SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Whilst looking through a bookshop the other day, I noticed that more and more books have the title of the book bigger than the author’s name.
Are people starting to be more interested in titles than actual author’s names? We have seen an explosion of book series over the last ten years. Do you actually need your name to sell a book or is it about the title these days.

As a relatively unknown author, I figure the title of my books would grab the reader before my name would, so I try to come up with a good one and make it the most prominent thing on the cover.

I guess it's more about the title if you're an indie. Maybe if you're a well-known author, it's the opposite.

I was once told my name was too prominent on the cover of my book. While I was surprised to hear that, I stuck with it. My title was still bigger than my name so...

I think having the author name bigger than the title only works for well-known authors. If no one knows who an author is, who cares about their name? In that case, a catchy or intriguing title, more prominent than the author's name, will do more to sell the book.

Last time I was in a bricks-and-mortar bookstore (before Borders shut down), it seemed like most of the books were George RR Martin, Robert Jordan, JRR Tolkein, and other big names. If that's less the case now, that's encouraging that maybe some newer, fresher voices are becoming available.

I agree with what the others have said. When you're a famous author, then your name is your brand (basically anything Stephen King writes now will be a bestseller, because readers trust him to craft a good story, even if it were titled "Wobbly Chair Leg").

Until that point, though, it rests heavily on the title to draw in readers by being both attractive and intriguing.

Thomas wrote: "I agree with what the others have said. When you're a famous author, then your name is your brand (basically anything Stephen King writes now will be a bestseller, because readers trust him to craf..."

Agreed.

And an intriguing cover does wonders, too.

Thomas wrote: "basically anything Stephen King writes now will be a bestseller, because readers trust him to craft a good story, even if it were titled "Wobbly Chair Leg""

I'd read it.

It's all about that bass.

I've got another theory that I'm testing on my next book:
If you make your name almost as large as the title - in other words really bold, perhaps people will think they should have heard of the author and therefore be more interested. A tiny name suggests a timid indie, afraid to mix it with the big boys (and girls).

On my first two books, I put my name smaller than the title (significantly smaller). Then the second book won the Darrell Award (yes, I know, you've never heard of it unless you happen to live in the Memphis area -- it's a regional award for fantasy & SF writers). That entitled me to put a banner across the top of my third book's cover that said "Award-Winning Author"; and at that point the cover designer advised me that my name needed to be BIGGER. So that's the way I did it -- almost as big as the title. Now, we'll find out if Pete's theory holds up, but so far I haven't seen a great stampede to buy the book... ;-)

I think it only matters if you've heard of the writer. And you can, even if it's a debut book, through word of mouth.

Thomas wrote: "basically anything Stephen King writes now will be a bestseller, because readers trust him to craft a good story, even if it were titled "Wobbly Chair Leg""

Wobbly Chair Leg was an awesome read! Wait, I might have remembered the title wrong, because the author name was so big on the cover. What was it again? Oh yes, The Shinning. Starred a kid named Bart I think.

But on a more serious note, yes I believe the generally accepted wisdom is that a big name means a big name. A not so big name author would have the title more obvious. Perhaps what you observe is a lot of newer authors getting a look in? I have not heard such reported, but you never know!

Regardless, I think the concept of branding is a useful one for all writers. But an unknown writer needs the name to be there for the reader to check out after being convinced by a good read to check out their other work. That author's name will not be as important as a marketing thing when that cover space could be catching eyes in other ways. A reader looking for Mr King's work has already been sold on it, and simply needs to see the brand to buy.

As a new writer I learned the hard way that searchability of the title is the paramount concern. I write thrillers set in the Napoleonic Wars so I have to attract that reading group and by my third novel I realised the title must reflect the subject to snare browsers of sites such as Amazon

I think it will be a long way before my name would sell better than a catchy title.

Maybe we should start a club of dreamy, hopeful authors with small letter names.

I agree with the sentiments that a well known Author will sell purely on the basis of their name and their's alone. But the remaining 99.999% of us have to rely on an impact title and luck.

V.W. wrote: "I think it will be a long way before my name would sell better than a catchy title."

VW sells pretty well.

All of this is merely marketing design. The publisher has an art department that does the cover, and the marketing team which cogitates upon whether Stephen King's name should be really big or not.

You could always use a pen name and make it really large. Something like "Steven King" might do the trick.

Don't forget how important your last name is for placement on the shelf I'm convinced that Bu is statistically the best location.

Brenda wrote: "All of this is merely marketing design. The publisher has an art department that does the cover, and the marketing team which cogitates upon whether Stephen King's name should be really big or not."

I doubt there's much cogitation at this point. His name is prominent because that is the thing that catches people's eye and gets them to pick it up.

Becky wrote: "Brenda wrote: "All of this is merely marketing design. The publisher has an art department that does the cover, and the marketing team which cogitates upon whether Stephen King's name should be really big or not."

I doubt there's much cogitation at this point. His name is prominent because that is the thing that catches people's eye and gets them to pick it up. "

Agreed, Becky.


It doesn't matter what the marketing department thinks or what they make...

If Ilona Andrews wrote it, I'm buying it. Her name could be in teeny, tiny letters only on the spine and the name of the book could be "writing." So, marketing may made the decision as to what the cover looks like...But the reader makes the decision to buy big name(d) writers for a reason...and that reason has nothing to do with the size of the author's name on the cover.


In the reverse, new (or new to me)(NTM) authors have not built that trust with readers. The reader has no clue as to the quality of the writing of a new/NTM author - readers aren't just going to slap down money for an unknown. So those authors need to have a catchy title, a nice cover and an interesting blurb.

It's all the title until it's the author. Which requires the titles to have sold a lot of books first.

Thomas wrote: "basically anything Stephen King writes now will be a bestseller, because readers trust him to craft a good story, even if it were titled 'Wobbly Chair Leg'"

I'm there.

When does it come out?

Except for independently published books, I bet it is all about selling the books. Right now for whatever reason, it seems that titles of books are more important than the Author's name. Publishing houses are all about selling books how ever that is accomplished. there is a reason that romance novels have women dressed in the billowy dresses and the men are all dashing. Look at Science Fiction covers over the years, the same books changes covers every couple of years to match the changing tastes of readership. think about buying you favorite detergent and it announces its new great package, the product is the same, but the box is new enticing your purchase because it is "new", thus making you think it is improved or better. it is all about selling the books because it is a business. You have to capture the buyers attention with a cool title or book cover especially when the author is new or relatively unknown. Once the author becomes big, much like Stephen King, then the name alone may be enough to cause you to buy the book.