MASSIVE MARKETING MESSAGE FAIL... TO LEARN FROM

I SCREWED UP MY OWN BOOK WITH A TERRIBLE TITLE

Sometimes we are too close to what we do and cannot see the forest for all the damned trees in the way.

This is my story… heh.

My book (which is pretty good) had what I realize now is most likely the worst book title EVER, and it has cost me dearly in sales.

Here’s the title (no longer available on Amazon… with no change in sales numbers. Heh.)

“What I’ve Learned So Far”

1. It made no sense to anyone but me and a handful of people.
2. It didn’t have any context to what it was about.
3. It was “me” focused instead of the end user.
4. Nobody really cared about what I had learned because it didn’t impact them.
5. Nobody really cared about what I had learned because they had no clue who I was.

It is really possible that I titled my book with the worst possible title ever.

Better titles would include.

“My Photos Don’t Totally Suck”
“I Got Your Photos Right Here…”
“Is There Salt In Donuts?”
Any title with the terms F**K or Badass in it… Those are really hot right now.

Oh I know one…

“MASSIVE FAIL”

Awesome.

I needed context, information, and some way of telling people what the book would do for THEM. How it would help THEM learn stuff.

The stuff I learned can help them, but the title didn’t say anything even remotely associative to that possibility.

I.
Am an idiot.

So it is time to rewrite, re-edit and RETITLE this book.

(And if you have any ideas, let me know please.)

PHOTO: ANJALI FONG


Recent Journal Posts

Stop Fearing Failure: Be Terrified of Regret.

Stop Fearing Failure: Be Terrified of Regret.

Stop Fearing Failure - Be Terrified of Regret.Failure Sucks Less Than Regret. There’s a quote I heard recently that nailed a truth I’ve been preaching for years:"Stop fearing failure, but be terrified of regret." Many of the photographers I work with—especially those...

read more
CREATE A “DREAM FIFTY” FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

CREATE A “DREAM FIFTY” FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

DO YOU HAVE A DREAM 50?Create a “Dream Fifty” for maximum clarity and impact. Dream-50 If your marketing plan is sorta like “post some stuff and hope for the best”, well… You’re not alone. But you’re also not in control. Drumroll please! Enter the Dream 50 List — a...

read more
IF CLIENTS CAN’T FIND YOU, IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT

IF CLIENTS CAN’T FIND YOU, IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT

IF CLIENTS CAN'T FIND YOU, IT'S NOT THEIR FAULTSEO is no longer enough.AI search has changed that game forever. We're entering a new stage of AI-driven search, and having a well-crafted landing page is no longer optional—it’s essential. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity,...

read more