Updated December 5, 2024
It’s one of the most challenging tasks that can be asked of an author: to choose a passage from their book that represents, better yet, encapsulates its essence. When I owned a PR firm, most of my clients were authors, and I’d select their excerpts all the time. Piece of cake! Then I became an author, and soon discovered it’s much harder when it’s your book.
I remember the first time I had to do it for myself. My publisher wanted an excerpt for their website, something that would make people want to buy the book, they said. The marketing director gave me a word count and advised me not to “overthink.” Me, overthink? Never.
That was a long time ago, and here's what I’ve learned about the art and science of excerpt selection, both from my experience as an author/speaker/consultant and my previous incarnation as a publicist.
Not All Book Excerpts are Created Equal
Each book excerpt has its own purpose, and it’s important to carefully consider what you want a particular excerpt to achieve before you begin the selection process. A simple rule of thumb is that longer excerpts (200 words or more) should pass the “stand-alone” test, meaning that whatever is contained within those words has the potential to spark a debate, ignite thoughtful discussion on the subject, or reveal something about the book that sets it apart. Brief excerpts (a signature phrase or sentence or two), should be reflective of a key message or theme in the book, a defining philosophy or take-away for the reader.
Below, you'll find two examples of brief, but powerful excerpts:
"You sensed that you should be following a different path, a more ambitious one, you felt that you were destined for other things but you had no idea how to achieve them and in your misery you began to hate everything around you." — Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Netochka Nezvanova
"For the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother really—I felt that I had been happy and that I was happy again."—Albert Camus, The Stranger
Here's an example of a longer excerpt from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
“All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them... In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh! And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me... You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure... It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh”
Tell a Story
Another litmus test for the ideal excerpt is that it has its own narrative arc and tells a story that begs to be continued. Even one sentence can accomplish this, if it’s the right sentence. For example, one of my favorite excerpts from my memoir is, “the bully never remembers, the outcast never forgets.” It was one line somewhere in the middle of the book that, when excerpted, generated so much word of mouth, it became its own moniker. Whatever the length of the excerpt, it should resonate.
Avoid These Pitfalls
- Don’t choose overly context-dependent excerpts that will likely leave readers confused or disconnected rather than intrigued. Choose passages that can stand alone and evoke curiosity or emotion, even without background information.
- Don’t use excerpts that spoil key plot points, twists, or climactic moments. This removes the element of surprise and reduces the incentive for readers to explore the full story. Instead, highlight intriguing setups, character moments, or thematic elements.
- Don’t select excerpts that fail to reflect your book’s tone or genre. You should choose passages that clearly communicate the book’s overall style, whether it’s suspenseful, humorous, poetic, or action-packed.
How to Use Excerpts in Book Marketing
Here are some ways that you can use excerpts as a book marketing tool:
- blog posts
- social media pages
- press kits (when I was a publicist, I always had a Selected Excerpts one-sheet in every press kit that featured provocative pull-quotes from the book to entice media interest)
- your author website
- email blasts
- digital newsletters
Let’s take a closer look at social media pages since there is such a variety of platforms now.
TikTok
- Create short videos in which you read gripping or emotional excerpts. Add background music and subtitles for impact.
- Use creative visuals, transitions, and effects to bring an excerpt to life.
- Share the inspiration or writing process behind a specific excerpt.
- Design graphics to depict your excerpts with tools like Canva. Use vibrant, thematic backgrounds that match your book’s tone.
- Use Carousel posts and break excerpts into bite-sized slides, building suspense as followers swipe through.
- Host live sessions to read excerpts and engage with followers through Q&A.
X
- Share a longer excerpt as a thread, with each tweet ending on a mini cliffhanger.
- Ask followers, “How would you react if this happened to you?” and pair it with an excerpt.
- Keep your most engaging excerpt pinned at the top of your profile with a call-to-action to read more.
- Share videos of you or others reading excerpts on Facebook Live.
- Share a part of an excerpt and ask followers what they think happens next.
- Post excerpts in relevant Facebook book clubs or reading groups with permission.
- Create pins featuring striking or memorable lines from your book in designs that match the theme of your book.
- Curate boards inspired by your book's themes or characters and include excerpts in the captions.
- Link pins directly to where your book can be purchased or read online.
A word to the wise—be prudent. A few excerpts, strategically placed across multiple-platforms can generate demand. Too many, too often can decrease it because if someone thinks they already know enough about your book from reading the excerpts, it can deter them from purchasing it. Excerpts should whet the reader’s appetite, not fill their belly.
Picking the Right Book Excerpt for Author Speaking
The criteria on this one is straight-forward. For your speaking engagement, choose something that moves YOU, so that when you read it aloud, it touches the same part of you that you want to reach in your audience. Whether your book is personal, professional, a how-to, a guidebook, a manual, novel, or memoir, whatever you plan on reading must speak to YOU first. Think of it as your icebreaker. Sometimes, it’s good to choose a humorous or self-deprecating excerpt, that pulls your audience in with laughter and warmth. Whatever you pick, it has to be real, it has to be YOU.
Keep in mind that the audience of your author event has come to hear you speak, not just read. I recommend allotting no more than 10% of your speaking time to a book excerpt. For example, a one-hour keynote would include a maximum of a six-minute excerpt, etc. You can begin or conclude with an excerpt, or insert it during the talk. Whatever feels most natural will work best because the more comfortable you are, the stronger your connection with the audience.
Grab your highlighter and let’s get started!
