TITLE Most people think the cover is the first thing someone judges. That’s only true if they’re browsing a physical bookstore, which is rarely the case anymore. Most books are now discovered either by in-person word of mouth or online, and in both cases, what is the first piece of information they receive? The title. From that, people instantaneously assess whether the book seems relevant, it’s for them, and if it sounds interesting. This is why I recommend spending so much time making sure you get the title right. Let’s be clear: A good title won’t make your book do well, but a bad title will almost certainly prevent it from doing so. Many potential readers stop considering a book once they have heard the title and nothing else. RECOMMENDING SOURCE If Marc Andreessen or Bill Gates recommends a book, then thou- sands of their eager readers rush out to buy it. If a random person with no followers on Twitter recommends it, no one buys it. This is because the credibility of the source is a hugely important piece of the recommendation puzzle. In most cases, people will transfer the credibility of the recommender onto the book. It’s all about who is doing the recommending. This applies to friends as well. If you have a friend who is very rich, successful, and intelligent, you’re far more likely to listen to their book recommendation than someone who is unemployed and living with his parents. What’s great about this is that if the credibility of the referrer is great enough, almost any title will work, and you don’t have to hOW PEOPlE rEAlly jUDgE A BOOk · 445