Keeping promises is important to human relationships, including the one between an author and a reader. The title of your non-fiction book makes a promise: “Read this book, and get this result.” Sometimes it’s explicit: “Awaken the Giant Within–Wake up and take control of your life!” (Tony Robbins). Sometimes it’s implicit: ”Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association“; while you can’t really tell from the name, this widely accepted style manual has become a standard reference.
Sometimes the title is designed to make you curious: “A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity” is a Bill O’Reilly memoir. Here, the author’s name is what gets most people to pick up the book; the title doesn’t evoke any response other than, “Huh?”
A good approach is to have a provocative title, and a clarifying subtitle: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money–That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!” (Robert Kiyosaki)
The same consideration applies to chapter titles, and even to subchapter titles, if you use them.
If you keep the promise of your book’s title, your reader will judge the experience of reading the book to have been worthwhile–even if the book has other imperfections. If you don’t keep that promise, your prose may be scintillating and your anecdotes breathtaking, yet your book will leave the reader unsatisfied.
Think about your book’s title as a promise to your reader. Make it a good promise–and keep it.
