As a lyricist (this is how I got started in the music business many years ago), I spent my days playing with words, trying to find the right ones to convey the range of human emotions using rhymes and cadences to match the mood. of the music. music or, if you were writing lyrics first, making them flow in a rhythm that could be set to music.

I would tune in to the universe

I listened everywhere for phrases that would make good hooks and song lines. I carried a notebook and paper with me, and always had it handy at home too, ready to catch inspiration whenever it struck.

I would be dizzy with excitement

In finding the right hook or the right words that captured the mood of the piece I was working on. My favorite part was finding all the silly rhymes that I had to go through, sometimes, before I could find the right one. Some of them were hysterical! It was similar to what we call a “brain dump” in the writing world: going over what doesn’t work so you can get to the gem that does!

Sometimes it can be very frustrating

When you wanted to say something in a particular way, but the words weren’t right for the music or the rhyme scheme, so you had to find another. But I learned early on that the key is to relax and enjoy the process!

Play, have fun with it!

That is also true when writing titles.

You may need to go through several of them before you find the right one. However, with titles, there’s more chance of being boring or mundane than silly (unless, perhaps, it’s a children’s book). Also, you want to find one that has a domain name with a dot.com that is available. There’s nothing more frustrating than thinking you’ve found the perfect title only to find out someone owns the domain name associated with it… (You don’t want to create a title that sends most of your traffic to your competitors’ sites! !) So sometimes you have to dig deep and go back to the drawing board multiple times before you find THE ONE!

At the same time

Just as music requires lyrics to follow a certain rhyme scheme, search engine optimization and the size of cover graphics on websites like Amazon require titles to use the best keywords so potential buyers can find your book You should also make sure your titles are short so they can be read on the Amazon or Kindle sales page. But, once you know what the parameters are, you can be creative within the given framework.

So how do you get creative?

First, let’s define creativity. Creativity is seeing two or more familiar things in a new way. For example, someone had the vision to see that condos and hotels could be combined to create a new type of experience: condos/hotels. With titles, it’s all about finding new word combinations to create something new and memorable.

Many people think that they are not creative.

But it’s only because they haven’t learned to harness their own creativity. If you do the legwork i.e. look at the keywords and phrases that people are searching for and what is already in the market that is selling (1. for ideas and 2. so as not to repeat what has already been done ), and then you shut up, focus and start paying attention, you will start to hear your creative voice. In other words, you have to give your brain the raw materials to work with, and then you have to sit back and let it do the work for you.

This is the easiest way to find your best titles.

The ones that express your uniqueness, grab the attention of your audience, attract incredible opportunities for you, and sell books for you!