Write a Bestselling Book that Will Sell for a Decade Part 1

Hundreds of hours go into writing a book, not to mention the quality assurance and publishing pieces.

It stands to reason you'd want to make a solid return on that?time?investment, which eclipses the amount of money you'd spend to really do it right!

In this week's series, I'll give you some insight into how to write a bestselling book that earns multiples on your investment for at least a decade.

Please note I'm calling it a bestselling book, but I really want you to have a "best earning" book—one that continues to sell and work hard on your behalf. Not all bestselling books are best earning books.

First and foremost, ensure your title and subtitle convey what the book is really all about.

Your title is "what" the book is about. Be direct when crafting your title. Avoid being cute or clever. Someone must know exactly what your book will give them. Great titles include:?The Four-Hour Work Week,?Think & Grow Rich,?Lose Weight Like Crazy (Even if you Have a Crazy Life)!?If someone has to guess or they think they know (and they are wrong), they might think it's amazing you've got a book, but they won't buy it (and if you give them a copy they won't read it).

Your subtitle is the "promise" of the book: what will the reader get, gain, or avoid by reading the book. Cute or clever isn't good here, either. Direct, to the point, leaving no doubt how the reader will benefit from trading their time and money.?Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones?is a terrific example (and also an incredible book). There's no question why it's been at the top of the Amazon bestsellers list for?163 weeks!

Here's how you know your title and/or subtitle needs improvement: 1. You have to explain it. 2. You have to explain it. 3. You have to explain it. (Seriously.) Unless almost every single person makes a logical comment after reading them, such as,?I really need this!?or?I know someone who needs this.?without any further dialogue, it isn't the right title and please try again. Remember: your book has a micro-second to grab someone's attention long enough for them to buy it. What you really want is for them to buy it and feel compelled to put it at the top of their TBR (to be read) pile.

The good news is that books with poor titles have been republished with better titles and done much better. If you've made this mistake (as I have!), because you're an independent publisher and author, you get a do-over!

I'll be back tomorrow with the second way you can ensure your book has a long and successful future. In the meantime, if you have questions, press reply and let me know!

Honorée Corder | I help professionals write, publish, market, and monetize their books.?

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