Writing A Book Description By Thinking Like A Copywriter

Writing a book description to hook new readers.

A good book description is definitely one of the most critical elements in your book promotion.

It is the first thing a potential reader or book buyer will read before deciding if they think your book is worth reading.

That’s why you should spend time and take a lot of care when writing it so you can help increase your book sales.

It’s a skill

Writing a good book description is a unique skill because it takes a very good writer to capture a story in only a few words.

Perhaps it seems easier than it is. But you are going to have to grab the attention of potential readers from your opening line.

Writing a manuscript is one thing. Understanding and communicating the contents of a book is something else.

Copywriters are usually very good at writing concisely. Let’s have a look at how they might go about writing a fiction book description.

Forget the summary

It’s not a summary of the story or an author bio.

What you want to concentrate on is how your blurb will help in promoting and advertising your book.

Your book description is a short and sweet advertisement.

Yes, you need to mention what your book is about, but most of the text will concentrate on enticing a reader.

Create an outline

When you create an outline, it helps in structuring your writing.

A good copywriter would start by planning each section of the writing project, perhaps with a few bullet points.

An outline will give you a clear idea of what you want to include and where to cover it, even in a short block of text.

If you do not do anything else, do this. It will help you order your thoughts and make writing your book description much easier.

The opening line

Copywriters know the importance of a great opening line.

You can either get the reader’s attention or lose it in a few short seconds.

Make sure that you start with a bang and put a lot of thought into your first sentence. Don’t forget that it can be a question.

You want to keep the reader’s attention after that, but the first few words are where you really need to hook your potential book buyer.

Short and to the point

You can’t and shouldn’t mention every angle of the story.

Two to three hundred words should be about right for a good book description.

You do not have to stick to this number precisely, but it is a good rule of thumb to use.

I am sure if you write four hundred words, it won’t have an adverse effect. But don’t write an entire page.

Third Person

Your book description shouldn’t be from the author’s point of view.

It’s all about selling your story.

Using the third person is usually the best point of view. You can write using the present tense, which is often the best choice. But you could you past tense if you wish.

When someone reads your Amazon book description, you want them to get a quick sense of the story. Using the present tense is sometimes more effective for certain genres.

If you are unsure what to use, look at some book descriptions of bestselling books in your genre for clues.

Connect emotionally

Emotion might be the hardest part for a new writer.

But a copywriter understands the importance of connecting with people through writing.

When it comes to this point, it is beyond writing a manuscript.

The reader needs to know what they will feel and experience when they read your book.

Tell them about the emotional effects they will feel when traveling on the journey through your story.

Don’t give too much away

If you want people to buy your book, you want to get them excited and then leave them hanging.

You need to make them so curious that they just have to know what is going to happen next.

Perhaps use an intense scene from the book and then just abruptly end your description.

You can also use questions to get a reader thinking.

You want to get the reader to the point where they decide to buy the book immediately.

Simplicity

Always keep in mind that a lot of people will read your book description.

You are writing for regular people and not describing a piece of academic writing.

If you write the way you speak, you can connect much better.

Keywords

As with all promotional writing, you need to use effective keywords.

They are not just for helping get your book discovered online but are also effective communication hooks.

You want to use keywords that grab the attention of the reader and connect with them.

When you are trying to sell your book online, keywords are going to help you a lot.

Think about what a reader might search for and include a few of those words as keywords.

Do not overuse keywords, though. You want your writing to stay natural.

Get help

There is nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it.

Many copywriters offer services such as writing effective book descriptions.

If this is not your expertise, perhaps it’s time to get some help from professionals.

You want to do all you can to promote a quality product to your book buyers.

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but rather a sign of professionalism.

Conclusion

It’s not all that difficult to write a great book description. But yes, it can take time to get it right.

But if you have any doubt, get a professional on the job.

Your book description and your book cover art are the two deciding factors for readers to either purchase your book or not.

I would prefer to spend a little money and get it done right.

However, don’t underestimate your abilities, and at least give it a try.

When writing a book description, don’t think of yourself as the author but as the promoter, publisher, or salesperson.

It’s all about book marketing.

Related Reading: 21 Questions You Can Ask To Help You Sell More Books