How to Write Sales Copy for Your Book
Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, there comes a time when you have to sell your book to potential readers. A good sales copy can mean the difference between poor sales and publishing a bestseller under your name.
According to recent data, readers only read about 20% of the content present on a web page, with 80% only reading the headline before moving on. Marketing your book online with your sales copy isn’t impossible, but it is challenging, especially for novice or first-time writers. Without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can write a sales copy for your book to find the right readers.
What Should a Book Sales Copy Include?
Before we get started on how to write a sales copy, let’s talk about how exactly it should look like. A good sales copy should include several important elements which most potential customers or readers look for instinctively. Here’s what you should focus on when you start writing it:
Keep it short, concise, and to the point – don’t overstay your welcome
Engage and intrigue your reader – hook the reader with a call to action
Give your sales copy credibility – look for author blurbs or testimonials
Make it clear and understandable – don’t show off your vocabulary, keep it simple
Professional writers such as yourself tend to treat sales copies as an essay or a writing assignment. If you need help writing or editing your copy, you can ask for professional thesis writing help via a reliable writing service. Don’t be afraid to write several different sales copies for your book before you land on the right one. Apply the following tips and look for the best way to express your book’s meaning and your intent as an author to potential readers.
Define your Target Audience
The first order of business for your sales copy should be to think about the target reader audience. What kind of book did you write, and who is it intended for? Writing a sales copy about a medical book intended for academic readers will be different from writing a fantasy book for teens. You will have to approach the writing process with your readers in mind, just as you did for the book itself. Hyper-focus on a specific reader profile and talk to the singular reader directly – what is your book about?
Use the Right Keywords
Once you’ve decided on who you are writing the sales copy for, you should also include the right keywords in your writing. Different audiences will expect different keywords in the sales copy they read before they pick up a book. You can find popular sales copy keywords online and narrow your selection down based on the type of book you wrote. A cookbook will have a drastically different sales copy than an autobiography or a crime novel – which keywords do you associate with your book? Writing the right keywords into your sales copy will make it more eye-catching and engaging for the type of reader you want to appeal to.
Let your Personality Seep into the Copy
As an author, you have every right to write your sales copy as you see fit. That means you shouldn’t distance yourself from the copy and write it in a monotone, robotic voice. Instead, try to write the sales copy as if you’re addressing a single reader. Who are you, and why should someone pick up your book? People who identify with your personality will be more likely to follow your work and buy every book you publish. Moreover, publishers are always on the lookout for unique, passionate writers who aren’t afraid to be different from the norm.
Tease the Book but Don’t Give Anything Away
Spoilers are considered a no-go regardless of whether you write fiction or nonfiction. You don’t want to show your cards to potential readers who come across your sales copy straight away. Instead, treat your sales copy as a teaser or a hook that will attract readers enough to buy the book. You know best whether something is a spoiler or not. This applies to the book’s themes, plot, author’s intent, and other deeper meaning and points which readers should come across on their own. Let people discover what your book is about on their own, whether it’s prose or poetry, historical fiction, or personal memoirs.
Direct Readers to your Online Channels
Whether you write the sales copy for your publisher as a pitch, or your readers, it’s also good to promote yourself. If you have a personal blog, social media, or other online links to share, do so in your sales copy. Direct your reader to any online channel in your name to market your other works. This will add credibility to your sales copy and give readers the indication that you are a dedicated, professional writer worth their time and money.
Making your Sales Copy Work for You (Conclusion)
Writing your sales copy is one of the most important things you’ll do as a writer, especially if you’re self-publishing. It’s good to write your sales copy shortly after the book is finished so that all of its themes, writing decisions, and plot are fresh. Define your ideal reader as much as possible, and write several different outlines for your sales copy before settling for the right one.