Reading time: ~2 min

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to the Weekly Book Business Brief — your weekly shot of strategy, tools, and real talk for authors building a book-based business.

Let's get into it.

💡 THE BOOK SOLD ABYSMALLY (TOTALLY AVOIDABLE)

This one hurts to share, but I see so many authors make the mistake of being cute or clever with their titles, only to suffer the same fate as one of my books. Back in 2015, I published Business Dating. It was a book about how to be an effective business networker: how to build the kinds of professional relationships that actually move the needle. I loved the title. I thought it was clever and memorable.

It was--and while the book was a fan favorite (when I could get someone to read it), it didn't reach the organic growth I was confident it should.

I had several people, who actually read it, say something like, "I didn't read it when I first saw it because I thought it was about how to date in the workplace, or how to find love at work." 🤦🏻‍♀️

Not exactly my target audience (I know, Captain Obvious here). The title was working against me before anyone even opened the cover.

I decided to apply what I call "title science" to my book, do an updated, revised, and expanded edition, and publish it under Business Networking. It should come as no surprise that the new book sold more in the first 60 days than the old book sold in ten years.

Your lesson here? Title science is real. Your title is a promise to your reader, and if it promises the wrong thing (or worse, nothing at all), is clever, cute, or confusing, then not even great content inside will save it. If you’re still in the writing or pre-publishing phase, this is the moment to stress-test your title. The Roadmap below will show you exactly where title strategy fits in the bigger picture (hint: I teach about title science in Publishing Ph.D.). 👇

📱 SOCIAL MEDIA/AI TIP

Everyone is using AI these days, and a lot of them are using AI to write their posts on social media. The good news is AI is a time-saver. The bad news is we can all tell when you use AI to pump out your content. Just like in poker, there are tells, and we see 'em. The minute I recognize AI writing, I stop reading. I don't want to know what AI knows, I want to know what the author knows (that AI doesn't know!).

Remember: Your posts don't have to be perfect (hey, typo! I see you!), they'll perform better when they are authentic. I mean, that's why when I post pictures of my dogs, cat, wild turkeys, or whatever, I get so much engagement (and so will you).

Reader, you've got a unique and interesting voice, so please use it. Let AI do your admin tasks so you can do more writing, not do your writing so you can do more admin tasks. You see what I did there? (If someone has an AI that'll do my dishes, please let me know.)

This next week, share something that went much differently than the picture you had in your head (my example is the one above). Humans connect with humans, so share your story so someone can see themselves in you, your experience, and what you've learned

Spill the tea. Share the inside baseball.

Vulnerability plus lesson equals genuine connection. You're here because we're connecting (or we've connected), and it's on me to make sure you stay here. I know this for sure: real connection (plus caring about those connections) is what turns someone who is curious (new followers) into someone who goes down the rabbit hole (who else, once they discover someone they like, reads all their stuff, listens to all of their interviews, etc.?) It can't be just me. Anyway, loyal fans buy everything you write, subscribe to everything you do, and want more. AI just can't do that, and it won't ever be able to. Plus, you're awesome so give us more of that awesome!

🗺️ YOUR FREE ROADMAP

The story above is a Phase 1 lesson: as I mentioned, title strategy is one of the foundational decisions that shapes everything that comes after. Get it wrong and your great book will ride the struggle bus. Nail it and global domination is basically assured. Well, maybe not global domination, but no struggle bus for your book!

You won't want to stop at having a great title, and you will want the big picture so you can make every decision around your book with confidence. The Roadmap is your starting point.

The Nonfiction Author’s Empire Roadmap maps the complete journey from Aspiring Author → Published Expert → Empire Builder. It’s free, it’s helpful, and it’s a quick way to figure out exactly where you are and what help you need next.

👉 Download your free Roadmap here.​

Cheer’s to awesome titles, authentic writing, and the willingness to make the right decision (or make the decision right). I'll see you next week!

To your success!

Honorée Corder. Author. Executive Book Producer. ​​​​​​

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P.S. Title science, avatar clarity, and pre-launch and launch strategy...all of these should start before you write your first manuscript's first word. If you want the full framework for getting Phase 1 right (and avoiding the mistakes that cost authors years of momentum), that’s what Publishing Ph.D. is designed to help you do.