How to Write a Book Description for Fiction with Kim Here

About this video

Dale says fiction book descriptions are outside his wheelhouse and brings in guest Kim to explain how to write one. Kim offers two formulas. The first is: state what is normal for the character in one sentence, show what happens to make everything abnormal and introduce the story, raise the stakes so it matters, and ask a story question the reader needs answered. The second is to identify story elements — setting, protagonist, what triggers the story, why that is a problem, and the stakes — and wrap them in descriptive language. Her do’s and don’ts include: do not give away spoilers; use a strong hook in the opening line because many people do not read past the first line; do not use a rhetorical question as the hook, because she calls it vague; match the description’s tone to the novel (dark for a gritty thriller, chipper and clever for romantic comedy); avoid cliches; make every line compelling enough to lead to the next; maybe avoid comparing your book to other works, saying your book is not the next Harry Potter; and research descriptions of other books in your genre, reverse-engineering what made you want to read them. She closes that fiction readers decide with their heart first and then their head.

Key takeaways

• Formula one: normal setting, abnormal trigger, raised stakes, then a story question
• Formula two: identify setting, protagonist, trigger, why it is a problem, and the stakes, then write them up descriptively
• Do not include spoilers, cliches, or a rhetorical-question hook
• Open with a strong hook and make each line pull the reader to the next
• Study descriptions in your genre and match your description’s tone to your novel’s tone

Episode details: published October 10, 2017 · 5:05 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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