Choosing a title for your non-fiction book

You may think that writing your book is the hard part – and it is – but choosing a compelling title can be just as challenging. (After all, short copy is always the hardest to write!) One wrong move and you could attract the wrong audience, or no audience at all.

So here’s a primer on choosing the right title for your non-fiction book. You’ll find out why titles are important, common mistakes to avoid and what to do if you don’t get it right the first time.

Are book titles really that important?

The answer is a resounding yes. Think about it: when you go into a bookshop (or browse books online), the first thing you notice is the book cover. A bright colour. A striking pattern. A moody photograph. It gives you a vital clue about what lies inside. But it’s not the whole story; it's just a teaser. So what makes you reach for the book or press ‘buy’? The title, of course!

A title carries more weight than you realise. It provokes, intrigues and entices. It tells us what to expect from the content – a true story, a system, a skill, an exposé – and if it aligns with the reader's needs or curiosity (and gets the right marketing push), it can boost sales and leave a lasting impression.

6 things you need to consider

It’s all well and good to say you need the right title, but you can’t just pull a line from the book or use a catchphrase that’s only meaningful to you. Here are a few things you need to consider when you’re brainstorming a book title:

1. Your audience

When you started writing your book, you probably had a specific audience in mind and maybe even a draft title. Go back and see if it’s still relevant. Ideas can evolve during the writing or self-editing process and your audience may have shifted too. If it has, think about the segment you’re writing for and what their needs are – and include that in the title.

So, if you’re writing a self-help book, try to address specific pain points, such as overcoming an addiction, making money in the creative economy or how to be liked. Here are some examples: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age or How to Win Friends and Influence People.

If you’re writing a history book or memoir, tell readers what they'll discover about a time period, event or person. For example, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, History’s Most Epic Fails or Guts: A Memoir of Food, Failure and Taking Impossible Chances.

2. The book’s tone or style

If you’ve written an academic book, a humorous title may not create the right expectations for the reader – and vice versa. Make sure your book title reflects the tone and style of the book. For instance, we know that John Olsen: An Artist’s Life is an authoritative biography, while The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is an irreverent self-help book.

3. The genre

Familiarise yourself with popular titles in your non-fiction genre. This will give you a good idea of what’s out there and what the genre conventions are. Self-help books, for instance, usually have a ‘how-to’ component in their titles. Readers of this genre want step-by-step guides or strategies on how to improve themselves.

Other genres may be more flexible, but you still need to make the title compelling. A book called Weight Loss and Wellbeing won’t be as attention-grabbing as The 80:20 Plan: How to Lose Weight Without Missing Out. In this case, the title entices a specific subset of readers: those who want to enjoy their favourite foods and lose weight at the same time.   

 

4. Competing titles

This expands on the previous point about genre. When you’re researching similar books, pay attention to the book titles and write them down (trust me, you’ll forget them). This helps you avoid unintentional duplication or sounding too similar.

Why is this important? Because differentiation is key. This means choosing a title that taps into a niche or angle that isn't covered by your competitors. For example, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life explores a common idea – living a long and happy life – but its key differentiator is Japan. The country is in one of the Blue Zones, where people experience exceptional longevity, so it promises secrets and insights that aren't found in other books.

5. Keywords

These days, readers use short or long-tail keywords to find what they’re looking for online. Whether they use Google or Amazon (which is a search engine in itself), they key in words like ‘how to start a business’ or ‘a biography of Pablo Picasso’ and then trawl through the results. This is something you need to consider in your title or subtitle to help readers find your book.

Bricks-and-mortar bookshops also find keywords useful when categorising or shelving books. If you’ve written a guide on dealing with anxiety and the word appears in the title, booksellers know exactly where it should go (the self-help or psychology section) and it’s easier to promote or pitch to customers.

 

6. Feedback

Getting feedback on your title is critical. It helps you find out what people’s first impressions are and whether the book piques their interest.

If you’re self-publishing, this feedback can come from friends, colleagues, other writers, your social media audience (if they’re likely to be readers!) and editors. Ask them what the title suggests, who they think it’s for and whether they would pick it up in a bookshop.

If you’re working with a publisher, feedback often comes from in-house editors and the sales team. They’re usually in a good position to know the competition and what booksellers or book buyers are looking for, and they’ll help you shape it accordingly.

Common mistakes to avoid

Choosing a title is not an exact science, and sometimes even publishers get it wrong, but here are some pitfalls to look out for:

• Being too clever. You may want to make an impact with a clever or quirky title, but this can backfire. Not all readers understand inside jokes, wordplay or puns. Stick with simplicity and clarity, particularly if you want to reach readers who aren’t experts.

  
  

• Being too generic. Some authors err on the side of choosing generic titles. They may do this to tap into a broader market. But generic can mean vague or boring. For example, let’s take A History of Paper. Sure, it might be of interest to a few readers. But what if you called it How Paper Changed the World. More enticing, right?

  
  

• Using a title already in use. Duplications sometimes happen (yes, there are two books by different authors called The Alchemist), but it’s rare and should be avoided. Aim for a title that’s different to what’s already out there. If the titles are too similar, it may confuse readers (you don’t want them buying the other author’s book, do you?) or look like a second-rate imitation.

  
  

• Not having a subtitle. You don’t need a subtitle for your book if the main title stands on its own, but in some cases, the main title may be ambiguous or need amplification. If so, use a subtitle or tagline. For example, No Friend But the Mountains is a striking main title, but we don’t know if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Luckily, the subtitle gives us more information: Writing from Manus Prison.

How long should a non-fiction book title be?

In general, you should aim for up to five words for the main title and up to seven for the subtitle. Shorter is better. After all, you can only fit so many words on a cover before it starts looking cluttered.

That said, there are exceptions. Short words take up less space and you may get away with more. Here’s one example with nine words in the subtitle: Release Your Anger: Swear Words and Insults to Colour Your Anger Away.

Can you change your book title after publication?

It all depends on whether you published it yourself or through a commercial publisher. If your book is published on Amazon, you can change the title, but it needs to be uploaded as a new book and include a disclaimer: ‘Previously published as [title] by [author]’.

If you worked with a commercial publisher and the books were printed in bulk, there’s not much you can do. However, when copyright reverts back to you (check your contract), you can republish it independently with a different title.

Takeaways: Choosing a title for your non-fiction book

Readers make quick judgements when they’re buying books, so choosing the right title requires careful consideration.

When you’re drafting a title, think about these key factors: your audience, the book’s style, the genre, competing titles and keywords. Next, come up with a shortlist and run it by colleagues or editorial professionals for feedback.

Try to avoid common pitfalls, like being too clever or generic, copying an existing title too closely or omitting a subtitle. The key to a successful book title is clear and simple messaging that speaks directly to your audience.

Looking for a non-fiction editor to sharpen your writing, remove niggly errors and help brainstorm your book title? Send me an email or request a sample edit.