There is a lot to take into consideration with a title. Modern algorithms use titles as part of the metadata for search indexes, so strong keywords are a good idea. Made up words (like thera) or place names (like New Torwood) tend not to do so well.
Certain words also denote genre like sci-fi, dystopian, romance or even cozy. Take the following three titles as an example. Can you guess what genre they are just from the title?
Galactic Cafe
Undead Cafe
Welcome Gnome Cafe
Setting the tone in the title is half the book-marketing battle, so I need to be really careful with the word choice. I also try to choose a title that hasn't been used on Amazon yet. This is not strictly necessary because titles can't be copyrighted in the U.S., but it's a personal preference. At the very least, I try not to pick a title similar to another in my genre.
The last criteria is reader appeal. Which title will stand out on a sales page and pique reader curiosity enough to make them click read more? This is where you come in. Help me out by choosing your top 2 favorites from the poll below for The Knack Book 3.
A note about Book 3: I don't have a blurb for the book yet, and this poll is more about first impressions, so I won't go into details about the story here. I will say that it is Noah's story and will be set in the fictional town of Titan Bay, a community devoted to farming the magic mineral called thera. Noah is a doctor investigating the link between thera and a sickness that is affecting many people in the city. This is where the plague or cure reference comes in. A town so heavily invested in the future of thera isn't going to embrace Noah's findings, hence the rebellion and mutiny references. And, of course, there will be monsters of all sorts.
TAKE THE TITLE POLL
My final decision will take the poll results into consideration along with the other criteria mentioned above. I’ll post the results in the next newsletter.
On that note, summer is almost over and, as usual, I haven’t done even half the chores or fun things I wanted to do. I have family visiting next week, so I will be taking a couple of weeks off. It’s a good time since I want to let the first draft settle in my mind before starting revisions. I will be back to work after Labor Day. I hope you have a wonderful end to summer!
BOOK FAIRS
I love audiobooks for the summer. I get so many chores done simply because I want the excuse to listen to a good book. And now you can find dozens of great audiobooks for only $1. This deal will last until the end of the month and then they’re gone, so don’t wait. Note that the sale is for just about any audio platform you choose, except for Audible. This is simply because Audible chooses pricing and won’t price match upon request. So this is a great time to find a new favorite audiobook hub to enjoy.
And don’t forget to check out all the amazing books available for one monthly subscription on Kobo Plus (ebooks & audiobooks).
Click on any banner below to see the deals.
SPOTLIGHT BOOKS
Did you get your free copy of “Innkeeper’s Welcome,” the short prequel to Hallow Crossing? If you’re a newsletter subscriber and you didn’t get your copy, simply reply right to this email if you’re reading this in your inbox. Or message me on the Substack app. I’ll need to know the email address you used to sign up with, so I can verify, then I’ll hook you up with a free download.
If you’re not a newsletter subscriber, just hit the subscribe button to get your free ebook along with 2 more!
Innkeeper’s Welcome
By Kim McDougall
A Fair Folk of Mullarkey Tale
Burned out. Grieving. Running on empty.
Joelle has spent years holding herself together by sheer force of will—until a letter shatters everything: the official death certificate for her sister, missing for eight long years.
But Penny left behind one final request.
Following that last thread of hope, Joelle is drawn back to Cedar Grove Inn—their childhood sanctuary, tucked deep in the forests of Mullarkey Mills. The inn feels unchanged… and yet, something about it hums with quiet mystery. A peace she can’t explain. Secrets she can’t ignore.
As Joelle searches for the truth about her sister’s disappearance, she begins to uncover something far more powerful—something that will reshape her future and reveal a world she never knew existed.
Some doors don’t just open to the past… they lead somewhere entirely unexpected.
Innkeeper’s Welcome is an enchanting short prequel to Hallow Crossing, Book 2 in The Fair Folk of Mullarkey Series.
Get it FREE when you subscribe to Kim McDougall’s Reader Group.
