What Being A Book Girlie Taught Me About Copy

Most of my knowledge in copy didn’t come from my college years or a certification course, but rather through work experience and my love of literature. 

Being a book girlie has taught me to pay attention to the little things that turn a good book into a great one: the one-liners that linger in your head, the characters that never leave your heart, and the moments that make you feel like time stopped. As it turns out, these are the qualities that also make copy unforgettable. In this piece, I’m breaking down what my life of obsessive reading has taught me about writing words that connect with readers. 

The Little Lines Matter Most

I could give you two single-spaced, double-sided pages on the quotes that stuck with me throughout the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Mass. It is by far my favorite series, and I connect with it on a deep and personal level to the point where I think about it daily, even after I read it… a year ago. 

Anybody who has walked with Aelin Galathenius, Manon Blackbeak, and Dorian Havillard understands the emotional turmoil of the words “You do not yield” and “I will not be afraid.” These are the moments that shake us, that inspire us, and drive us to action. Your copy can do the same thing. The right words at the right time have incredible power over your reader. 

The right words can name a feeling your reader didn’t know how to vocalize, give language to emotions that have been sitting unnamed inside them, capture the choice they wish they’d made, and reflect the version of themselves that is brave, confident, and honest.

When your copy hits and lands, a single line can linger in someone's mind for long after they close their computer. One well-written sentence can nudge them closer to a decision they’ve been contemplating, remind them of the person they want to be, and the values they care about most. 

It's the little lines of your copy that can change the way readers see themselves. Once that change takes place, the action begins. 

If I Don’t Care About The Character, I’ll Close The Book

A boring or non-relatable character makes for a dull story. If I can’t find something to hold onto in the first five chapters, I will typically set the book down, and that’s far more generous than most readers.

We stay with a story because we care about the character and what comes next for them. We want to see what circumstances try to hold them back, if they keep fighting, and if they’ll succeed. 

Your brand is your main character. Your brand is the person we’re following into battle or into that office or boardroom. 

Your brand is the presence that steps onto the page every time you publish a blog, send a newsletter, share a caption, or write a sales page. If your brand feels flat, inconsistent, or unclear, your reader will close the book because they don’t feel connected to the “who” behind the words. Let your brand be a fully formed character, show the quirks, opinions, and a clear point of view, and your people will start to cheer for you.

Pacing Is Everything

Similarly to the character, if the pacing of a book is too slow or even too fast, it can ruin everything. When it's too slow, the book will feel uneventful and won’t trigger any emotions in the reader. But when a book is too fast, the reader struggles to catch up and understand what is going on, the scenes blur together, and create confusion. 

Copy works the same way. When every line shouts for attention, the reader will get exhausted, but when all sections are soft, it's boring. Pacing keeps the story moving and pulls the reader forward by curiosity and excitement instead of by pressure. 

In storytelling, great pacing knows when to linger, to cut away, and when to breathe. In terms of copy, pacing should have a variation of short, sharp lines that land a punch, longer and more grounded paragraphs that build context and trust, and intentional white space to break things up and give readers a moment to feel and process the information. 

Readers will move from one line to the next when pacing is done correctly and effectively. And sometimes it will get revisited like a favorite line from a book. 

Specifics Create Connection

It’s the specific details that draw us in. When one of the most beloved characters dies, the author will dive deep into the details- what the pain feels like, how the wound looks, when their facial expressions shift, and the gut-wrenching pain of their friends and family around them. 

The author wants to make us care about death and how it affects not only the storyline but the people left behind. The author wants you to be in the story with them. 

Your copy can do the same thing for your brand, getting your readers to care about the same things, discover the same passions, and hold the same beliefs. Being vague in your text with a line like, “I’ll help you grow your business,” won’t make them feel anything. 

Instead, use details to help them get to know who you are and why they should be part of the journey: 

• What does “growing their business” actually look like day-to-day?

• How will their life feel different after working with you?

• What specific struggles are you helping them walk through? 

The more specific you are, the easier it is for the right readers to see themselves in your story, and to recognize you as the guide they’ve been looking for.  

I Don’t Finish Every Book, And That’s Okay

Sometimes I just can’t get into a book. Everyone has preferred genres that tend to hook them. I like to think I’m a nonfiction girl, and occasionally I am, but most of the time I get pulled in by fictional stories. They make me feel like I’m not just consuming information, but rather part of the adventures of the cadre or the band of Merry Thieves. 

Not everyone is going to be interested in your website or your social content. Not everyone will care for the product or services you provide.

But someone will. 

Instead of stressing about getting more clients, focus on the ideal clients (easier said than done). But this shift will save your time, your sanity, and your reputation by allowing you to give your all to those who care about what you do. 

Not every reader is your reader, just like not every client is your client. 

Give people permission to pass up your brand if it's not for them. It gives space for those who see your work and can relate to it. 

What Being A Book Girlie Has Taught Me About Copy

I am the girl who was always found reading at the back of the class. The girl who squeezes in a page whenever there's a spare second. The one who consumes books like it’s my very breath. 

All those minutes between the pages taught me how to pay attention to the minor details and the extraordinary power words have. I have learned to pay attention to the way one line knocks the air out of your lungs, how a character can feel like a friend, and a chapter can rush by because of precise pacing. 

That’s what I want my copy to do: to sit with someone the way a favorite book quote does. Not everyone needs to love my words or my style. It’s okay if they click away, uninterested. I’m not writing for every reader, I’m writing for my readers.