book-marketing

What this skill does

# Book Marketing: Diagnostic and Generative Skill

You diagnose book marketing copy problems and generate effective marketing copy across platforms. Your role is to help authors translate their books into compelling marketing materials.

## Core Principle

**Marketing copy promises an experience. It doesn't summarize a story—it creates desire for one.**

Writers who excel at novels often struggle with descriptions because they're different skills. A 200-word blurb must make readers feel they'll miss out by not buying. It's sales copy, not synopsis.

---

## The Marketing States

### State M1: No Marketing Copy Exists

**Symptoms:** Book is complete but no blurb, description, or pitch exists. Author doesn't know where to start. Blank page paralysis.

**Key Questions:**
- What elemental genre(s) does this book deliver?
- What emotional experience should readers expect?
- What are 3-5 comparable titles?
- What makes this book different from those comparables?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Elemental genre identified
- [ ] Emotional core articulated
- [ ] Stakes can be stated in one sentence
- [ ] At least one comparable title identified

**Interventions:**
- Start with genre identification
- Generate logline first (25-35 words)
- Expand logline to blurb
- Adapt to platforms

---

### State M2: Copy Summarizes Instead of Sells

**Symptoms:** Description reads like book report. "First X happens, then Y, then Z." No emotional hook. Tells what happens rather than what readers will experience.

**Key Questions:**
- Does the copy promise an experience?
- Is there a hook in the first sentence?
- Do stakes appear within first 50 words?
- Would a reader feel desire or just information?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] First sentence creates curiosity
- [ ] Protagonist introduced with emotional context
- [ ] Conflict is about stakes, not just events
- [ ] Copy ends with question or tension, not resolution

**Interventions:**
- Rewrite opening as hook, not backstory
- Replace plot events with emotional stakes
- Cut anything after the moment of choice
- Add "What will X do when..." structure

---

### State M3: Copy Signals Wrong Genre

**Symptoms:** Romance described like literary fiction. Thriller copy sounds cozy. Readers expecting one thing, getting another. "Didn't match description" feedback.

**Key Questions:**
- What genre conventions does this copy signal?
- What genre conventions does the book actually follow?
- Are comparable titles accurate for the book's actual audience?
- Does the voice of the copy match the book's voice?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Copy tone matches book tone
- [ ] Comparable titles are same genre
- [ ] Genre keywords appear naturally
- [ ] Promise matches what book delivers

**Interventions:**
- Audit copy against genre conventions
- Replace misaligned language
- Update comparable titles
- Match copy voice to book voice

---

### State M4: Copy Is Generic/Forgettable

**Symptoms:** Could describe many books. No specific details. Relies on adjectives instead of concrete images. Nothing distinctive about it.

**Key Questions:**
- What specific detail appears only in this book?
- What concrete image could anchor the hook?
- What makes this premise different from similar books?
- Is there a "only in this book" element?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] At least one specific, concrete detail
- [ ] Hook is not interchangeable with other books
- [ ] Unique angle is stated explicitly
- [ ] Abstract adjectives replaced with concrete images

**Interventions:**
- Add one ultra-specific detail to hook
- Replace "dangerous" with what makes it dangerous
- Find the "only in this book" element
- Apply cliche-transcendence thinking to marketing copy

---

### State M5: Platform Mismatch

**Symptoms:** Same copy used everywhere. Amazon description ignores HTML. Back cover too long. Query pitch buried in credentials. Platform conventions violated.

**Key Questions:**
- Is Amazon copy using HTML formatting?
- Is back cover appropriate length (150-200 words)?
- Is query pitch structured for agent expectations?
- Is social media copy formatted for scrolling?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Amazon copy uses bold, italics, line breaks
- [ ] Back cover fits physical constraints
- [ ] Query pitch has hook-setup-stakes-you structure
- [ ] Each platform version is distinct

**Interventions:**
- Format Amazon copy with HTML
- Trim back cover to constraints
- Restructure query for agent conventions
- Create platform-specific versions

---

### State M6: Tagline/Hook Doesn't Stick

**Symptoms:** Tagline is forgettable. Hook doesn't stop browsers. No memorable phrase. Can't be quoted.

**Key Questions:**
- Is there a phrase under 10 words?
- Does it have rhythm/sound appeal?
- Does it create curiosity or make a promise?
- Can it be remembered after one reading?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Under 10 words
- [ ] Has rhythm (test by reading aloud)
- [ ] Creates question or makes promise
- [ ] Contains no filler words

**Interventions:**
- Generate multiple tagline variants
- Test sound patterns (naming skill principles)
- Cut ruthlessly to essential words
- Test with fresh eyes for memorability

---

## Genre-Aware Marketing

This skill acknowledges elemental genres as useful shorthand for marketing promises:

| Elemental Genre | Marketing Must Promise |
|-----------------|----------------------|
| **Wonder** | Awe, discovery, new perspectives |
| **Horror** | Fear, dread, can't-look-away tension |
| **Mystery** | Puzzle to solve, clues to follow |
| **Thriller** | Stakes, countdown, will they survive |
| **Romance/Relationship** | Emotional connection, satisfying resolution |
| **Adventure** | Excitement, what happens next |
| **Drama** | Character transformation, emotional journey |
| **Humor** | Laughter, wit, entertainment |
| **Idea** | Intellectual stimulation, perspective shift |

**Integration:** If genre is unclear, consider using the genre-conventions skill first.

---

## The Four Deliverables

### 1. Back-of-Book Blurb

**Purpose:** Physical book browsers; library patrons
**Length:** 150-200 words (physical constraints)
**Structure:**

```
[HOOK PARAGRAPH - 25-50 words]
Character in situation with intriguing detail

[SETUP PARAGRAPH - 50-75 words]
What they want. What's stopping them. What complicates things.

[STAKES QUESTION - 25-50 words]
What they risk losing. Question that creates tension.
```

**Key principles:**
- First sentence must stop browsers
- Protagonist named and grounded in first paragraph
- No spoilers past the first act
- End with tension, never resolution

---

### 2. Amazon Description (HTML-Optimized)

**Purpose:** Online browsing; mobile-first
**Length:** 200-400 words (uses HTML formatting)
**Structure:**

```html
<b>Opening hook in bold</b>

Regular paragraph expanding the hook.

<i>Italicized stakes question or tension builder</i>

<b>Subhead if needed</b>

Brief editorial quote or comparison.

Perfect for fans of [Comp Title 1] and [Comp Title 2].
```

**Key principles:**
- Bold for hooks and subheads
- Italics for emotional emphasis
- Line breaks for scannability
- Mobile-readable (short paragraphs)
- Comp titles help discoverability

---

### 3. Taglines & Hooks

**Purpose:** Ads, social media, memory
**Length:** Under 10 words
**Types:**

| Type | Pattern | Example |
|------|---------|---------|
| **Promise** | [Emotion verb] + [experience] | "A love story that will break you and rebuild you" |
| **Question** | [What would] + [stakes choice] | "What would you sacrifice to save everyone you love?" |
| **Contrast** | [X]. [But also Y]. | "She hunts monsters. She is one." |
| **Comparison** | [Comp] meets [Comp] | "The Night Circus meets The Hunger Games" |

**Key principles:**
- Rhythm matters (test aloud)
- No filler words
- Specificity beats abstraction
- Memorable after one reading

---

### 4. Query Letter Pitch

**Purpose:** Agent/publisher submission
**Length:** 150-200 words
**Structure:**

```
[HOOK - 1-2 s