Start with a great title and book cover. No, really, this is important.

You might have the best manuscript in the world, but a dull cover will ensure a published book gets passed by for another book that is more eye-catching. Equally important is a title that intrigues or inspires. Readers need a reason to pick up a book and look inside. A bland, derivative title won't even register on a book browser's attention. Ideally, a book cover should evoke an instant response such as: "That's really different," or "I wonder what that is about?" or, "That is some professional artwork and design." The last one suggests strongly that the interior of the book will live up to its promise, and will be of exceptional quality.

How is this done?

A GREAT TITLE

Whether a manuscript is finished or is still in the conceptual phase in an author's mind, a good title will pay dividends the sooner attention is given to it. A good title will inspire both an intellectual response about a subject that is familiar, but with a new twist, and an emotional response that a book speaks to a reader's own interests, values, and aspirations.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A POORLY CONCEIVED TITLE:

1. It is a cliche or is so vague as to evoke little or no imagery, much less an emotional reaction: ("The Edge of Darkness").

2. It is so obviously and desperately derivative that its roots are showing: (Currently, anything with the words "Grey" or "Shades" in the title).

3. It uses such common words or phrases that, even if the title is not an obvious cliche, the book will be buried beneath thousands of similar titles: ("Born to..." (cook, sing, die, or anything else you can think of). Ideally, a book should pop up at the top or near the top of any online search for the title.

(While we are on the subject of titles, the same is true of names for publishing companies. Think of any hobby, occupation, superlative word or phrase, any bird, tree rock or flower, and there is already a publishing house out there using it. Do what Land at Last Books did: Think in terms of a title that tells a story, one that is likely to produce an emotional response.)

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A DULL BOOK COVER:

Take a walk through a bookshop or poke around online. Uninspired covers usually have one of these defects:

1. The artwork is clumsy, amateurish, poorly printed or badly composed as part of an overall cover design that fits well with the title and other cover text.

2. The cover has too many design elements (is too "busy") or fails in an attempt to join disparate images (butterfly and a lion).

3. Is obviously 'shopped, in the vernacular. This means that someone was just adept enough with Photoshop and clip art to make a shark jump out of a cannon, but ended up with a certain sameness that is quickly looking dated. What might have generated a gee-whiz response just a few years ago is already looking hackneyed and overdone. Even if you know nothing about making a clip-art book cover, even if you have never seen a rabid dog, you can probably recognize one when you do.

HOW TO MAKE A BOOK COVER STAND OUT:

Do original artwork or pay someone who can. This is money well spent, not just because you stand a much better chance of creating a striking book cover, but because good artwork can be useful for marketing a title in ways that will continue well after a book is in print. Good cover art can be used later to develop posters, bookmarks, postcards ( I know, postcards are getting a bit old school with social media), online ads, social media imagery, email signature enhancements, etc. If you start with a good book cover design, all pre-and post-publication marketing not only will be easier, but faster and cheaper. Good cover art that is designed specifically for a book cover will also make publication in different formats much simpler, say, when converting print to eBook.

Lastly, the best time to think about a good title for a book is while a book is being written. A good title can help inspire and direct the plot (in fiction) or help keep a book, fiction or nonfiction, organized and focused.