It directly follows the headline and proceeds in a straight and orderly manner from beginning to end. It does not waste words, but starts to sell the benefits of your book immediately. Narrative copy follows the headline with a story that logically leads into a discussion of your book. Your text sets up a situation prior to getting into your selling copy. This can be a dangerous style to use because you must construct an interesting story that will keep the readers involved long enough to make your point.
Institutional copy sells an idea, organization or service.
In many cases this is narrative in style because you are not trying to sell the value of a specific book. You may be announcing your 10th year in business or a new service for your customers. Your copy must create confidence in the company that sells the books, not your books themselves. The difficulty is not to get so wrapped up in the traditions of your publishing firm that the copy becomes boastful and the you approach is entirely replaced by the we . This will quickly turn a reader off, especially if you use this style following a hornblowing headline.