How To Write A Good Book Description Book

After you have written your powerful message, the two important tools at your disposal that will help you sell your book are your book cover and book description. The book cover can either draw a reader in or push them away. It is the book’s billboard. It works 24/7 on behalf of the author’s message inside. It should be professional it causes expectation in the reader's mind. ​

A well-designed book cover assures the reader that the book is of a high quality, in both content and delivery. A poorly designed cover creates preconceptions in the reader's mind that the book is poorly written and badly formatted, no matter how powerful the message is. It sets them in “critical” mode, rather than “enjoyment” mode. Most of the time they will bypass this book.

Book descriptions are entered when you set up your title. A book description is only a few sentences long, but it is one of the most important book marketing tools you have at your disposal. A good book description increases the visibility of your book online. Most readers today make their book-buying decisions via the Internet, by the word of mouth and book review and suggestions sites, like Goodreads, and similar sites. Every major retailer that lists your book for sale online includes your book description and the cover.

Librarians and retailers can't purchase a book if they can't find it. Your book’s metadata helps consumers, booksellers, and librarians find your book whey they type in search terms relevant to your book.

Metadata
Book metadata comprises all the information that describes your book, including: your book’s title and subtitle, the series name, trim size, author name, price, book description, and more. There are two metadata fields for your book description: the long book description and the short book description. Both play a significant role in driving traffic to your book. Both need to be full of what readers are looking for.
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When creating book metadata, In just a few words you want to provide the information needed to help consumers, booksellers, and librarians understand what they're about to purchase and whether they want to. Having the right information helps you attract the attention of the right audience. Therefore, your book cover and your book description are critical to the success of your book sales.
 
Short Book Description
The short description is short and sweet. Consider it a blurb, elevator pitch, or hook. It tells enough about your book to keep readers interested and delivers enough punch to have them searching for the long book description to read more. The short book description appears in publishing catalogs, trade show copy, online websites, marketing materials, press releases, and more. It's your book's calling card for the world to see.
 
Long Book Description
You could probably write several pages clarifying what your book is about, but when writing your long and short descriptions keep in mind that your space and the reader’s attention span are limited. Your long book description is a synopsis. When writing this description, think like a buyer, and not an author. Show and tell. Show enough to paint the picture and tell enough to get them interested in what’s coming. Any specific highlights should immediately jump off the page.

If you had to write your author bio in 200 to 300 words, what would you say about yourself? How detailed would you be? If you're hoping to build a connection with the person reading your bio, you'd most likely reveal the best or most interesting aspects about yourself. You wouldn't tell them every minute detail; you'd tell them enough to let them know whether they wanted to get to know you better. Your book description should do the same.

Strong book metadata is necessary for your book's success. Before writing either of these pieces, do your research. What are the keywords that your potential buyers search for? Make sure you write your book descriptions using words your ideal consumer would search for so that you can attract the right attention more efficiently. 

Look at other long and short descriptions you find engaging and get tips from the ones them. The first step is getting discovered, and the second is keeping them engrossed in what you've written. Remember to stay relatable, and highlight any awards you may have won to enhance your selling points. Everything else will fall into place.

Below are some tips to help you create a good book description:

1. Keyword and phrases: Keywords ultimately tell the reader why this book is for them. Consider what people might Google that would lead them to your book. What words would you use? You can also Google power words to find some good ones. Power words are persuasive words use to trigger a response. This is especially true for nonfiction works.  
2. Keep it short. Your description should be at least 150-200 words long and no more than three paragraphs.

 

• Describe your book in simple, straightforward, and consumer-friendly terms. Give readers enough information to understand what your book is, what it’s about, and if they’ll like it—key factors in deciding whether to buy your book.

 

• Use paragraph breaks, bold and italic fonts, and other structural elements like ordered lists (bullet points) to provide emphasis and highlight key aspects of your book. Short paragraphs and bulleted lists are better than a single block of text.

 

• Avoid time-sensitive language, so that your description does not become outdated. For example, do not say “latest,” “soon,” “forthcoming,” or “most recent,” and do not refer to “last year” or an author’s “next book.”

The tips should help you create good book descriptions. To get ideas for good descriptive copy, read the consumer reviews for some titles comparative to yours. Great reader reviews often are very effective at explaining books in an enticing and engaging way.​

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If you need assistance with your book, I am honored to help you publish ​your book. Write the book, or let me write it, ​but let's share your message with the world! Let's get you published.