The long versus short copy argument has been rumbling on since the 1950s. And it’s still going strong. In reality there’s no hard and fast rule. Successful direct marketing is much more subtle and intelligent than that. The best way of deciding whether to use long or short copy to sell your ebook is to apply common sense.
Your ebook might benefit from longer sales copy if
- it covers an unusual or commonly misunderstood subject that needs explaining in depth
- it is about a completely new concept that people aren’t familiar with
- you’ve priced it high – in general the more expensive a product, the harder you need to work
On the other hand there’s no point rambling on and on when your ebook is
- short
- cheap
- and simple, covering a subject that doesn’t need detailed explanation
Some say that there’s no such thing as long or short copy, just good or bad copy. I agree. As a general rule your sales copy should be exactly as long – or short – as it needs to be to do the job. If you absolutely must write a great, long rambling web page to sell your ebook, don’t put up with that horrid, formulaic rubbish you find on so many ebook sales sites. Find a proper copywriter.
