Self-Publishing Q&A: Do Low Content Book Titles Matter?
This question was asked in my Facebook group and I thought it would make a great post. In fact, I’m going to be using questions from the group in future posts and will go into further detail when I can.
The Question
Do titles matter? I was doing some research on Amazon, and I found 3 low content books by different authors but they both had the same title.
There are two parts to this question, really. Do titles matter in general and what about when my book title is the same as another’s?
How important is your book’s title anyway?
And with so many similarities and resources we share – book types, design resources, search phrases, research/tools – do we have to come up with entirely unique titles for every book we publish?
Do Low Content Book Titles Matter?
Yes, for several reasons.
First, they’re important for the user/customer. The title is one of the first things they’ll see and many customers buy quickly and on impulse.
Second, Amazon uses three things to rank your books – the title, subtitle, and backend keywords. So if your title has a particular keyword/phrase you want to rank for, it needs to be in one of those places.
Your title also has to be either on the front cover or the spine of your book and must match what you enter in your book details exactly.
Does it Matter if My Book Title is the Same as Another’s?
As for that “exact match,” it’s going to happen. Do a quick search for “sketchbook + independently published” and you’ll see what I mean. There’s lots of opportunity for overlap. But that doesn’t mean your book won’t get found and won’t sell!
You just need to distinguish your book – get it to stand out. Maybe most important is the cover, because many people will buy on impulse and want a cover they resonate with.
Another way to distinguish your book is in the subtitle. You can get a little descriptive here or use a catchy phrase to get attention.
You also get 7 keyword spaces that hold up to 50 characters each (that’s 350 character spaces!) that you can use to help boost your rankings and reach your target audience.
Though Amazon doesn’t use the book description to rank your book, your customer might look here for more information when making their purchase. And Google does use the content in your
Your book’s interior is another way to stand out – customers might “look inside” to see how one book differs from another. You don’t have a say in what Amazon shows in your preview but it’ll most likely be some front matter or a splash page and the main content of your book will definitely be on display, so keep that in mind when you’re creating!
Learn how to create and SELL low content books step-by-step!
Final Thoughts
To summarize, yes, titles matter and you might title your book the same as another’s (or vice versa.)
That’s OK!
Do your best to be creative, unique, and set your book apart from the rest by creating attractive titles, subtitles, covers, interiors, keywords
You’ll have MUCH more success selling journals on Amazon when you follow these tips.
Have any other questions about low content book titles? Let me know in the comments!
And don’t forget to get on my list for low-content publishing tips!
