The Secrets to the Best Self-Help Book Title—and Title Ideas, from a Book Coach
In a matter of a second or two, someone will determine whether or not your book is relevant to them and whether it’s worth their time or money.
It starts with the title and subtitle.
Self-help books are no exception.
A good self-help book title will attract the readers you want to help—the people who need your help.
In the crowded marketplace for nonfiction books, yours needs to stand out.
If you don’t have a decent book title, you’ll lose some of the right readers.
In this article, geared toward American nonfiction authors, and written by a nonfiction book coach, we look at how to come up with a title for a self-help book.
(If you’re a US-based author writing a nonfiction book, click the links to learn more about nonfiction book coaching, to get the self-help book outline template, get a book outline critique, or to get help planning and organizing your book with the GET STARTED book coaching package.)
The self-help book title tips and ideas in this author resource . . .
will help your book connect with your ideal readers and compel them to buy.
Fiction vs. Nonfiction titles
The purpose of a fiction book is to tell a great story that will entertain readers.
For a fiction book, a title answers the question, “Does this look like a good story?”
Most fiction titles are often poetic, metaphorical, cryptic, or creative.
For nonfiction books, it’s very different.
For nonfiction, and self-help in particular, a title needs to answer the question, “What will I get out of this?”
Nonfiction books are written to provide a solution, to help readers bring about a transformation, to educate.
(In some cases, nonfiction books are meant to tell a true story, and often there are stories in books that provide a solution, transformation, or education.)
The most important thing your self-help book title must do is this:
A self-help book title must offer a solution to a problem and promise a transformation.
Self-help books need to paint the solution, the desired transformation that people will achieve—what they can attain—if they read the book.
The same is true for how-to and business books, as well as for books in the dieting & fitness, cooking, and food & wine categories.
Readers want a victory, a transformation, a revelation.
But the transformation offered needs to be specific, desired, believable, attention-grabbing, and easy to understand.
Ask yourself: In basic terms, what problem am I helping readers solve? And/or What transformation does this book promise?
Book titles use colorful adjectives to grab the readers’ attention or strike a chord with their emotions or desires. If you’re writing a book in one of these genres, include “power words.” (More on that later.)
Self-Help Book Title and Subtitle Strategies
Your best bet is to use a witty, attention-grabbing title with a subtitle that tells your reader what the book has to offer the reader—a transformation, benefit, or system that solves a problem or provides a solution.
The purpose of the general title is to grab the reader’s interest and give them an at-a-glance idea of what your book is about.
The subtitle is then intended to tell the reader exactly what they will learn from your book, and/or how your book will solve their problems.
The title is the hook or the concept, what your book is about.
It is short. Catchy. Could be funny. Memorable.
This is often the central theme or feeling associated with the book, the general idea, a universal concept or emotion.
Your title needs to capture the essence of your book.
It could be a quality, a visual image, a metaphor, a place, a quote, a concept.
The subtitle is the sell.
It indicates what readers will get from your book, meaning the actionable solutions your book offers in the case of a self-help book.
Your subtitle needs to signal what the reader will learn from the book—the solution provided.
In addition,
subtitles give additional information, context, and keywords for the reader.
Subtitles help readers discover the book in online searches, and, in some genres, lure the reader in through descriptive words or intrigue them.
In the case of self-help books, subtitles appeal to their desires or emotions and indicate that the book offers a solution to problems they are having.
In most (but not all) cases, a book needs a subtitle.
Your subtitle should include the keywords people will be searching for. It needs to speak to the content of the book while sparking readers’ curiosity.
If it’s promising a benefit or transformation, that benefit or transformation has got to be touched on here while seeming believable and by appealing directly to the reader’s curiosity and emotions.
Your self-help book title must also indicate to readers, “This book is for you, and it’s what you’re looking for.”
Your book can’t be everything to everyone. Target a specific problem. A specific reader.
Use language that’s consistent with your book and your audience. You don’t want to include millennial slang if you were writing a book for Boomers, now, would you?
You don’t want your title to be funny if it’s a serious book about coping with loss and grief.
The title needs to match the tone of the book.
And the words chosen need to make sense.
The best self-help book titles are shareable, searchable, and memorable.
Your title needs to be shareable.
Your title has to be easy to remember and tell others about.
Stay clear of obscure words and words that people may misspell and mispronounce.
Stay clear of long words, jargon, and buzzwords.
Stay clear of embarrassing or edgy words if the purpose is not to sound embarrassing or edgy.
Avoid vulgarity; it will turn off too many readers and many retailers don’t allow it.
Your title needs to be searchable.
Your title needs to be easy to find in an online search.
A good title contains elements of what people would search for on Amazon, Google, or even YouTube. You want people to be able to find your book easily when they search for the information that is in it.
Do the research. Visit Amazon. Search Books. Search the Kindle Store. See what appears in the searches you try, and see what populates in the auto-fill.
Are you or will you be frequently publishing ebooks, or are you new to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)? If so, there are keyword planning tools—free and paid—that show you what people are searching for, so you can use those words in your title and subtitle and increase your chances of being found and bought.
Publisher Rocket is one of the paid tools.
Your title needs to be somewhat unique.
You don’t want to seem like a copycat, nor do you want to blend into the crowd.
Search Amazon, Worldcat.org (a collection of thousands of library catalogs), or the Library of Congress catalog to make sure that your title hasn’t already been used before. If it has, change your title.
Books in Print (which may require a subscription but is freely accessible through some libraries) is another way to do this.
Likewise, do a Google search to make sure there’s nothing offensive or controversial about the title. Titles cannot be copyrighted, but you don’t want your title to be lost in the crowd.
More considerations for writing the perfect self-help book title:
Your title needs to be short.
Short titles are easier to say, type, tweet, and remember.
Shorter titles and shorter words are easier to see on book cover thumbnails and display better on ebooks.
Title (if accompanied by a subtitle): 1 to 5 words.
Subtitle: 12 or fewer words.
Total (title and subtitle): 10 to 18 words.
Amazon will allow up to 200 characters (way too many). But book catalogs and ordering systems limit the number of characters available for titles. One such catalog, Books in Print, uses a 92-character field, meaning it will only show about 12 words.
If you want your title to look good and be memorable to book buyers—retailers and readers—make sure the title isn’t too long.
Your title needs to speak to your readers’ emotions or desires.
So use descriptive words rather than bland words.
Especially for self-help books, experiment with words that spark curiosity, emotion, desire, or intrigue.
Here are some “power words” to try to incorporate into your title (or subtitle):
Amazing, Authentic, Breakthrough, Cutting-Edge, Delightful, Discover, Dramatic, Easy, Epic, Essential, Exclusive, Fascinating, Fast, Guaranteed, Inspire, Instant, Lifelong, Lifetime, Love, New, Perfect, Power, Powerful, Practical, Proven, Quality, Quick, Results, Secret(s), Simple Surprise, Terrific, Tested, Today, Thriving, Transform, Ultimate, Uncommon, Unique, Value, Visionary, Wild
These words spark curiosity. They spark emotions. They make people care more. They make your book sound more credible.
They’ve got to feel that whatever you’re offering is going to be fast, easy, better, time-saving, money-saving, problem-solving, comprehensive, fun, feel-good, or feel-better.
Using http://thesaurus.com, you can find synonyms that are more emotionally engaging. Try words or phrases that say to the reader, “Here’s a reliable way to get your desired solution.”
Words or phrases like “Proven System,” “Fast,” “Best,” x Steps to,” “Easily,” may be appropriate for some nonfiction titles.
These words might also be appropriate for some titles: I, You, Who, What, When, Where, Why.
To write and publish a successful self-help book,
you need a plan that works.
Learn how to structure your self-help book with the Self-Help Book Outline Template PDF
Work with an Experienced Publishing Coach
For self-help and how-to books, choose your verb tenses carefully.
Using no verbs in the subtitle often implies that the book is going to be a comprehensive how-to resource or elaborates on the title.
Using present-tense verbs sounds like a call to action.
Using verbs ending in -ing can indicate an ongoing or continuing process.
Your title needs to be phrased in a positive manner.
Unless your book’s content is intentionally provocative or critical, readers will respond better to a positively worded title. Your book needs to sell a solution rather than a problem.
Your title needs to follow the rules.
Your title needs to comply with online retailers’ requirements. Here are the Amazon rules for book titles.
Any of this stuff can go in the book description or logline.
Additional Recommendations for Self-Help Book Titles
Remember the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Contestants could “ask the audience” to vote on which answer they believed to be correct. They weren’t always right. But they were still a helpful lifeline more often than not.
Ask prospective readers for their ideas.
Does it excite them? Intrigue them? Speak to their needs?
If they were looking for a book like that, would the title grab their interest?
Poll your target audience.
Ask other authors what they think.
Do you know a librarian or a bookstore employee? Their insight might be helpful. They’ll be the people recommending your book to readers, and there are many self-help books that cross their counters.
But what the target audience thinks is most important.
If you find that your book is not sharable and searchable, that it isn’t unique enough, or that it’s not getting the positive reaction you’re looking for, be open to changing it.
Be open to changing your title. You’re the expert on the subject. But you’re not necessarily the expert on the title.
Can a book title be changed after it’s published?
Self-published ebook authors can change their titles if the original title misses the mark. It’s possible on Amazon KDP to upload a new version of the book, but revised print editions will require a new ISBN.
Traditional publishers may insist on changing the title of a manuscript they acquire for publication—before they publish it.
Citing data, experience, brand, and gut feeling, a traditional publisher might nix your original title in favor of something they think will sell more and work better. You’ll likely have little say in the matter.
They know the marketplace better than you, and their expertise likely means something.
Traditionally published titles are not changed once they’re released, with the exception of adding words to indicate a book is a second or revised edition.
In summary, the best self-help book titles . . .
promise a solution or transformation within the pages
have a title that captures the essence of the book and a subtitle that “sells” the book
signal who the book is for
are shareable, searchable, and unique
are short
use “power words” to spark emotion, curiosity, and desire
use verb tenses deliberately
are phrased in a positive manner to make people excited about reading
follow online book retailers’ rules
typically follow a proven formula
are tested out on potential readers (and others)
may be changed before publication if they aren’t hitting the mark
The best titles sell your book, help people find it, and make them want to have it.
Closing thoughts on self-help book titles
Selecting a title takes time, but it’s time well spent.
Be patient, put in the effort, and give your book the winning title it deserves.
Use the formulas and examples provided above, run it through the questions on the checklist, and get outside opinions (that matter), and you’ve got yourself a winning title for your self-help book.
If you follow the tips I’ve given you, you should be well on your way to having a great title.
You got this!