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

On Failing Often…

"I always tell people who are beginning a creative career to go back and look at the early work of artists they admire. If you come across a successful blogger, designer, or artist, especially one who’s been able to generate a full-time income from their creative...

read more

The “Business” of Being a Creative

Here's a minor pet peeve of mine. (I know, I know.. who the hell cares, but bear with me for a moment). I often hear people say something along these lines. "Photography is a business. You have to treat it like any other business." With all due respect, while it is...

read more

From An Interview with Ray Bradbury

INTERVIEWER "Most would argue that a computer makes revising a whole lot easier. Not to mention spell-check." BRADBURY "I’ve been writing for seventy years, if I don’t know how to spell now . . . " Read the whole thing here... very good read with a prolific...

read more