The saddest truth in book sales is that even the greatest story on the shelf can't sell itself without solid packaging. Book marketing is a big business, and most publishing companies have staff devoted to book design above and beyond the editorial team, including graphic designers, cover artists, and copywriters.

Typically, a copywriter will create the text that appears on the paperback cover or book jacket. A copywriter may either be on the staff at the publishing house, or the publisher may contract out, or outsource, to freelance copywriters. Either way, it's the job of the copywriter to craft a paragraph or two about your book that will sell it to readers.

Otherwise, and this too occurs more often within larger publishing houses, an overworked and underpaid editorial assistant may be tasked with crafting your book jacket copy. This is often viewed as an onerous task and is obviously less than ideal; while editors (and editorial assistants) are useful in helping to shape and enhance your story, they may not have the necessary 'sales writing' skills to entice the reader to purchase your book on the shelf.

So, while most of the time you may not be writing your own book jacket copy, it's still important for any writer to be able to do so. Here's why:

1. This provides you with the chance to concisely sum up your manuscript and re-examine the story - it's like going through a copy edit of the plot.

2. It allows you to make sure you've been writing towards your target audience, OR it can help you to determine the target audience for your book.

3. If you're sending query letters out to publishers with hopes of selling your manuscript, you'll essentially have to write a paragraph to pitch your idea anyway.

Finally, once your dream publisher has picked up your book, you'll be able to ensure that the copy your book jacket receives is the copy it deserves. Come back next week and I'll discuss tips on how to craft top-notch book jacket copy that will have readers grabbing your books off the shelves.

Keep in mind that while you may try to design and format your book jacket cover on your own, there are professional editors who will do it for you. A professional book editor will create a professionally written book jacket cover that will capture your audience's attention. This is succinct copy that sends a strong message about your writing.

Heather Todd is full-time professional editor, published writer & marketing consultant whose passion is to help others create a letter-perfect presentation in their writing. Ms. Todd is Senior Level III Editing Consultant for http://www.FirstEditing.com

Want to write a book? You can. You start writing, and you keep going. At around 80,000 words, you've got yourself a book. Now what? You sell the book to a major publisher, hit the bestseller lists, and order your new cherry-red Ferrari.

That's how writing a book and getting published works. But if you try to follow that process - just sit down and start typing - the chances that you'll sell the book are slim. To sell your book you need to know the kind of book you're writing before you start, and also whether there's an audience for that kind of book. It sounds unfair, but in order to sell your book, you have to prove to the publisher that people will want to read it.

What Kind of Book are You Writing?

Most new authors start on their book writing and publishing adventure by reading a book and getting inspired. They don't think about the kind of book they're writing, or who would want to read it.

There are basically two kinds of books: truth and lies, otherwise known as nonfiction and fiction (novels). Some hundred thousand books are published in English each year, both nonfiction and novels. You must know what kind of book you're writing before you start.

Let's imagine that you've read a Harry Potter novel, and you're so enthusiastic that you're inspired to write your own children's novel. The words pour out of you; you're on fire. You write and write and write, and the pages pile up on your computer's hard drive.

This is great. While you're writing, ask yourself: "In a bookstore, where would this book of mine be shelved?"

If you're not sure, go to a bookstore and wander around the shelves. Is your book in the nonfiction section? In the children's section? In the romance novel or mystery section?

If you're inspired by Harry Potter, you know you're writing a children's novel. Imagine your book on the shelves, right beside the rows of Harry Potters.

This isn't an idle exercise, or a fantasy. You must know what you're writing, so please visit that bookstore. "What is it?" is the first thing an agent will want to know when you contact her to represent your book. It's also the first thing an editor at a publishing house will want to know.

So, what are you writing? If you don't know, or aren't sure, think about it and visit a bookstore if you need to. You can write a book and get published if you know what you're writing, and who will want to read it.

Discover how YOU can write a book and sell it with Angela Booth’s Just Write a Book Blog at http://www.justwriteabook.com/blog/ Angela helps you with the writing process, and demystifies the publishing trade. Read Angela’s blog, and subscribe to her popular freelance writing ezine, Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at [http://fabfreelancewriting.com/ezine/fab-freelance-writing-ezine.html] Yes, you can become a published author: imagine YOUR book stacked on the shelves in bookstores. If you want to write a book, you can.

Everyone has a story to tell but not many can do it with confidence. The art of writing is often a mine-field for those who think they would never accomplish such a thing; that is until they try it. Writing is easy for some who are driven by passion to put it all on paper. Many keep journals and letters for this reason. Others do it through photographs and images they may record on paper or canvas. The facts are that humans love to read or see what happens in other people's lives and that's where a good author comes in.

Telling stories is a discipline that is easily learned with the right approach. Knowledge comes first and foremost and when you know something you can tell it. If you have to dream it all up that's when stories can fall flat.

Taking notice of everyday events in and around your society and environment is a great place to start when putting a story together. Planning it out like a map from point A to point B is another way of accomplishing it. You need to know where the story is going to end up and what happens in between the opening chapter and the final page.

Photographs help to clarify scenes and a good author might always have a camera with them for that great moment that turns out to be a once in a lifetime experience. Time of day, place and characters must work together. Routines help to shape scenes and often the most mundane of all can take place in a far from glamorous setting.

With published books to my name teaching others on writing a book is good for me as well as potential authors. This quiz on writing is another way of helping out.