There are two primary marketing elements that first capture a consumer's attention and desire to buy a book to add to their library collection; the cover and the sales pitch blurb.
The Cover: As with any product purchased, our buying decisions are typically based on a number of responsive senses, one of the most powerful being visual appeal. Whether it's a car, a home, furniture, a painting, and indeed a new book to read; the first thing we see is the cover.
The cover design is the powerful tool that grabs our attention immediately and draws our focus to the key elements of the visual that captures the essence of the story. Whether it's a thriller suspense fiction novel like the one featured here by author client Lynda Filler of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico or a gripping suspense, a heartwarming romance or a non-fiction, the function of the cover remains the same.
The Sales Pitch Blurb:
Once the consumer's attention is peaked by that killer cover design, they typically move on to the back cover and interior front matter content which, especially in the case of eBooks, contains the 'sales pitch blurb'. It is the blurb, usually in the 200-300 word length depending on publisher allowance, which is the author's chance to really capture the consumer's attention and develop their strong desire to want to buy that book, crave for the read.
From the opening sentence, the sales pitch is designed to ignite the senses of the consumer, the visceral first impressions that tell them that the product they are considering buying and/or downloading is truly something different, exceptional, a must read to add to the personal library. From the outset the blurb's opening sentence or paragraph should act as the marketing 'hook'.
Once progressing into the main body of the sales pitch piece the reviewer should begin to have a sense for the overall appeal and flavors of the manuscript through a highly descriptive overview of what the reader will experience reading the book, encapsulating the key elements of genre-specific quality in relevant terms to the publication about to be purchased and read.
What follows here is the sales pitch blurb, in its entirety, for JET-ULTIMATUM (pictured above):
Author Lynda Filler once again sets the global stage for another in this third of her ‘JET’ series action thriller novellas with a high-anxiety plot which captivates the reader’s attention right out of the gate.
JET ULTIMATUM is a roller coaster adventure of perilous circumstance and characters in the true spirit of this dynamic, high-stakes game of global hide and seek in a world of high-tech cyber hacking, intrigue, espionage and an insatiable thirst for power and wealth at any cost.
Prepare for an entanglement of counter economic cyber espionage in a race to put a stranglehold on dramatically escalating cyber crime which threatens to deflate the confidence of victim populations for the very security of their global economic and financial systems. Chinese government officials are engaged by their American counterparts in a relentless battle to thwart the criminal element’s unrelenting efforts to hack their way into the very systems designed to protect international financial institutions from crippling online attack of unprecedented magnitude.
The Raven Group is once again called upon to unveil the destructive players in this deadly game with the highest level of urgency and authority. The beautiful, cunning and dynamic ‘JET’ is enticed to come out of quasi retirement to a life of ‘normalcy’ with infant daughter Hannah, to rejoin forces with Luke’s elite Raven Group as a key player to combat the deadly consortium suspected of plotting an unprecedented attack on targeted global monetary systems.
Singapore sets the stage for this high-drama confrontation over fifty floors above bustling city streets, atop a prestigious hotel where fine dining mixes with deadly criminal intention and a consortium of three global crime lords execute financial piracy. This gripping action thriller has a tantalizing recipe wonderfully seasoned with brutal killer instinct, the sizzle of romance, human heartache, revenge, precision high-tech maneuvers and a race against the clock in the face of unstoppable human greed and an insatiable appetite for financial empire, deceit, control and the ultimate prize of $50 Billion at stake.
Ultimatums of dire consequence force the hand of the hardcore criminal element and JET seeks to exact her revenge.
© Lynda Filler 2016; JET-ULTIMATUM
Never overstate the storyline overview to the extent that the reader gets the entire story...if that were the case, why buy the book? Depending on the book's genre, as in the case of this thriller suspense novella which has ranked Top 10 on Amazon Kindle Worlds, build a heightened sense of suspense and expectation. Hint at the exceptional reading experience to come using scintillating, descriptive language that in itself is exceptional in its value for invoking the desire and excitement for the suspenseful drama that unfolds within. The use of cliffhanging questions near the close of chapters is always a powerful tool in the writer's arsenal and some of those heady questions can be incorporated into the sales pitch to leave the consumer having to know what happens.
While writing the blurb, always consider using words that resonate strongly with your targeted audience, words that invoke powerful images in the reader's mind just as a creative writer or poet does to enhance the overall reading experience. Capture that feeling through the infusion of words or phrases taken directly from the book. In addition, introduce primary characters along with descriptive characterization sufficient to bring them to life in a relatable way that builds curiosity and the desire to want to find out more about those characters and how they each play out in the storyline, again, without sharing too much!
Don't forget to share some richly descriptive elements that identify locations in the story. Imagine the intrigue of a suspenseful, action-packed story plot unfolding deep into the jungles of the Mexican heartland, the splendor of the Mexican Riviera, the rolling surf and hot, sandy beaches, the sexy heat of city nightclubs and ominous threat of corrupted law enforcement roaring past, their gaze menacing, suspecting. In the case of ULTIMATUM the central focus for the main event of the story unfolds in Singapore, over fifty floors above bustling city streets in a rooftop dining room where three pivotal players to the story plot wield their power and blood thirst in a scheme that could cripple the global financial community.
Finally, set up your close with a grabbing hook that tells the consumer that they can't leave that book on the shelf for another, can't click away to check out other titles for comparison or instead of the thriller in hand. Leave no doubt in the mind of the prospective purchaser that they won't be disappointed through carefully crafted sales pitch blurbs and watch the results translate into increased sales and ardent, devoted fans who come back time and again for your next title(s).
A Word of Caution: Always be sure to stay close to the actual storyline when composing the sales pitch blurb. Never over-embellish to the point where the reader's expectations are denied by a story that is in large part unrelated to what the blurb promises will follow. A solid, honest overview of the storyline and what the reader will experience, without any false pretense, will always leave the consumer satisfied with the product, glad they made the purchase decision and in turn leave them wanting the same experience with your future publications. They will have the confidence and trust that they will not be disappointed.
Research top-rated articles about writing an effective sales pitch blurb. Another perfect source of reference are the sales pitch blurbs found in the front matter review of noteworthy books found on author publication pages. Look for bestseller authors and their titles to find highly effective blurbs. Once you have a solid sense of how to compose a highly compelling sales pitch blurb, write a draft (or several drafts) and read them back. Do they sound stilted, contrived, lackluster, over-pitched and cheesy sales jargon filled? Do they leave you with hesitation or doubt, little desire to want to make the purchase? If so, re-write portions until you really have it nailed down.
Never Rush The Sales Pitch:
Always stay focused on the critical importance of the sales pitch blurb. Never rush its writing. The blurb demands your critical attention as much as the story content itself. This is your critical opportunity to convince the consumer to buy your book. Its importance from a marketing and sales perspective parallels that of the book description and cover design. Do NOT allow the sales pitch blurb to fall flat.
The Sales Pitch Writing Process: I have developed a process for writing the sales pitch blurb and I'll share it with you here:
- I progressively scan the content of the entire manuscript at a pace slow enough that I can recognize essential elements of the storyline and I write down on paper those critical words and/or phrases in a bullet list.
- From the first step noted above, I then do a rough hand-drawn schematic of those critical story elements, emotions, keywords etc. flowing outward from the center core element to the extended, supportive elements, as with the wheel of a bicycle.
- Next, I establish a solid opening sentence/paragraph to grab the consumer's attention.
- Build interest/excitement/expectation through a highly descriptive, scintillating overview of the storyline. Use those powerfully engaging keywords that allow the consumer to relate strongly to the story that lies within. Draw on the consumer's emotions which in turn invoke responsive desire to want that book. Convey how the book will stand out as not only an exceptional read but also how the book carries its own special brand and conveyance in a unique, distinctive style.
- Conclude with a strong closing hook that leaves the consumer feeling that there is only one decision that works for them in the moment...add the book to their 'shopping cart', buy it and dig into an unforgettable read!
Hone your skill in crafting a highly effective sales pitch blurb and you should begin to see a positive change in sales activity. Get the opinion of friends who can look at the blurb (and manuscript) with fresh, independent, objective eyes. Make sure your content measures up to the rave review of the blurb and you will enjoy the rewards of higher sales rank and a potential growth in devout readership who will be asking you when the next great story will be on the store shelves again!