A curious blend of vanity and fatigue, I'm thinking, explains the attitudes of many writers once they've completed their book. As far as many of us are concerned, once we're done, the book speaks for itself. And, really, after all that work, it's an understandable reaction. It really should speak for itself.
Don't make the mistake though of overlooking, what ought to be, a fairly obvious qualification to such an attitude. Your book, no matter how good it is, only speaks for itself when being read. Someone has to buy it, though, before they can read it. The chain of association is pretty clear, here, I assume.
Elsewhere I've provided some other valuable tips about how to optimize the author tools for self publishing on Amazon, precisely toward this end. The single most important of these, though, is to get your book description right.
Prospective readers who have already invested cold cash in your book, even if only a modest sum, will generally give you about 20 pages or so to persuade them to read on. They have no such investment in your book description. Clicking away doesn't constitute any loss for them. It's a lot easier to do. Consequently, you have about 20-30 seconds, probably around three sentences, to capture their attention enough to keep them reading.
If you're unable to spark their interest in that time that's a book sale you won't be making. This leads us to the big questions: what does your book description need to accomplish and by what means is that done? Here's the hard nut to crack: you have about two to three sentences to impress the prospective reader in three ways.
1. Tell them. Yes, you do want to give a sense of what the book is (not to be confused with a plot summary): fiction or non-fiction; mystery, romance or thriller; sci-fi, period piece, contemporary; maybe, first or third person narrative; possibly some evocative comparison (e.g., in the tradition of Stephen King; Hemingwayesque; Toni Morrison-like).
#2 Entice your potential reader with the benefits accruing from reading your book. It may be the case that non-fiction writers enjoy a certain advantage on this one. It's hardly self evident to me, however, that the majority of self-published non-fiction writers actually leverage this advantage. Presumably, though, all non-fiction aims to meet a specific need. Minimally it wants to increase topic-specific knowledge. Pretty much, always, though the goal is more focused than that and you should be as focused as possible. Emphasize the benefit of your book to potential readers. How will their life be better, easier, or wealthier as a result of reading your book?
Enticement may be trickier for fiction books. That only means achieving it makes you stand out from the crowd all the more. One approach to consider is highlighting the character of your protagonists' conflicts. Fiction readers are usually looking for some kind of experience. What conflict will your book enable them to understand, recall or experience vicariously?
3. Show them. The third thing is to give the potential reader a flavor of what you do as a writer. In a sense, you're giving your reader a test drive. If your book promises to explain something to them (e.g. how to day trade or brew your own beer) your ability to explain in detailed, but clear, easy to follow language, is important to the value of the book. Be sure your book description gives the reader the sense that you can make it all easy to understand.
For fiction writers, I'd recommend conveying (not naming, but showing) the genre and style of your novel. Imagine beginning with a first sentence hook that evokes the tone and temperament of your book. For instance, if your novel tells a story of urban city drama, you could evoke the kind of desperate situation which the limited options of life on the street may present to your protagonist. This is a tease, but, if you do it well, it's also an audition.
So tell your prospective reader what the book is, entice with a clear statement of the benefits your book will provide, and illustrate a flavor of what can expected between the covers. It is a tall order, no denying that. That is what makes it difficult and why those who are able to do it well will enjoy the fruits of their efforts. It's a key ingredient for success in self publishing on Amazon.
If you have three to five times more rewrites of your book description than you did of the actual book, don't be surprised or discouraged. It's a real skill and takes a lot of work. And obviously there's no guarantee it will provoke the Amazon browser to buy your book. You can't make anybody buy what they don't want.
What we can do, though, is persuade prospective readers, who are open to what we have to offer, that our book is the one that will give them the goods they're after. Therein is your opportunity to sell a book and create the potential for a return reader.
Getting that job done requires having a book description which they won't just breeze by. You have to have a description that grabs them and holds their interest. A description that gives the sense they've already started the book and want to read more. The bottom line is that you may think you're finished writing when the book is complete. But you're not. One more big writing challenge remains. Sharpen up that pencil.
Don't make the mistake though of overlooking, what ought to be, a fairly obvious qualification to such an attitude. Your book, no matter how good it is, only speaks for itself when being read. Someone has to buy it, though, before they can read it. The chain of association is pretty clear, here, I assume.
Elsewhere I've provided some other valuable tips about how to optimize the author tools for self publishing on Amazon, precisely toward this end. The single most important of these, though, is to get your book description right.
Prospective readers who have already invested cold cash in your book, even if only a modest sum, will generally give you about 20 pages or so to persuade them to read on. They have no such investment in your book description. Clicking away doesn't constitute any loss for them. It's a lot easier to do. Consequently, you have about 20-30 seconds, probably around three sentences, to capture their attention enough to keep them reading.
If you're unable to spark their interest in that time that's a book sale you won't be making. This leads us to the big questions: what does your book description need to accomplish and by what means is that done? Here's the hard nut to crack: you have about two to three sentences to impress the prospective reader in three ways.
1. Tell them. Yes, you do want to give a sense of what the book is (not to be confused with a plot summary): fiction or non-fiction; mystery, romance or thriller; sci-fi, period piece, contemporary; maybe, first or third person narrative; possibly some evocative comparison (e.g., in the tradition of Stephen King; Hemingwayesque; Toni Morrison-like).
#2 Entice your potential reader with the benefits accruing from reading your book. It may be the case that non-fiction writers enjoy a certain advantage on this one. It's hardly self evident to me, however, that the majority of self-published non-fiction writers actually leverage this advantage. Presumably, though, all non-fiction aims to meet a specific need. Minimally it wants to increase topic-specific knowledge. Pretty much, always, though the goal is more focused than that and you should be as focused as possible. Emphasize the benefit of your book to potential readers. How will their life be better, easier, or wealthier as a result of reading your book?
Enticement may be trickier for fiction books. That only means achieving it makes you stand out from the crowd all the more. One approach to consider is highlighting the character of your protagonists' conflicts. Fiction readers are usually looking for some kind of experience. What conflict will your book enable them to understand, recall or experience vicariously?
3. Show them. The third thing is to give the potential reader a flavor of what you do as a writer. In a sense, you're giving your reader a test drive. If your book promises to explain something to them (e.g. how to day trade or brew your own beer) your ability to explain in detailed, but clear, easy to follow language, is important to the value of the book. Be sure your book description gives the reader the sense that you can make it all easy to understand.
For fiction writers, I'd recommend conveying (not naming, but showing) the genre and style of your novel. Imagine beginning with a first sentence hook that evokes the tone and temperament of your book. For instance, if your novel tells a story of urban city drama, you could evoke the kind of desperate situation which the limited options of life on the street may present to your protagonist. This is a tease, but, if you do it well, it's also an audition.
So tell your prospective reader what the book is, entice with a clear statement of the benefits your book will provide, and illustrate a flavor of what can expected between the covers. It is a tall order, no denying that. That is what makes it difficult and why those who are able to do it well will enjoy the fruits of their efforts. It's a key ingredient for success in self publishing on Amazon.
If you have three to five times more rewrites of your book description than you did of the actual book, don't be surprised or discouraged. It's a real skill and takes a lot of work. And obviously there's no guarantee it will provoke the Amazon browser to buy your book. You can't make anybody buy what they don't want.
What we can do, though, is persuade prospective readers, who are open to what we have to offer, that our book is the one that will give them the goods they're after. Therein is your opportunity to sell a book and create the potential for a return reader.
Getting that job done requires having a book description which they won't just breeze by. You have to have a description that grabs them and holds their interest. A description that gives the sense they've already started the book and want to read more. The bottom line is that you may think you're finished writing when the book is complete. But you're not. One more big writing challenge remains. Sharpen up that pencil.
About the Author:
Self publishing authors who want to keep up on the hottest news and tips need to follow the Self Publishing on Amazon site. Lance Fallbrook is a frequent commentator on writers and writing. See his provocative piece on famous American authors -- the dead list!
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