In my last post, I promised to share the book launch’s new cover and sales blurb for a previously published novel.
Research for the Book Launch’s New Cover
I used Publisher Rocket’s “Competition Analyzer” and “Category Search” to find and evaluate the most popular covers.
From this research, I concluded the quality of my original cover fell short. Worse, it targeted the wrong audience. Also, the old book title did not include a keyword phrase that matched prospective buyers’ searches.
Based on these insights, the new cover image and title aims at children ages 8 to 12 who like “adventure” novels. (Click here for a larger image of the old and new cover.)
Analysis for the Book Launch’s Sales Blurb
To create a new sales blurb, I scoured dozens of book descriptions for popular books with high revenue.
If you’re unfamiliar with Publisher Rocket, it makes this easy by showing the estimated sales for books, the book’s cover, and Amazon link. You can also see the categories and keywords. Once you’ve followed the link to a book’s Amazon page, you can view the sales blurb.
After scrutinizing dozens of book descriptions, I created a new sales blurb aimed at the target audience with embedded keyword phrases.
Old Sales Blurb
First, the robot blew up. Next, the monster escaped—long fangs and sharp claws.
Then, the beast bit classmates, turning kids into zombie-like creatures. And to top all that, suddenly, all the adults disappeared. Only a handful of friends and the school bully remained. Can time travel stop the secret society from creating the monster? Or, will a change in the past corrupt the future?
You’ll love the twists in this science-fiction thriller because everyone adores heroes willing to defy the odds. And whatever happened to that bot, Roko? Get it now.
New Sales Blurb
When young genius Preston Gustoffagus (“G” to his friends) discovers hidden tunnels under his basement laboratory, he did not know what hid in the darkness behind the locked door. The screech of hinges signals trouble, dragging G and his friends into a coming of age adventure to prevent the creation of trollbie zero. The boy genius and his team of unlikely middle-school heroes must jump back in time to stop the monster known as Baruokull.
Will G’s time travel device—the kronotrek—work? Or will his latest invention zap the kids’ molecules into oblivion? Will their friendship keep them together as they unravel the mystery of saving their parents, classmates, and even the world? Or, despite their bravery, humor, and non-stop action, will they be stuck in the past with no TV or pizza delivery?
And what happened to Roko, G’s sassy robot? Only time will tell…
Note: The new blurb includes several keyword phrases (e.g., coming of age, adventure, school, heroes, kids, friendship, mystery, bravery, humor, and action).
Conclusion
I enjoyed researching and creating the book launch’s new cover, title, and sales blurb.
Although I’m not expecting my book to suddenly become a bestseller, I want to encourage young people to read. To fulfill its purpose, the novel must attract buyers. I believe the changes, which include the insertion of interior images, will help with search results and increase sales.
For instance, I can use everything learned from this project to do a better job on my next novel.
Related Posts
- Should You Update or Republish and Book Launch Your Previously Published Novel?
- How to Find Book Ideas
- Busy Writers: Self-publish Your Book and Make Your Writing Dreams Come True
Resources
- The Trellis Method: A Unique Writing System
- Story Genres Development Workbook
- Publisher Rocket for Research
Leave a Reply
What have you experienced with a book launch? Did changing a previously published book’s cover, title, or blurb increase sales?
12 responses to “Book Launch: New Cover and Sales Blurb”
Love the fun new cover! It should spark the curiosity of young readers.
Thanks, Dana! It’s designed for kids, unlike the original cover.
I’ve never done a re-launch. It’s been interesting following your progress. I think the new book description is better, more enticing!
Thanks, Vera. Going back through the book reminded me of why I wrote this story. The whole idea was to get young people to read, a gift that keeps on giving throughout their lifetimes. As writers, it’s easy to get caught up in the process and forget we shape the lives of young and old. I appreciate your support!
What a huge difference, Grant. I can’t wait to see what happens with your sales. The change in the cover is fabulous, but I was most interested in how you incorporated key words into your blurb. Smoothly done. You’re inspiring.
The categories and keywords were much easier to identify using Publisher Rocket. Else, I’d merely guess. This way, I can actually see the top ranking keywords and avoid those categories that no longer work.
Thanks for that reminder. I have publisher rocket and just need to use it!
Thanks for sharing
And thanks for stopping by!
My pleasure 😊
I have a couple of books that could benefit from a relaunch. I’m reading these posts closely, Grant.
Thanks Jacqui for your support. This project proves the effort is worth it. I look forward to sharing the use of Atticus to format and the combination of KDP for Amazon and Draft2Digital for worldwide distribution, both print and digital. More to come in the weeks ahead.