If your book sales aren't what they should be, maybe it's not your book. Maybe it's the way you present it to potential readers. Your book blurb is the advertisement that's meant to entice readers into buying your words. What it's not is a summary of your book's plot. Too many authors use that valuable sales space to tell readers about half their story, leaving little reason for them to buy the book. Why should they? They already know almost everything about it! Instead of a short book summary, think of your book blurb as an advertisement for your book, and use copywriting rules to create it. It's a new skill to learn for many authors, but one that can pay off in thousands of new book sales.
What is Copywriting?
At it's simplest, copywriting is the art of putting together a few words designed to entice someone to do something, usually, spend money. It's short and to the point, using just as many words as needed to make someone curious enough to buy a product. And yes, despite all the agonizing hours you spent writing it, your book is a product like anything else. And selling your product is the only thing your book blurb is there to do.
Copywriting is as much about the visual layout as it is the words you write. Use short, declarative sentences, and double space between them. Make use of CAPITAL LETTERS, bold, and italics. It creates interest that keeps the reader tied to your words, making them want to read more.
Setting Up an Outline
Do this step if you do nothing else, to keep your book blurb contained and moving in the right direction. Begin with a blockbuster first line that hooks the readers right from the start.
Create the first paragraph about your main character. Tell a little bit about him, enough to make readers want to hear a story about him.
Your second paragraph should describe the problem your character's facing, and the consequences if he fails.
End with a call to action. Copywriting pieces with this feature always result in more sales. Use a simple phrase such as:
Use Keywords Wisely
Your book blurb is one of the key parts of your sales page when it comes to rating on Google and Amazon. Use the right keywords and a lot more people will find your book when they search your book niche. Include relevant keywords naturally in your text that fit in with your genre as well as your particular book. There's an art to fitting all these in seamlessly, and you won't get it perfect the first time, but that's why testing is so important to the book marketing world. Every new version of your blurb will increase sales because you'll use what you learned in all the ones that came before.
Keep the Faith and May the Force be with You!