Why Are Some Book Titles Misleading?
Often I see titles of books for sale and I’m wondering, “does this author have a clue about what I’m looking for?
For example, you can’t have generically titled books about “Business Success” because business markets are becoming more nuanced and niched by the day.
Readers Need to Know EXACTLY what they’re getting when they click on something.
Don’t be misleading with your book title or headline.
Give them exactly what you’re referring to in your Title. Vagueness is frustrating and feels misleading sometimes.
I’ll answer the main questions about why some book titles are misleading:
- Can My Book Have the Same Title as Another Book?
- Is the Author Trying to Trick Us?
- Do Authors Understand Our Need as Readers?
- How Should I Create a Book Title?
Can My Book Have the Same Title as Another Book?
Yes, if not done intentionally.
But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t find yourself in legal trouble. If the Title was somehow copyright protected, you could find yourself sued.
In addition, it shows a particular laziness of the author if they didn’t even bother to search at Copyright.gov before they used it.
It’s very rare that book titles are copyrighted.
If you are in the same niche as the other title, the author may be tiffed, but there’s nothing he/she can usually do in a legal sense.
Is the Author Trying to Trick Us With Their Title?
Usually, if a title is misleading, it’s because the author is bad at marketing.
Why? Because if a reader clicks on your link or starts reading your book and it’s not what they originally conceived, it’s a frustrating experience and no author wants to intentionally frustrate the reader.
Except on rare occasions would an author have these nefarious intentions.
So remember: Clarity good. Ambiguity bad.
Do Authors Understand Our Need as Readers?
If the author doesn’t have experience in market research or advanced social skills, it’s very possible the author doesn’t know your need.
How could an author not know their reader’s needs?
They Don’t Care About You!It’s because most people and authors don’t care that much about you!
They have a preconceived idea about what you need or want.
Next, they go and create a title for their book, which misses the mark.
This is a common mistake that many bloggers, authors, etc. make consistently.
Personally, I hope Tysams.com helps me become a better book title producer. ;)
Of course, you want a unique Title that produces an impact, so they don’t forget your title.
Even better, if the book title produces a Question or Curiosity, you will be impelled to click on that title to learn more.
How Should I Create a Book Title?
Controversy can work. Pick a title that generates curiosity. Make them open the cover to find out why you created this particular title. As long as your curious title is in alignment with the actual content of the book, you're golden.
Final Say – Misleading Book Titles
As you can see, most authors have no motive to be intentionally misleading with their titles.
It’s usually a sign they don’t understand their readers/market. Therefore I suggest you do some basic or advanced research into your reader’s desires before you create a book Title.
It’s also possible they are just lazy and didn’t bother to look up the title.
CLICK HERE if you’d like to enroll in my Free Email Course on How to Pick a Great Book Title.