If you know any nonfiction authors, ask them for the subtitle of their book. If they have multiple books, ask them for all of the subtitles.
Chances are, they’ll have to stop and think. They may even get it wrong.
Even their own authors can forget a book’s subtitle.
But that’s okay. The subtitle’s job isn’t being memorable. That’s what titles are for.
Subtitles: The forgotten heroes of nonfiction book covers
Subtitles serve as a bridge between the title (ideally short and memorable) and the book description. They help prospective readers identify if they want to know more.
For example, someone might land on The Writer’s Process looking for a book about teaching writing to young children. That book would require a different subtitle. Or, they might be looking for a book on calligraphy, with advice on ink and nibs.
The subtitle draws the right readers further in and lets everyone else know to look elsewhere.
Subtitles have a second, related job: helping the algorithms know what the book is about. On Amazon, the words in the subtitle are like “super-keywords” and carry a lot of weight.
Why I might change the subtitle
Should I take advantage of publishing a 10-year anniversary edition to adjust the subtitle of the book? Here’s the current combination:
The Writer’s Process: Getting Your Brain in Gear
“Getting your brain in gear” is short, to the point. Easy to fit onto a cover.
But it conveys a mechanistic approach to the human brain. (Metaphors bring baggage.) And it doesn’t suggest that this book is about being creative and productive, about fitting writing in your life. It’s not doing a great job cluing in the algorithms, either.
First, I tried adding relevant keywords: “Getting Your Brain in Gear for Creativity and Productivity.” That’s algorithm-friendly, but human-awkward.
Much more brainstorming ensued. AI is really helpful for title brainstorming, by the way. I had the best success by switching between models.
Here’s what I landed on: Strategies for a Creative and Productive Writing Life
This does a better job of explaining both the “what” and the “why” of the book. Is it as catchy as the first one? Nope. But again, that’s not its job. (The main title isn’t catchy either, but that ship has sailed.)
What do you think? I’d love feedback, of course. It’s not yet finalized.
Can I revise the subtitle between editions?
Can you even change the subtitle when even publishing an entirely new edition with a new ISBN? A little research shows the answer: yes.
For example, my friend Ann Handley updated her brilliant book Everybody Writes.
- Original subtitle: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
- 2nd edition subtitle: Your New and Improved Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content
However, the subtitle is important metadata. You cannot revise the subtitle of an existing book without making an entirely new version (with new ISBNs), as I am doing.
Are there downsides? Probably. Amazon might get upset. They probably won’t let me carry reviews over between editions—but then, they don’t always let that happen anyway.
I might decide to leave the subtitle and add this phrase to the cover and sales copy. Stay tuned.
This is part of a series of behind-the-scenes posts on the making of the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Writer’s Process, starting at the completion of the rough draft and continuing through publication. Follow along if you’re interested in the myriad decisions an indie author/publisher makes.
Check out the first field note on deciding to revise a book.
