How to write best-selling book marketing copy

If you’re look to scale up your sales, something that can really help is your marketing copy. Whether you’re writing new marketing copy or looking to update your copy to better suit your current needs and strategies as an author, it’s never a bad idea to get some advice on how to do so!

Marketing copy in its myriad forms is often the first look prospective readers get of your book. Before they’ve even read the first page, they’ve most likely read the summary on its product listing, seen a write-up in your newsletter, glanced at a Facebook ad, or eyed your brief blurb on a social media post. If any of those caught their eye, maybe they’ll become another one of your readers – but if the copy doesn’t click, chances are, they won’t hit “add to cart.”

While the cover of a book is important when it comes to marketing and is often a huge selling point, so too is the copy! Once the cover has sufficiently dazzled, potential readers will look next to the copy to find out what the book is about. The visual language of a cover can only go so far!

Which is why we're here to help you out. Read on for more information on writing marketing copy for your books in a variety of ways!

First off, what is copy? What does it entail? Copy includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Your book’s summary
• Your book’s page on your website
• Captions on social media posts, such as Instagram, TikTok, etc.
• Advertisement copy
• Email newsletter features
• And much more!

Writing a best-selling book summary is an art of its own, so today, we’re going to focus on shorter examples of copy, such as…

Captions on social media – These are often short, sweet, and to the point. You want to aim to capture the overall plot and feel of the book, as well as be clear what genre it is in and what sub-genres it covers. Many captions also call out specific tropes to draw the attention of trope-focused readers, but this is not always necessary (or can be included in the images posted).

Keep in mind that social media users are often locked in an endless scroll. It can be easy for potential readers to completely miss your posts. Combine eye-catching imagery such as your book cover, a piece of fanart, or a short video to really capture their attention. Any textual information might be better left to the caption, and when it comes to said text, keep it brief! You can make multiple posts, after all, to expand on your book. You do not need to include all of the information in on place.

Remember: there is no one right way to create a captivating social media post for your book. Experiment with different formats until you find what works best for you!

Email newsletter features – Here is where you can let your copy-writing skills shine!

There are many ways to feature a book in your newsletter, including, but not limited to:

• New release announcement
• New series announcement
• Cover reveal
• Sale announcement email
• Backlist highlight email

While all of these types of newsletters require slightly different copy, the general idea still remains. Here are a few things you can include in the copy of a newsletter:

• Expanded book summary
• The background of the book – your inspiration, your writing process, the ideas behind the cover, and so on
• Information on the cover, such as artist(s) or designer(s)
• A personal story relating to the creation of the book or series
• Sneak preview of the book (select paragraphs or quotes)
• Praise from beta readers and/or other authors
• Information about pre-order and publication pricing
• And much more!

You can include as much or as little info about the book in your newsletter as you like, but make sure you make it actionable – it is functioning as both a newsletter and an advertisement, after all! Include plenty of links of where to pre-order or purchase your books, to your website, to your social media, and to any stand-out or advance reviews.

Remember: include the most important information in the first paragraph of the newsletter! Don't leave it until the very end; rather, include the book title, summary, and purchase links up front, and then include them again at the end. Bookmarking your newsletter with this info means you both the reader who skims your newsletter and the reader who absorbs it all have actionable items regarding your book available to them at multiple points throughout the newsletter.

A book’s dedicated landing page on your site – The ultimate place to showcase your marketing copy, there is no limit as to what you can do on your book’s dedicated page. However, many authors choose to focus on the most pertinent info: the book’s summary, cover, its place in a series, and links to purchase.

By keeping your landing page focused, you can direct readers to where to find your book easily. Try not to let the page scroll – keep it simple, straightforward, and avoid copious amounts of copy. If you want to share info on the behind the scenes of a book, consider relegating that to a linked blog post or social media post on the page rather than overload the viewer with info.

Remember: your newsletter subscriber is (probably) already a reader of your works, but someone visiting your website might not be. Make sure the information about the book they are interested includes focused, accessible copy with that potential reader in mind!

And here are more helpful dos and don’ts when it comes to writing copy for your books:

Do:

• Include editorial reviews in the copy. Starting a social media post with words of praise from another author or a review of your book is never a bad idea!
• Mention if the book is first in a series or part of a series. This is especially important for read-through!
• Keep things short, sweet, and to the point in each paragraph, especially in ads or on social media! Remember: the potential reader needs to be hooked. The briefer, the better, especially when posting copy on social media such as TikTok and Instagram.

Don’t:

• Include a phrase such as “buy now!” or “add to cart today!” These don’t create the potentially desired sense of urgency related to purchasing your book, as the book will remain available regardless, and can often detract from the summary itself, which should focus solely on the content of the book.
• Mention too many character names. Focus instead on the main character. If there is an important secondary character, such as a love or partner-in-crime, mention them, too.
• Include links to your author newsletter, social media, etc. in a book summary, especially if posting the summary in your newsletter or on social media. These often make your copy look messy and distract from the summary itself. Have a dedicated section to links to your website, newsletter, and social media later in the post or further down in the newsletter, and never include this information on a book's product page!

Have you tried your hand at copywriting before? Have you found that updating your copy has improved your book sales? Happy (copy)writing from the KWL team!