Templates for
sell sheets on the Web make it appear that there are defined rules for sell
sheets. I think there is only one rule: Sell sheets should appeal to
buyers and make them want to buy your book.
WHAT MAKES A SELL SHEET APPEALING TO BUYERS?
Most book buyers
don’t read anything that looks dense or difficult.
- · Use size 12 or 14 print.
- · Leave plenty of white space.
- · Keep paragraphs short.
- · Try using a two-column format.
- · Limit the sell sheet to one-page.
Use color. The choice of color depends on the
genre of the book and the cover, which is the main artwork on most sell sheets.
For example, pastels and purple are often used to sell romances.
Design features are important but
shouldn’t overpower. For
example, a narrow (one-half inch) border of black and white zebra stripes
around the edge of a sell sheet for a children’s book might be effective, but a
wider border would detract from the cover and the blurb. Generally I like
design features (such as a colored box) that draw attention to the book’s
blurb.
Consider making two versions of your sell
sheet. Book retailers
and distributors often cringe when they see the word Amazon. Information on how
to obtain the books from Amazon is essential when you’re talking to most
readers at book fairs and talks
WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE ON A SELL SHEET?
- · Title of the book, boldly at top of page
- · Author’s info: name, website, blog, and other ways to contact. Some think a photo of the author and a short (one or two sentences) bio are appealing.
- · Blurb, only three to four sentences.
- · Cover of the book, large enough that you can read the print
- · Reviewers’ comments or awards
- · Publisher’s info: name, date of publication, ways to contact
- · Book info: genre, ISBN number, format, number of pages
What do you think makes a sell sheet
effective? Let me know.
Thanks
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