Continued: Develop Manuscript and Book Metadata
Explore Book Titles
After you have the book idea written down, then typed out
you may instantly come with a good book title. But something you
need to brainstorm ideas for possible book titles and subtitles.
For me, the title often comes along with the book idea. Then
other times, I try working with one title for a while until a new,
better one comes up that really fits the book like a comfy hat.
The final title will become part of the book’s metadata. Choosing
a good title is a way of marketing your book to readers. The subtitle
can describe for them what is in your book. Doing this is also key
to reaching the right audience. Try to use some keywords it the
title and subtitle. That can help your book be found online.
Take this time to ask yourself what type of book you are writing.
Is it fiction or non-fiction; for kids, or young adults, or is it for
adults? Go online, to bookstores, and libraries and look at titles
already on the market. Then go back to your manuscript and scan
it for a term or phrase that may have the feel of a good title. The
title and book cover are the first thing potential readers see. For me,
having a working title helps inspire my writing. It can help me
stay focused on and interested in working on a book project.
While you’re researching titles take notice of the array of
book cover art examples. Take note of the elements you’d like to
see in your cover design. The cover can be another marketing
tool leading to orders of the forthcoming book. You may be the
one to design your book cover. Or you may choose to hire an artist
to design the book’s cover for you. Either way, these early book
cover ideas benefit the book’s development. You could start to play
around with color combinations. Maybe make little mockup of the
covers. At the very least, it can be an inspiration to have a printout
of your book cover ideas tacked to the wall above your desk. Design
programs like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and even Microsoft
Word will allow you to create, place images, and try different fonts
and font sizes.
Book Title
When you’re deciding on a title for your book, try exploring your
manuscript. There could be a good book title hidden there somewhere.
There may be a cool passage that could be the title if a word or two
were re-arrange in an interesting way. Also, in your book’s title, try
placing keywords in there to make it more searchable online. And you
could aways research online for the bestselling titles in your genre.
But a really good title comes from inspiration and is a bit unique.
Subtitle
Book subtitles are usually based on the genre. It says more
specifically, what the title cannot say. A subtitle can tell the reader what
type of book it is. For instance, it may simply state, “A Novel”. You can
use more words in the subtitle than in the title to convey what’s in your
book. Also, it can explain how the book is structured inside. Using
keywords in the subtitle helps your book be more searchable as well.
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