As an author, how can we turn this to our advantage. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. Composing the blurb in a rush to meet my publishers deadline wasnt the best way to go about it and i knew i needed to be prepared the next time. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Book blurbs are an oftoverlooked part of a writers marketing. Examples of good fiction book blurbs when it comes to writing book blurbs, looking at genres is one of the best ways that you can figure out how a good blurb should go. Basically, the name of the game with a blurb is to entice readers to buy your book.
The market for poetry is overwhelmingly other poets. A book blurb also called a back cover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually between 100 and 200 words, that traditionally is included on the inside cover or on the back of a book. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book blurb blog. Apr 26, 2018 how do you write an amazing summary of your story aka a book blurb or synopsis this is specifically for fiction writers who have a great book and need help showcasing it for an agent or for. Mar 10, 2019 chances are, you will write a better book if you let the blurb guide you. As a poetry reader, i know both the power of a good blurb and the equally potent effect of a good name on the back of a book. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. If your book has a flap then its the flaps job to sell the book. Entwined by heather dixon wallwork, the near witch by victoria schwab, the iron daughter by julie kagawa, eve by anna care. A book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually between 100 and 200 words, that traditionally is included on the inside cover or on the back of a book. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog.
Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book, so. Paratextual traces the blurb, back cover, inside cover, notes and title are part of the marketing process. This blurb also features a clever play on words by incorporating the little league baseball theme core to. First you need to determine which book format you want to orderhardcover dust jacket, hardcover imagewrap, andor softcover, and whether you want to order an ebook.
For ebooks, the description is posted on a book s purchasing page, along with the book cover and price. How can we write that back cover copy that hooks a passing browser, and turns him or her into a loyal reader. After writing and polishing a complete book, many writers are surprised at just how difficult it is to write a few effective paragraphs for the back. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Examples of good fiction book blurbs writing rights. Lets look at how to make your nonfiction cover blurb sell your book. Oct 26, 2018 i dont need a back cover to create a print book. Aug, 2015 if all of this sounds daunting, consider hiring an editor or marketing writer to help you craft your books backcover copy in the most compelling way possible. Kdp print and ingramspark require you to upload a front cover, spine, and back cover. 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. Blurb definition in the cambridge english dictionary. The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. Vintage romantic tales of fright, i struggle with writing back cover copy, also known as, the blurb.
Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. How to build the back of a book cover with template. On back covers of books there is usually a summary which attempts to get the reader interested. Mar 02, 2016 great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. Aug 08, 2009 examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Your backofthebook blurb is the second thing a potential buyer looks at after your front cover. If all of this sounds daunting, consider hiring an editor or marketing writer to help you craft your books backcover copy in the most compelling way possible. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb. They might flip to the back of your book or to the dust jacket and read the blurb. Back cover copy is the blurb on the back of a book. As in the girl on a train example, you can use a question.
Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i do y, then ill stand out from the crowd. 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. Jan 09, 2017 composing the blurb in a rush to meet my publishers deadline wasnt the best way to go about it and i knew i needed to be prepared the next time. Dec 04, 2019 a book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually between 100 and 200 words, that traditionally is included on the inside cover or on the back of a book. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book. It usually takes me a week to be completely satisfied with my blurb, though the total time i spend on it is normally, maybe a couple hours. She one made a rabblerousing speech in the house of commons from notes on the back of a grubby envelope, which she keeps as a souvenir. Dont worry, in this article, well walk you through the important points to keep in mind while writing your books blurb, as well as give you a simple blurb template that sells and some bestseller examples for different genres. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book by. How to write a back cover blurb for a nonfiction book. The final step in completing this starter template is to create your front and back covers. Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book. The publishers blurb refers to this book as an existential crime novel.
Jun 01, 2015 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 write something complimentary about it, along the lines of what they think your poetry is trying to say and how brilliantly youve said it. How to write back cover blurb for your nonfiction book. Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook itself. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. In this article, youll find out why blurbs are critical to the success of your book sales and youll learn how to craft the perfect blurb. Explanations and back book cover examples for both fiction and nonfiction.
Secondly, introducing the protagonist in a way that creates intrigue without delving into details. May 07, 2019 examples of good fiction book blurbs when it comes to writing book blurbs, looking at genres is one of the best ways that you can figure out how a good blurb should go. Steps to writing your own back book blurb and back cover. Punctuation or grammar goofs in this highly visible spot broadcast the message that your book was not professionally written. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead.
Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. How do you write an amazing summary of your story aka a book blurb or synopsis this is specifically for fiction writers who have a great book and. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. There is no rigid formula for a fiction cover blurb, as there is with query letters. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. If youre looking for great nonfiction book blurb examples, youve come to the right place. Generally, only poets shell out good money for slim volumes of poetry. Therefore, your first instinct is probably to make it dazzling.
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. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. 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. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors.
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 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. From cambridge english corpus the contributions encapsulate the enormous diversity in this field, and thus the book does indeed provide essential knowledge about the study of language variation and change cover blurb. Almost everyone reads the blurb before they decide whether to purchase. Chances are, you will write a better book if you let the blurb guide you.
The aim of your blurb is to leave readers curious and wanting more so much so, that they would actually buy the book. Mar 18, 2012 how to write an interesting bio blurb. Jan 14, 2019 the blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. How to write a romance blurb blog author rosalind james. In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page. October 22, 2015 by diana urban writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a wellcrafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. While theres no perfect formula for writing the best blurb for your novel, there are some patterns worth noting. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest.
Sep 12, 2018 a blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Often referred to as a book description, a blurb is a short piece, around 150 words, to promote your novel. You find blurbs on the back cover of paperbacks, the inside back cover of a hardback, and on book description pages in online stores. This back cover blurb explains exactly who the book is for, what the reader can expect to get out of it, and why the book is an excellent alternative to similar resources. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. The back cover of your book is prime real estate for promoting your book. There is a big difference between writing a cover blurb for a novel and writing a cover blurb for nonfiction.
It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. There is a big difference between writing a cover blurb for a novel and writing one for nonfiction. 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading 101 writers short blurb examples. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. At the end well deconstruct blurb examples for books in seven bestselling nonfiction categories on amazon. All these elements should sell the book because you cant make a potential buyer look at your book in the order you want them to.
To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. Add comments for more like this author, back cover blurb, back cover copy, book, collection, compilation novel, how to write, novel, selfpublishing back cover blurb, selfpublishing compilation, short stories, short story, short story collection, short story compilation, writing back cover blurb, writing tips. Fox emm shares how to write an effective book blurb for your memoir, or any piece of writing. Try not to mention more than two characters names, and promise your audience a read they wont forget. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book.
If youve ever bought a book on impulse, it was probably due at least in part to the blurb on the back or the sales copy on the website. A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book. The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. Something, ironically, every author i know hates writing.
With that in mind, i wrote a logline for my current wip as soon as i began writing. How to create a back of the book cover blurb that sells. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that sell books. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know.
As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Besides the time when i think it up, generally on a. Improve your vocabulary with english vocabulary in use from cambridge. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. Mar, 2019 sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook itself. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates. Not only does the tone of this blurb match the rough and rowdy tone of the book, baseball dads, it embraces the same satirical sense of humor with the perilous world of parenting comment. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so.
The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either. But the real secret to a great blurb is to know your audience. How to write a killer book synopsis aka back blurb or. These may be used for an interview, a book jacket, or even an event program in which you are a presenter. A potential reader looks at the blurb the same way they would look at the book itself. Your back of the book blurb is the second thing a potential buyer looks at after your front cover. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. 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. In the next paragraph, give specific examples of how the book delivers on the promise. How to write a fiction book cover blurb that can make your. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. How to write a back cover blurb with examples book editing. It has to be almost an exaggeration of your story that entices the reader to buy, or at least download a. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending.
Not long after that i wrote the back blurb to keep me focused on the main plot line. Notice the calltoaction words in the bullet points. 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. How to write a nonfiction book cover blurb that sells. Just finished the cover for our second book and am busy tearing out what is left of my hair trying attempt to create a back cover blurb. Firstly, highlighting your success in the bookwriting world. The blurb on the back of the book says that it will touch your heart.
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