Okay, you’ve just written the
great American novel and can’t wait to release it to the world; then watch
those royalties come streaming in.
You’ve asked a friend to proof-read it and give you constructive
criticism. He thinks your book is really good. You may have even
forked over $100.00 to a professional who designed a mind-blowing cover. Who wouldn’t want to buy a book with a
cover like that? you ask yourself.
Stop. Take a deep breath. There’s one more make-or-break job you have
to do: write a book description. That’s
not as easy as it sounds, especially with publishers like Smashwords who limit
the short description to only 400 characters. You
may have a great long description, but you are going have to start deleting
parts of it to fit into the short one. It can be very frustrating. I've seen some short descriptions where part of the last sentence is cut off. Obviously, the writer didn't double-check it before publication.
Here are some suggestions to
consider:
1.
Don’t
use subplots: Keep to the main point and
don’t confuse your readers: they probably don’t want to take the time to read a
long description anyway. Ask yourself, “What
is the primary action that drives my book?”
2.
Make
it concise. A creative writing teacher once
told me that a poem is more difficult to write than a short story or novel
because with a poem, every single word must be packed with meaning.
3.
Keep
it under 150 words.
4.
Write
in the third person, present tense.
Imagine sitting face-to-face with your reader and they’ve asked you what
your book is about.
5.
Write
it as if you are the publisher—not the writer. Remember—the book description is a
marketing tool—it's not literature; so it’s okay to hyperbolize a little. Just don’t overdo it.
6.
Read
book descriptions by other authors in your genre.
Last,
but not least: Use Emotional Power
Words. Make your readers wake up and
take notice. How?
1.
Use
words that will raise their spirits and make them feel better. Examples: miracle, triumph, jawdropping.
2.
Sex
sells. Take advantage of this by using
words such as: sensual, thrilling, naughty, steamy, brazen.
3.
Make
it forbidden by using these words: Pandora’s Box, confidential, cover-up,
bootleg, Black Market.
4.
Fear
is a powerful motivator, especially if you write murder mysteries. Use words like: looming, revenge, frantic,
searing.
5.
Fan
the Flames. Make them feel outraged at
injustice. Use words such as sick and tired, back-stabbing, ruthless.
6.
Feed
Their Greed: most people either want to make or save money. Use
these power words to take advantage of this: bargain, profit, discount,
quadruple.
7.
Make
them feel safe. Use these words: no
risk, privacy, official, tested, guaranteed
Try using only six to ten of
these emotional power words in your description. And last, but not least, here’s
the most important factor to keep in mind when you are writing your description:
make sure that your book lives up to your promises. You don’t want your reader to feel
cheated. Make sure you deliver what your
advertise, or your reader may want his money back; and even worse, may feel
compelled to write a bad review or give a one-star rating. And that’s the last thing we writers
want. Happy editing and good luck with
your amazing new novel.
