how to create a killer title is crucial to marketing success. Boring titles cause prospective readers, customers, and donors to lose interest. Whereas, compelling titles intensify a person’s curiosity so that they want to read your book, free resource, or non-profit story.

As a marketing consultant, I’m frequently asked by clients to help them create powerful titles for books, newsletters, freemiums, etc. Examples of successful titles include:

  • Why Smart People Accept Unacceptable Behavior
  • Made to Crave
  • 5 Ways to Cure the Cool Kid Curse
  • The Secret to Changing Your Spouse
  • Get Unstuck, Be Unstoppable
  • 12 Huge Mistakes Parents Can Avoid
  • The 7-Day Confident Heart Challenge
  • 10 Tips to Build Boundaries with Your Mom
  • Why Nice People Attract Jerks
  • How to Forgive When It’s Hard to Forget

People sometimes ask me, “What’s your secret to a killer title?” But, my answer is that I don’t have a secret. Instead, I create and judge a title by whether it’s able to pass or fail these five key questions:

Question 1. Is the title easy to remember a week later? Is it sticky, memorable, and easy to say out loud?

Question 2. Does the title create immediate curiosity? Does it generate a burning to desire to read more? You want to make another person think, “I have to read that right now.”

Question 3. Does the title imply value for the reader? Is there an implied promise or an answer to the reader’s ultimate question, “What’s in it for me?”

Question 4. Would a reader feel cool if they told someone else the title? People have egos, and they like to be the first one to tell others about something cool.

Question 5. Does the title help build a brand? Does it help enable the creation of complimentary spin-off resources, such as a multi-book deal for novelists (i.e. – trilogy) or assessments, seminars, coaching, and curriculum for non-fiction content?

These five questions have helped me and my clients develop titles that spread word-of-mouth like wildfire. I encourage you to use these questions as you create your own titles.

(By the way, these five questions also help when you’re developing a killer tagline to market yourself, your business, or non-profit organization.)

 

 

Written by Rob Eagar · Categorized: Author Tips, Marketing Tips, Monday Morning Marketing Tip

About Rob Eagar

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He is one of the rare consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit The New York Times bestsellers list. Rob has consulted with numerous publishers and trained over 1,000 authors. He is the creator of The Author's Guide Series, a comprehensive collection of resources that teaches authors how to sell more books. Find out more at: WildFire Marketing and follow Rob on Twitter.

Comments

  1. Rhonda Stoppe says

    August 11, 2014 at 3:02 pm

    Great insights to create killer titles that readers will read!
    Thanks Rob!
    Rhonda Stoppe
    No Regrets Woman

    • Rob Eagar says

      August 11, 2014 at 4:35 pm

      Thanks for the kudos, Rhonda and Cheryl. Glad to help!

      Rob

  2. Cheryl Barker says

    August 11, 2014 at 3:37 pm

    Appreciate these tips, Rob. I will be needing them very soon. Thanks!

  3. Cindi McMenamin says

    August 12, 2014 at 5:09 pm

    Thanks, Rob. Your article on “Killer titles” just reaffirmed to me which title I should go with on a project I’m thinking about — and it caused me to dump the other one that I now know is not going to work. For me, titles are the most difficult to come up with but, like you said, the most important. Thanks for yet another PRACTICAL and HELPFUL article.

    • Rob Eagar says

      August 12, 2014 at 5:45 pm

      Thanks Cindi. I’m glad to hear that this week’s article was relevant to your immediate situation!

      Keep on writing and rockin’!

      Rob

  4. Debra Rogers says

    August 14, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Great tips, Rob! As a book author who’s writing a lot of relationship articles these days, these are 4 terrific reminders!

    Thanks again. Your newsletters always inspire!

    Debra Rogers
    He Did You a Favor

Publishing Predictions for 2023

January 1, 2023 Posted by Rob Eagar

As we enter 2023, let’s look ahead to the major issues that will affect authors and publishers. Here are five predictions that deserve your attention…

Continue Reading »

Book Marketing Master Class
  • About
  • Books
  • Consulting
  • Free Tips
  • Blog
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

© 2023 WildFire Marketing

Website by Wildfire Marketing