Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading writing book blurbs and synopses. This video from new york times bestseller alessandra torre details why your books blurb is crucially important and shares her easy equation for creating one. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the blurb is what is going to make the difference between a missed opportunity and a sale. How to write a book blurb is rather straightforward, but the process can be infuriating due to the emotional connection to your own work that often makes it hard to boil the story down to essentials. How to sell your manuscript to publishers and your indie book to readers writers craft 19 kindle edition by hall, rayne. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. We require a lead time of at least 7 days from the date you fill out the book summary questionnaire for delivery. Here are six rules to be mindful of before you put pen to paper on your back book cover blurb. If youd like for me to read the entire book instead of just. Your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention.
Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. Here is the opening of the first paragraph of one of my favourite fiction book blurbs, for behind the scenes at the museum by kate atkinson. Writing book blurbs and synopses will become a goto tool for any author, newly published or an old hand, as a means for helping you develop your own techniques for blurbs and synopses. Top tips on writing a book blurb that really sells they say not to judge a book by its cover but lets be honest, we all do exactly that. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. A blurb from an author whose work i dislike can make me leave the. Write a summary of your book if not done already, then shorten it down to its essence. Art posts must be formatted as title by creator, usernames are ok. In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. Writing the blurb by dave bricker book publicity firm. Writing a blurb the blurb is the writing on the back of a book.
The specific details and unexpected combinations i love conceived grudgingly are intriguing, and the copy made me buy the book. Blurbs are brief summaries of what a reader will find on the other end of a hyperlink. Students will consider the themes of the book and integrate at least one in their blurb. Shelfies, hauls, etc may be posted in the monthly show and tell post which occurs on the 7th of each month. Blurbs are short descriptions that promote things such as movies, books, or other projects. Tradepublished authors do not write many of their own book blurbs. How to write a great nonfiction book blurb from polly letofsky of my word publishing. I have seen nonfiction blurbs that are more about the author than the content of the book and i have seen fiction blurbs that are a synopsis of the story and even tell the reader the ending. As a beginner, i tried to get to know more about book blurbs since i needed to write my own. The blurb equation how to write a kickbutt blurb youtube. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind.
Students will write a blurb for home of the brave, following the guidelines and suggestions offered by the teacher or arising out of class discussions. In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps. A book blurb which will arouse a readers curiosity to read the story you have worked on, but not give away twists within the story, is a quality one. Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. Writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. Indie authors often say that writing the blurb for the back cover of their selfpublished book is the most difficult part of the whole process, so were glad to bring you this simple and straightforward set of guidelines from fred johnson of alli partner member standout books to help you triumph over this troublesome task the art of blurbwriting. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. An examination of the wily book blurb chuck wendig.
A book blurb, or the book jacket description, summarizes the best part of your book in only 150 words yep. The blurb of your book is the second thing a potential reader will look at after the coverso take the time to get it right. How to sell your manuscript to publishers and your. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. This is because a blurb is far more about sales psychology than it is about the story it describes. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. But, in our opinion, there are few better ways to figure out how to do something than by seeing how the professionals do it. Master the blurb and youll join the ranks of true marketing pros.
Brooks posted on march 19, 20 december 6, 2014 categories staff articles tags bios for authors, example of a bad biography, good bio, how to write a bio blurb, how to write a biography, how to write a good bio blurb, tips for authors, tools for authors, writing a biography 30 comments on lets talk about me. A blurb from an author i admire might seduce me into buying the book. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. This means all the focus needs to be on the reader their needs and expectations. There are many ways that readers are encouraged to pick up a book in a bookshop or library, or to purchase a book online. Verify that all the images in your book are between 150 and 300 dpi. Book blurb writing service, novel summary, manuscript editor.
Who knows this might be just the information that will help you launch your next bestselling book. Blurbs sell shows with concise, compelling, and practical writing. Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. The cover and blurb are crucial in drawing in potential readers, sparking their interest and, in many cases, can be the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. Hopefully, the potential reader takes that allimportant next step and reads the back blurb or online description. The person who came up with the word blurb called it a flamboyant advertisement.
Six writers tell all about covers and blurbs the awl. In addition to the example provided in lesson one of a wellwritten book blurb, im including a few examples from bestselling memoirs which have their blurbs perfected. Youre setting the expectation for the book in the blurb, so make sure that your themes, ideas, and issues match. Use imageladen words, those powerful words that speak to readers of the books genre. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. With blurbs often clocking in at under a hundred words, some may wonder if theres much room for anything substantial, but whats brevity if not the soul of wit. When youre refining your books blurb, there is a lot you can learn from guides and expert advice. Even so, many poorlywritten blurbs resort to a liberal sprinkling of quotations, often a sign that the blurb writer hasnt much to really say. Your book description on amazon has to hook your readers immediately and get them to buy the book before they click away and read something else.
Blogging, getting published, rewriting and editing. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. For all intents and purposes, your publisher has written this. The curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still around those snippets of praise on book covers have been around for over 150 years at least. An examination of the wily book blurb terribleminds.
Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i. Selfpublishing requires a writer to take on all sorts of unfamiliar tasks. Successful arts marketing blurbs contain three key elements. You need to promise an exciting read without disclosing too much. Though they vary in content depending on a storys genre or writing style, there is a simple structure that underpins 99% of successful book blurbs. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should. This is because writers dont really understand what a blurb is meant to do. If youre wondering how to do that and where to start, it involves penning multiple drafts, lots of cutting, losing your sanity, and planning your blurb with the help of these steps. Grade 5 lesson on blurbsadapt by using whatever book. Youve written your book, but now you have to publish it and kdp has a box that you dread. Thats why you want to write a book blurb that sells. As much as book covers catch readers attention, blurbs grip shoppers and convince them to buy books.
Nightshade by jena gregoire 148 words bourbon, jazz, and streets soaked in magic. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. The aim is to convey what makes the book unique in alo. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Hopefully both my blurbs and shout lines tell the potential. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book. One of these is creating the enticing but brief blurb that will describe your book to potential readers. Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. Make sure your book has an even number of pages, and at least 20 pages. As already noted, writing a back book blurb is a marketing exercise.
It entices the reader to read a book by promising twists and turns but without giving away the ending. Just above, i mentioned that i bought stories in the worst way, a book with no blurbs, but i do think blurbs are important. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. If youre an indie or selfpublished author, youll have to write a compelling fiction book blurb to help you market your book effectively, or youll have to find someone to do it for you. I offer authors two options for book blurb writing services.
Fiction or nonfiction basic blurb cover copyproduct description for fiction or nonfiction extended product description. When i find a good post i love reposting and sharing. Fantasy book blurbs summary or tease, which do you. A useful worksheet to help your children understand book blurbs and help them write their own. Lets look at a few bestselling blurbs and see what we can learn from their successes. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. Top tips on writing a book blurb that really sells. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well. Blurb, back cover copy, jacket copy, or promotional copy whatever you call it, a great book description is your second best marketing tool your cover is number one. To help prevent you from falling into this unfortunate group, weve put together a few tips that should help you write a winning book blurb, whether its for the latest fantasy novel or for a nonfiction selfhelp guide. Do not post memes or photos of booksbook shelvesbook haulsplaces that make you think of a particular book. With ebooks, in particular, they are absolutely essential to selling your ebooks. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either. Youve snagged a prospective date by your alluring cover, so now youve got to show theres more than just surface appeal.
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