The dreaded dust jacket...

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Back on the subject of marketing your work…

I have never been good at writing short descriptions for my books. It's something I need to work towards, but I acknowledge it's all-important to the marketing process. One of the problems I have is turning the content of my book (all 300 plus pages) into a 250-300 word summary that reads good and catches the eye. The dreaded "dust jacket", it can make or break even the best books. 

I compensate for it by having unique covers, which I design myself (humble brag!). I love the covers I come up with, but the thing that's always missing from them is a really killer description. Some of my books don't have a description on them, which isn't always a good thing to omit. But, and to be frank, writing a short description of my work scares me. I can write all day and make a story come to life, but ask me to create a short, simple, and catchy dust jacket or Amazon.com description, and I am struck with crumbling dread. Sweat forms on my brow and I panic. 


I am sure some of you other writers have the same issue. Some of you might even hire someone to do it for you. I will not shame you for having the common sense to let the marketers handle it. Having someone write it for you is something I understand entirely. Without hesitation, I can say that this short description is one of the most important things to get your work out there and to get it sold. 


The problem is: How does a person write a killer dust jacket description?


I am not an expert on that, but I am learning, and here is what I have learned so far. Here are five excellent tips to get you started.


  1. A dust jacket description is not about the finite details. It's about the theme and plot. Stick to that, if you describe that and it catches the eye, your readers will be even more pleased with what is inside.
  2. 250-300 words are about all anyone will invest time in these days, and if you don't catch the attention quickly, it's over. Make sure you have a solid hook.
  3. Suggest there is so much more to the story, and there are secrets inside the covers of your work- big, deep, dark, secrets! The salacious, sultry, and murderous secrets the reader wants! Bring them quickly to the edge and then withdraw from them. Make them want it more, make them follow you inside the cover.
  4. Stay away from clichés for the most part, unless your intention is slapstick humor, or your book is part of a genre that relies on it (Noir, romance, etc.).
  5. This one is not so much a content tip as it is a readability tip. Make sure that the print stands out from the cover. It seems simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many people will put a book right back down if the contrast offends them, even if it means putting the text in an ugly box with just black or white text. Too many times I have picked up a book with a dark green cover and looked at the back to see black print! My eyes don't work that well, but they know ugly when they see it.

 

That's all the tips I have on this subject for today, but I will be revisiting this subject when it comes back around. I want to update all my Amazon descriptions soon, so I am working on my dust jackets. There is no guarantee when I will have them done, so I will bid you all ado. 

 

Cheers!

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