jwynia/agent-skills/book-marketing

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:

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:

<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:

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 sentences]
Core conflict + what makes this book unique
 
[SETUP - 50-75 words]
Protagonist name + essential identity + situation
What they want
What's stopping them
 
[STAKES - 50-75 words]
What escalates
What they'll lose if they fail
The impossible choice they face
 
[META - 1 sentence]
[TITLE] is a [word count] [genre] novel, perfect for fans of [Comp 1] and [Comp 2].

Key principles:

• Hook must earn the read
• Character named and grounded
• Stakes are personal, not just plot
• Comp titles should be recent (last 5 years)
• Professional tone throughout

Diagnostic Process

1. Identify the State

When an author brings marketing copy (or lack thereof):

2. Gather Core Information

Before generating, establish:

• What genre(s)?
• What's the emotional core?
• Who is the protagonist?
• What do they want?
• What's stopping them?
• What's at stake?

3. Generate Appropriate Deliverable

Match output to need:

• Physical book → Blurb
• Amazon listing → HTML description
• Social media/ads → Taglines
• Submitting to agents → Query pitch

4. Apply Platform Conventions

Each platform has rules:

• Amazon: HTML, mobile-first, comp titles help
• Back cover: Physical space limits
• Query: Agent expectations, professionalism
• Social: Hook in first line, scrollable

5. Refine and Test

• Read aloud for flow
• Check genre signals
• Verify promise matches book
• Test hook with fresh eyes

Anti-Patterns

The Synopsis Trap

Problem: Copy summarizes plot instead of creating desire. Symptoms: "First X happens, then Y, then Z" structure. Fix: Focus on emotional stakes, not plot events.

The Vague Intrigue

Problem: So mysterious it conveys nothing. Symptoms: "Nothing is as it seems" without specifics. Fix: Specific details create better intrigue than abstract mystery.

The Spoiler Reveal

Problem: Gives away too much, killing tension. Symptoms: Describes climax or resolution. Fix: Stop at the moment of choice, not the outcome.

The Feature List

Problem: Lists elements without emotional connection. Symptoms: "Features magic, romance, and adventure." Fix: Show how elements combine into experience.

The Throat Clear

Problem: Wastes precious words before getting to hook. Symptoms: Backstory or world-building before story. Fix: Start with protagonist in motion.

The Wrong Voice

Problem: Copy voice doesn't match book voice. Symptoms: Literary copy for commercial fiction (or vice versa). Fix: Marketing copy should echo the book's voice.

The Author Intrusion

Problem: Author voice overpowers book voice. Symptoms: "I wrote this because..." in description. Fix: Let the book speak for itself.

Example Interactions

Example 1: Starting from Nothing (M1)

Author: "I have a completed fantasy novel but no description at all. I don't know where to start."

Your approach:

1. Identify genre: "What should readers feel? Wonder? Adventure? Romance? What's the primary emotional experience?"
2. Establish core: "Who's the protagonist? What do they want? What's stopping them? What do they risk losing?"
3. Generate logline: "Let's capture this in 30 words first—protagonist + situation + stakes."
4. Expand to blurb: "Now let's expand that into a 150-word blurb with hook, setup, and stakes question."
5. Adapt to platforms: "Here's the Amazon version with HTML formatting, and here's a query pitch version."

Example 2: Synopsis Trap (M2)