Sell Sheets: A Guide for New Self Publishers
What is a sell sheet?
A sell sheet (sometimes called a “one sheet” or “tip sheet”) is a one-sheet brochure promoting a book and its author. The main point of a sell sheet is to convey the benefits of your book in a short and concise way. It is used to help you market your book directly to book buyers. It is not a press release. You should use it to promote and sell your book to retailers, wholesalers, and even consumers. You should also include your sheet in your book’s media kit so that the media, book reviewers, and bookstores can have specific details about your book and your marketing plans. Remember, a Press release you should focus on the news that you or your book are making. The press release is a way of sharing information and it says, “Hey look at me, I have some valuable information to share with you.” On the contrary, a sell sheet it’s more of an announcement that your book is out and available. The sheet says, “Hey look at me, I’ve published a new book and I want you to buy it. Here’s all the information you need to know before you buy my book.”
What should a sell sheet include?
Image/Image: A high-resolution photo or image of your book.
Description: A short but engaging description of your book.
Title: The full title, including the subtitle.
Author’s name: your name here
Photograph of the author: If you have enough space, include a photo
Co-author name: You guessed it, the name of the co-author.
PrologueAuthor: This person usually has a bigger name than yours, so if this is true, include it.
Category: List the bookshelves category (BISG category heading) or subject of your book
ISBN 13: The standard book number assigned to your book
Format: Trade paperback, hardcover, pdf, mobi
Publication date: The date your book is available.
Pages: The number of pages in your book.
Price: the hedge price
Cut: The dimensions of your book (5.5″x8.5″, 8.5″x11″, 6″x9″)
Available from: Ingram, B&T, Amazon, for example
Marketing Plans: Targeted advertising on the Internet; direct mail and email marketing; Cooperative catalogs and trade show displays; social media marketing; video-marketing
Quotes/Testimonials/Blurbs: This is important, especially if you have excellent ones to use.
Call to action: A statement like “Visit MyBooksWebsiteDotCom for more information.”
How do you market your book using a sell sheet?
When designed correctly, the sell sheet will be like having a printed version of your book’s web page. You should use your sell sheet to communicate as many useful and informative details as you can about your book. Be sure to put up a call to action that asks the book buyer to call a phone number or visit your website. You should also include your sell sheet in your book’s media kit. Remember, your book sell sheet should be an integral part of your marketing plan.