Writing a back of the book blurbs

They may or may not help sell some readers on your book, but theyre a publishing convention. I once had a job, among other things, writing back cover copy for books. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. The book blurb is one of the most difficult aspects to write, as many authors struggle to find the words to succinctly tease the story without it reading like a summary. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story.

The next thing you do is read the back blurb, or if you are online, you read the first excerpt which is usually the. Jun 11, 20 the blurb is the short description on the back of the book. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. Basically, the name of the game with a blurb is to entice readers to buy your book. Book blurbs are an oftoverlooked part of a writers marketing planafter youve spent so much time writing a new book, it can feel understandably overwhelming to write even. How to write a book blurb that sells not just another. Lets look at a few samples fiction cover blurbs from some of this centurys most successful novels so far. The next thing you do is read the back blurb, or if you are online, you read the first excerpt which is usually the same thing. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that. If you have a lot of blurbs, you can put them on their own pages, usually right at the beginning of the book. We get to be splashy, to the point, mysterious and brief. How to write a great ya fantasy or scifi book blurb.

You cant expect to write a fabulous blurb in an hour, it may take many rewrites before you feel the blurb hooks your reader in. We can write your back cover blurb for you when we write your fiction book. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest. I have seen nonfiction blurbs that are more about the. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Writing the book description is a rather daunting task, which is why many authors would rather avoid it. So youve written your book, youve chosen your title and cover design, and youre breathing a sigh of relief. Get a professionally written book blurb that will sell more. Sample cover blurbs from this centurys most successful novels.

As the author of the work you will be very close to your manuscript and getting feedback on your blurb will be helpful. The process is exactly the same as writing a blurb for a fiction book, although the blurb will focus on selling the benefits of the book to the potential reader and how the book will help them if they buy it, rather than trying to hook them into a story. This article has helpful approaches to writing back cover blurbs. Before writing your back book blurb, choose 35 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities. Here is an example of a shout line, taken from one of my own books. Worse than the cover, worse than the writing in the book. Jan 14, 2014 which means that writing blurbs for my books was a piece of cake, right. The writers guide to amazing book blurbs fiction writing tools 6 kindle edition by soule, s. I had to learn how to do it, because writing one type of copy isnt the same as writing another. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. I was about halfway through the writing of my book when i was asked to write a blurb for the back cover. Follow these five pointers and see if it works for.

The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book by lynn serafinn on july 17th, 20 lynn serafinn shares a template for writing good marketing copy for your wholesalers, and discusses what to put on the back cover and back pages of your book. Theres no shame in being too close to your book to write a compelling back cover. If youre stuck, ask someone else to read your book and write your blurb. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. How to get blurbs for your poetry collection writers digest. There is just a big difference between writing a book and writing an effective blurb. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. How to create a back of the book cover blurb that sells 1.

Now you have to decide what goes on the back cover. The book also covered information that will be practical to authors that seek traditional and well as selfpublishing. How to get incredible blurbs for your book scribe writing. Indeed, it can help you focus if you write your blurb before you even start writing the book. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book, so. In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. In all honesty, writing a blurb for the back cover should be the fun part of creating a novel. But thats exactly how i felt after writing the first two books of the conjurors series. Nov 26, 2016 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. Jan 14, 2019 the blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book.

A download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples.

A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch. In a nonfiction book, you are selling your knowledge, your writing, and yourself, so if the blurb doesnt represent the typical language you use in your book, the reader will feel a disconnect. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page.

Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure to check with your publishers guidelines before you begin work. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the writers guide to amazing book blurbs fiction. How to write a back cover blurb with examples book editing. This is because writers dont really understand what a blurb is meant to do. Worse than the cover, worse than the writing in the book itself, there are a lot of blurbs on amazon that are pretty near atrocious. 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. The space on the back cover of a book for blurbs, which are brief promotional paragraphs, is one of the more valuable spots for book promotion. After writing and polishing an entire book, many authors are surprised when they become stuck when trying to write blurbs. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. Nov 19, 2010 you pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket.

New authors sometimes rush this decision, writing the first thing that comes to mind. Jan 14, 2014 its ironic, after writing thousands of words to create your novel, that a 100200 word blurb pitching your baby to potential readers could completely stump you. Introduce the situation and characters in the case of a memoir, you are likely to be the main character. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea. 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. Besides, you have loads to offer, and writing like yourself will only make your words more authentic and impactful. Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Feb 10, 2016 how to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills.

Writing book blurbs and synopses by rayne hall is available as a kindle ebook and in paperback. Dec 04, 2019 book blurbs are an oftoverlooked part of a writers marketing planafter youve spent so much time writing a new book, it can feel understandably overwhelming to write even morebut these blurbs are actually a crucial part of book sales, and they can be what turns a littleknown novel into a bestseller. So getting back to my use of the word relationship you get a blurb for a book of poetry by asking poets that you know and respect to read the proofs of your manuscript and. The back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. Its ironic, after writing thousands of words to create your novel, that a 100200 word blurb pitching your baby to potential readers could completely stump you. Your reader has to be pulled in just far enough to care about your subject, but not too far. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. Get a professionally written book blurb that will sell. Its the essence of your books most exciting features, distilled. Hours 10am to 4pm est mondayfriday closed on all major holidays. Its the essence of your books most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words.

Ive come up with this easy acronym to help you create a book blurb. You pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. I appreciated the helpful tips that covered both fictional and nonfiction writing. A book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually.

How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Putting blurbs in the book description or the about the book section can add a lot of social proof to the book. The trick with writing a great blurb is to give away enough of whats inside the book, without giving any plot spoilers for fiction or going so indepth the reader doesnt want to read on for nonfiction. For ebooks, the description is posted on a book s purchasing page, along with the book cover and price. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb. Apr 28, 2016 the back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft.

Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the writers guide to amazing book blurbs fiction writing tools 6. Blurbs are recommendations that go on the cover and sometimes the inside pages of your book. Mar 02, 2016 great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. My official title was marketing assistant, and i was completely unqualified to do such a thing. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. Sophie, ive been writing back cover copy and catalog copy for a publisher for thirteen years, nearly 2,000 books, both nonfiction and fiction. In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention. How to write a book blurb that sells not just another boring. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so.

A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book by lynn serafinn on july 17th, 20 lynn serafinn shares a template for writing good marketing copy for your wholesalers, and. But maybe it was a little easier and less scary to learn. The blurb is the short description on the back of the book. Jun 11, 2012 in all honesty, writing a blurb for the back cover should be the fun part of creating a novel. A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book. Writing it out fortunately for the fiction writers out there, writing a book blurb for a memoir is incredibly similar to writing a description for a fictional story. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy.

You should have the following goals and ideas in mind. The writers guide to amazing book blurbs fiction writing. My 4step process for writing a nonfiction book blurb that sells. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Sep 12, 2018 creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. So, ok, here are my tips for writing your kickass romance blurb.

When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. How to write a book blurb by far, the weakest part of many selfpublished books is the synopsis found on amazon and elsewhere. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. Blurbs are a brief description of a book typically found on the back of a book or within the book sleeve of a hardcover book. How to write a romance blurb blog author rosalind james. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. Which means that writing blurbs for my books was a piece of cake, right. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write. I was right out of college, i was writing blurbs for academic books in disciplines which i had never studied, and i often had no more than the introduction to go by. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book blurb blog. But often, writing a blurba summary for a bookbecomes an anxious time for a writer. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. But there are parts that you can write at any stage of the process.