6.1 PiCkiNg ThE PErfECT BOOk TiTlE “All that is clever eschew. Do not do.” —anne herbert Shockingly, there’s little useful guidance out there about book titling. What advice exists is usually of little help: • Trite (“Go with your gut!”) • Superficial (“Browse bookstores for ideas!”) • Or worst of all, actively harmful (“Don’t spend too much time on it.”) They’re all wrong. Just like companies that spend millions on naming new products, and media companies that spend time testing different titles for posts, you should spend substantial time and energy finding the right book title. This is a very important decision, one you need to think about and get right to ensure your book has the best possible chance of success. PiCkiNg ThE PErfECT BOOk TiTlE · 183