Crafting a Sell Sheet: A Quick, Easy Guide

Sell sheets, also known as one sheets, are often requested by booksellers, award competitions, reviewers, and other industry folks. They are useful tools for people to get quick information about your book and make decisions, such as whether or not to stock your book in their store. It’s important to have all the standard elements on your sell sheet and to make sure they are organized in a structured way. So what exactly do you need to have on a sell sheet and where does everything go? Follow this quick and easy guide to make your own sell sheet.

1. Heading

Start out your sell sheet with the basics. Add your title and author name, making sure it matches your metadata (what you entered into distributor websites like KDP or IngramSpark). Also upload your cover image, checking that the title is clearly readable. If you have an author logo, you can use it in a banner across the top if you want, but it isn’t necessary.

2. Blurb

This is the most important part. You will need to make sure your blurb is enticing; this is what sells your book! There are a variety of ways to write blurbs, here is one format:

• introduce the character and setting
• give some of the plot, showing how it’s unique
• tell the stakes in an intriguing way
• don’t give away the ending

Writing blurbs takes practice, and they are something that can often be tweaked pending on your intended audience. Here are some examples of blurbs that appeared in query letters and ended up in publication:

WOVEN by Stephania Thompson:

Bound by a devastating secret, childhood friends David, Josh, and Kate take on home renovation as a means of healing from a dark, shared past.

Their only promise? Friendship first—no hookups.

Only several months after moving into their Baltimore fixer, the aptly nicknamed Canton Catastrophe, walls are crumbling, sparks are flying, and promises are getting ignored.

Josh, a paramedic, is plagued with panic attacks, haunted by the past, and sharing a room with David, who he is definitely not attracted to. And then there’s Kate. She’s having a job crisis, popping pills, and pretending she doesn’t notice how distant the boys have grown. And David? The eternally calm, blue-eyed beauty’s health is deteriorating and he’s mysteriously blacking out.

But when they learn someone may have discovered their darkest secret and is now stalking them—and blackmailing Josh’s father, a conservative media personality with secrets of his own—renovation and relationship woes take a back seat. Suddenly, their past is unraveling, and the shocking truths unearthed will have them questioning everything from family ties and friendships to love, loss, and the lengths they’re willing to go for each other.

SONG OF THE CHIMNEY SWEEP by Tamatha Cain

A cryptic blog post leads cold case podcasters Melody and Dorian on a twisty journey back in time to uncover the mysterious story of a forgotten missing woman.
 
In 1969 near the Florida/Georgia Line, idealistic young Betty Langdon and fast-rising R&B singer Dominicus Owens begin an irresistible but dangerous interracial romance that ends under mysterious, heartbreaking circumstances. Betty is forced to return to her rural home to care for her manipulative mother, while Dominicus goes on to mega-stardom with his band The Downtown Sound. She follows his skyrocketing career from behind the front desk of a dying highway motel—until one day decades later, she disappears.
 
Now, a popular true crime podcast produced by college friends Melody Hinterson and Dorian Santos takes on the cold case of a missing local woman. The duo’s carefully-balanced workplace dynamic is weirdly off-kilter lately, but they can’t take their eyes off the investigation as the intriguing new story suddenly boosts the show into the national spotlight. When the investigation uncovers the missing woman’s diaries full of family secrets and the local legend of a fortune hidden in an old chimney somewhere in town, the truth behind the podcast’s mystery becomes personal, and Melody must make life-changing choices before the final episode airs.

But who owns the rights to a secret?

3. Official Reviews

If your blurb is long, you may not have room for review quotes here. But if you do, be sure to include “official” reviews from professional reviewers such as Kirkus, Book Life, Publisher’s Weekly, Reader’s Favorite, or other literary review sources. You could also include reviews from credited sources such as known authors, or professionals related to the book’s topic (such as a popular cardiologist if the book is about heart care). Be careful of using reviews from Amazon here, as it may appear amateur to booksellers.

4. Author Bio

You will have a variety of author bios pending your audience. This audience is booksellers, so be sure to use a bio that shows you are a professional. If you are trying to sell nonfiction, include information about what makes you an expert on the topic of your book. For example, if you wrote a book about interior design, you should mention your design qualifications in your bio. (For more information about how to write different bios, click here on this Amazon Author Page post.)

5. Ordering Information

You won’t want to leave this part out! Let the bookseller know exactly how to get your book. Start by telling the genre so they would know where to stock the book. Then, give the ISBN numbers and retail prices first as shown in the example. Next, tell the distribution information, including info about the publisher. If you self-published, you can put down your author website and email instead. Where it says “Distributed by:” include how booksellers can order books. It may be through a publisher’s website, Ingram distribution (if you went through IngramSpark), or your own personal website. Do not put Amazon here as that will not have the wholesale discount booksellers need to make a profit, which is often 40% – 50% off the retail price.

Once you have completed your sell sheet, be sure to check it for any typos or errors of convention. You want it to look as professional as possible. Print out your sheet with either an excellent quality home printer or have them printed at an office supply store. Then it’s time to hit the pavement and get your sell sheet out to booksellers. Good luck!