Janet Van Gorden

Let me just preface this post with the honest statement; I struggle with the concept of copywriting and how to harness its effectiveness in a book description.  Copywriting is the art of persuasion.  To promote a product, in this case, our books, by creating a simple, evocative pitch that resonates into sales.  A difficult task for a personally invested author.

Do I want to sell you my book?  Heck, yeah.  Can I explain my book to you in a brief synopsis on the back cover?  No way.

I have too much I want to tell you, about the characters, their journey, and the emotional tug of war at play between them.  But, unless I’m willing to hire a professional and shell out more money than my shoe-string budget will allow, I’m on my own to find a way to keep it short, sweet and compelling.

Never underestimate the power of perseverance and the internet.  With much research and copious note taking, I studied dozens of advice-giving, ‘how-to’ posts, suggesting their method for writing an excellent book description.  Searching for commonalities, and a big neon sign screaming — “This is the secret. Write it this way,” — I didn’t find the latter, but I did discover some of the essential traits most highly effective book descriptions share:

1. You need a headline.

Like a newspaper story catches your attention with its bold, captivating phrasing, a book description must do the same.  Create a statement about your book which generates instant curiosity.  And most difficult of all, at least for me, deliver the point of your story with a concise, and powerful punch.

2. Share a little about your characters.  Readers want to know, “Why am I going to care about this story?” Give them a reason.  Sell them on who they are going to become attached to, and why.  Introduce your character by name, maybe share a personality quirk, and shed some light on their troubles.  Hook the reader with a sense of identity, and a problem they want to see solved.  Also, if you’d like, incorporate a sense of setting.

3. Point out the big picture.

Whittle down the important events of your story into an overview, summarized in several impactful sentences while refraining from giving too much away.  In the words of one blog post, “…stay fuzzy on the specifics.”  According to another, “Be elusive and mysterious.”  Think of it as a puzzle.  Give the readers just enough pieces for a partial glimpse of the picture, while leaving them wanting to discover more of the missing parts and complete what they’ve started.   After all, our subtle goal is to encourage them to click the buy button.

4. Create a connection.  The story is not about you, the author, it’s all about your reader.  Again, I go back to the one important question they want to know from you, “Why should I care?”  You want your fans not only to appreciate your book for the sake of the story, but you also want the readers to enjoy the journey that took sweat and tears to create.

To sell that image, sprinkle emotional power words throughout your description.  You want to trigger a connection and what better way than using words which bring to mind a whole array of feelings.  Don’t forget your genre specific words.  Well-read readers will appreciate your attention to detail.

5. Make your ending count.  TV series are a good example of this statement.  When the last episode of a television season airs, they want as many viewers as possible hanging around, waiting on the edge of their seat for the next part of the story.  You want to elicit the same sensation in your readers.

Give them a cliffhanger.  Leave readers on pins and needles, because, the good news for them, and you, is they don’t have to wait for months, or weeks or even days to find out the ending.  The book is calling them.  And if the closing of your description is effective, you make a sale.  Create the ultimate, “Oh I’ve got to find out what happens next,” moment.

It’s recommended to keep your description short.  Consensus on the “magic” number seems to be around 150 words, although some posts have suggested anywhere from 100 – 300, and one suggested making it as long, or as short as you want.  You decide.

Keep in mind more than merely the back cover.  “Concise book descriptions will more likely be shared on social media.”   Dramatic and tight are key.  Exercise your judgment, and create the most persuasive piece of narration you can.

And there you have the basic gist of my introduction to writing a seductive book description.  See what I did there?

Good luck with your book description.  Let me know your guidelines or methods, and feel free to share how it turned out.  Happy writing!