It is, I suspect, a combination of vanity and fatigue. Once we finish our book, we believe it speaks for itself. Hell, we put all that work in: it had better.
It would be unwise though to lose sight of a simple and uneasy fact: a book can only speak for itself once someone reads it. And, alas, that depends upon said same someone buying it. You see where I'm going with this.
Elsewhere I've provided some other valuable tips about how to optimize the author tools for self publishing on Amazon, toward this end. While all those tips have big-time value, most importantly, and most challenging, among them all, is getting your book description right.
After someone invests money, even a modest sum, in the purchase of your book, it is likely - unless they just hate it - that they'll give you at least 20 pages or so to convince them to keep reading. Your book description requires no initial investment and so it's a lot easier for them to simply click away. You have about 20-30 seconds to win them over, before they go looking for greener literary pastures.
Failing to capture their attention will have them clicking away and a potential book sale lost. So, the question is, what does your book description need to do to keep prospective readers interested? And, how do you do it? Basically, you have about three sentences to impress such prospective readers in three important ways: tell, entice and show.
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?
For fiction, it can be a bit trickier. I suggest emphasizing the conflicts confronting your characters. Try to tap into the potential reader's own experience of such conflict: they may want to better understand it, relive it, or simply live it vicariously. The more vivid and impacting you can make it in a few short sentences the more likely it is to resonate with them.
Third: Show them what reading your book is like. Maybe the most difficult of the three, this can be the clincher. Think of the book description as a mini test drive of your book. If your promise is to explain some technical skill, such as website building or home micro brewing, show off your gifts for explanatory clarity. Use clear, easy to follow language to explain some technical detail, so they'll feel confident of being able to follow and learn from your book. Give them confidence 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 you can do, if they are open to what you're offering, is convince them that your version of what they want is going to satisfy what it is they're seeking. That's where you close your sale, sell your book and create the potential for a long term reader and maybe even enthusiast of your work.
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.
It would be unwise though to lose sight of a simple and uneasy fact: a book can only speak for itself once someone reads it. And, alas, that depends upon said same someone buying it. You see where I'm going with this.
Elsewhere I've provided some other valuable tips about how to optimize the author tools for self publishing on Amazon, toward this end. While all those tips have big-time value, most importantly, and most challenging, among them all, is getting your book description right.
After someone invests money, even a modest sum, in the purchase of your book, it is likely - unless they just hate it - that they'll give you at least 20 pages or so to convince them to keep reading. Your book description requires no initial investment and so it's a lot easier for them to simply click away. You have about 20-30 seconds to win them over, before they go looking for greener literary pastures.
Failing to capture their attention will have them clicking away and a potential book sale lost. So, the question is, what does your book description need to do to keep prospective readers interested? And, how do you do it? Basically, you have about three sentences to impress such prospective readers in three important ways: tell, entice and show.
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?
For fiction, it can be a bit trickier. I suggest emphasizing the conflicts confronting your characters. Try to tap into the potential reader's own experience of such conflict: they may want to better understand it, relive it, or simply live it vicariously. The more vivid and impacting you can make it in a few short sentences the more likely it is to resonate with them.
Third: Show them what reading your book is like. Maybe the most difficult of the three, this can be the clincher. Think of the book description as a mini test drive of your book. If your promise is to explain some technical skill, such as website building or home micro brewing, show off your gifts for explanatory clarity. Use clear, easy to follow language to explain some technical detail, so they'll feel confident of being able to follow and learn from your book. Give them confidence 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 you can do, if they are open to what you're offering, is convince them that your version of what they want is going to satisfy what it is they're seeking. That's where you close your sale, sell your book and create the potential for a long term reader and maybe even enthusiast of your work.
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 have 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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