Day 4 of Tell Your Story

By Bruce Lund, Self-Proclaimed Leader of Millennials
SPLOM Tags: Career Development, Marketing, Networking, Personal Branding, Success Strategies, Reputation Management, Social Media, Entrepreneurship, Gen Y, Job Searching

www.nextpert.net

Evaluate Your Title and “Y I’m Better Than U”

Hopefully you have a working book title today to drive your thoughts, ideas, and actions on. The choice of your book title should be built to last and let the reader know what they will get. My title, “Y I’m Better Than U” is supposed to be an attention grabber. The “Y” and “U” indicate that it is a book for the younger generation who commonly speak in terms of abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms.

The “Y” represents Generation Y which is the Next Generation (age 10-30) but this book can really be used for any person breaking into an industry or looking for change. Afterall, 40 is the new 30 right? Not to mention, I’m receiving texts from elders using the same text language. The “Better Than U” represents your differential advantage and is also a paradox on the way many of our generation peers already act. Just showing up with a degree is not an entitlement nor does it make you successful.  

We are the first generation inheriting a declining economy and in the next 3-5 years will be the largest generation in the workforce. With the rapid growth and the limited jobs available you had better know what value you offer and more importantly be able to articulate it to the world.   

The subtitle “How to find YOUR differential advantage as the BEST of the NEXT Generation” indicates just that. This book isn’t about “me” being better than anybody but signifies how YOU can “build confidence, gain direction, and stand out” above the 80+ million of the Next Generation and be a leader. 

Five Questions to Assess Your Potential Book Title

1. Does it roll off the tongue? If your title has any tongue twisters or is hard to say then think about when you bring it up in everyday conversation. It reminds me of when people ask me what department I work in and I say, “Health and Human Performance”. I quickly realized, for whatever reason, that I tend to slur together the “and Human” part so I just tell people Human Performance now. A good title is conversational. No point in putting your foot in your mouth right away.
2. Is it catchy? “To attract you must be attractive” and the same is said for your book. We all know how many books are on the shelves so you need something that the reader just HAS to pick up to find more about. The “Y I’m Better Than U” is supposed to be taken offensive to initially get the reader to pick the book up and say “who does this guy think he is?” Hopefully once they delve deeper they will soon realize it’s not between me and you but how you can benefit. Remember to keep it short and sweet. 
3. Do you deliver on your promise? Actions always speak louder than words. If you get the readers attention and make a promise then you had better deliver on that promise, otherwise that’s just bad business. Most people pick up books because they are convinced that you have something they need (that special ingredient). A motto I now life by “You never have to remember what you say if you always tell the truth.” 
4. Does Your Subtitle Clarify? “How to Find YOUR differential advantage as the BEST of the NEXT Generation” should instantly clarify to the reader what this book is offering. Subtitles have become the staple for most titles because it gets right down to the essence of a book. It’s hard to sum up in under five words what you have to offer but the subtitle will build on that message. So let’s hope that “Y I’m Better Than U: How to find YOUR differential advantage as the BEST of the NEXT Generation” clearly markets what this book has to offer. 
5. Is it marketable? Think about the last book you bought. For most of our generation we do either Google or Amazon searches that yield hundreds of results on keywords. Your potential title should yield keywords or phrases when people are searching how to solve problems. Search Engine Optimization is something everybody needs to be familiar with when marketing products online because the Internet isn’t going anywhere.

Brand Yourself

You have heard me call your title your “brand.” I think we need to start looking at everything in terms of brands. You yourself are a brand and how you present yourself everyday is a reflection of Brand YOU! You may become synonymous with your book title so you had better be ready to defend and describe it and why you decided that specific title down to every word. If you think of any great author you often think of one of their books which have branded them. Build brand YOU! 

Bruce Lund is the Founder & CEO of NEXTPERT, a training and consulting firm offering insight and strategies to help recruit, train, and retain the best of the Next Generation leaders. Bruce is a Next Generation Expert completing his Ph.D. on the leadership of this unique group. Bruce has worked in and through many top organizations and teaches the whole self (Mind, Body, Heart, Spirit) approach in leading these individuals. He is seeking to become THE Leadership Expert Generation Y can count on for guidance to take them from where they are right now and teach them the distinctive habits of successful people to live an extraordinary life.