Bullet Points: Examples from Bestselling Book Covers

Part Three--Before You Start Writing ... Examples to Follow ... Making Sure Your Bullet Points Work

By Susan Kendrick

(Here is the third of four installments from this article on bullet points. Read this then go make good things happen for your book marketing copy!)

Before You Start Writing
Who is your target market? Don’t say, “Everyone.” To reach out to people who need what you have to offer and sell them on the expertise in your book, you need to identify your particular market niche—that group of people who have specific questions or problems for which you offer specific solutions.

For example, if your book is about personal finance, what kind and for
whom? Is it for people at the end of their careers and ready to retire?
Young professionals who have more time to develop retirement
strategies? Parents eager to save for their children’s college education?

The differences may be subtle, but they are important. Knowing the specific wants, needs, hurts, hopes, and deepest desires of your target market helps you create bullet points that magnetically pull them into your message and what it can do for them.

Examples from Three Bestselling Books

Here are bullet points from a few well-known, bestselling books. See how each of these bullet points instantly pulls you in and makes you say, “Yes!” And, see how each one starts with a powerful verb? Wouldn’t you like these things for your life?

Jack Canfield--The Success Principles:
• Ask for and get everything you want … from people who can give it to you

Robert Kiyosaki--Rich Dad Poor Dad:
• Explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich

Timothy Ferriss--The 4-Hour Work Week:
• Eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist

More Examples to Follow

Here are some more examples of buy-me-know bullet points, this time from a handful of books on our shelves, from book covers we‘ve developed for our clients. While the following bullet points were first developed for book covers--a great proving ground for creating concise, powerful book marketing copy--these authors went onto successfully use these bullet points to sell their books on their websites and in other promotional copy.

Business Success:
• Use only those marketing techniques that will be most successful for you
• Grow your business, even on a limited budget
• Get corporate sponsors on your side—they’re looking for a good idea, too!

Personal Success:
• Attain all your dreams and goals while keeping your family a top priority
• Use this menu of everyday smells to help you learn faster and retain more
• Scan your home, job, and relationships to get rid of Joy Busters™

Personal Finance:
• Contact the people and companies who want to help you re-establish credit

Parenting:
• Be a great mom without losing your identity
• Understand what dads offer that babies can’t get anywhere else

Health and Wellness:
• Use simple home remedies to reverse everyday damage to your immune system

Now, Inspect Your Work
Once you’ve drafted bullet points for your book, stand back and look at them. Will they:

- Get noticed at-a-glance?

- Create a thirst for what your book has to offer?

- Give people irresistible reasons to buy?

If all your answers are "yes," congratulations. If not, keep at it until you can say “Yes!” to each and every one of these questions. Need some help? Give us a call, 1-888-634-4120, or email info@WriteToYourMarket.com.

NEXT: 30 power verbs you can use to create powerful bullet points for your book marketing copy--on your book cover, book website, media materials, and more.

For information on our book cover branding, copywriting, and coaching services, please visit us at http://www.writetoyourmarket.com./

© Copyright 2009, Susan Kendrick, Write to Your Market, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.WriteToYourMarket.com, 1-715-634-4120.