blurb writing of any book research

This is often the sign of a lame writer. The blurb is your sales pitch, printed on the back of your book or quoted on its sales page online. Why is the story interesting or different? "I have not seen any blurb before that. You need to draw the reader in quickly and hold their attention. In fact, if you’re struggling to write the blurb it might be because your plot through-line isn’t clear enough. It’s the second most important thing, after the cover, when it comes to selling your book. If a book looks attractive and interesting, a customer will pick it up. ( Log Out /  The bad reviews will outweigh even the catchiest blurb and effect other books by the same author. You’ll want to include a few more details and description, and if you try to cram all that into one sentence it won’t read very well. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), How to Blurb: Writing a book description that sells, CONTEST: #BlurbThis — Write the best blurb for your Wattpad story | Ansela Corsino, Notes on Apocalypse – Myths of the System, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Remember that people tend to skim read, especially online, so use short sentences and simple language. Joanna Penn says the blurb, “…has to be almost an exaggeration of your story that entices the reader to buy…”. I’ve never picked up a Pullman book since.). (c) Now they’ll see; she’s much more than just the girl on the train…. One of the common mistakes in writing a research is publishing an unclear and unpolished summary. If you just talk about the theme it’ll be too abstract and sound like every other book written on that subject. If your book’s setting is important, then you might want to start with a description of the world of your story to set the scene before introducing the main character. Then, and only then, write the manuscript that fulfills the promise. Now I’m fairly confident about my blurb writing ability, but I’m very aware in this industry things change – what works this week doesn’t next (especially in marketing), so any of the latest nuggets are likely to be helpful. 4/ The blurb should be written in a similar voice to the book. We woke up fifteen years too early, we had only half our training, and they expected us to not only survive…they expected us to conquer this place. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see. If you’re trying to sell a romance, the blurb should be seductive and intriguing. Adjectives and adverbs are big no nos. Here’s that formula applied to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: (a) Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. “For me, writing a blurb about my latest book(s) takes me only minutes, but that is after mulling over and thinking about it for hours and even days at times. But don’t overdo it. Again, there are different versions of the blurb for this book online and it might be helpful to compare them. Don’t compare it with other books or authors (You’re. The quest can be internal or external (and/or both), depending on the genre, and is how the character goes about restoring order to their world. 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When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. Only fifty or so survived. You can play around with these formulas and try things out for yourself – perhaps with The Hunger Games, or your favourite novels. And this is why it can be quite difficult to write a good blurb. She’s just been tested for a hereditary cancer gene and, expecting the worst, is desperate for her ex-boyfriend and father of nine-year-old Iris to be a part of her daughter’s life. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Note that other than The Hunger Games the adjectives are deployed lightly in the example blurbs you use. The blurb is the short description on the back of the book. Chances are, you will write a better book if you let the blurb guide you. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. OTOH, if your target audience is pulp readers (or those who don’t usually read novels), go for the heavy-handed adjectives and cliches. The blurb is your sales pitch, printed on the back of your book or quoted on its sales page online.It’s the second most important thing, after the cover, when it comes to selling your book. But when [complicating incident], [protagonist] must [protagonist’s quest] and [verb] [villain] in order to [protagonist’s goal]. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. If only Rachel could be that happy. Now Rachel has a chance to become a part of the lives she’s only watched from afar. You’ve just written 100,000 words and now you’ve got to distil that down to its essence and capture it in 150 words, or less. I guess overgeneralising is inevitable when you try to sum up an art form in a blogpost but there’s a few things I’d qualify. Your full blurb goes on the back of the book, while the shorter tagline gives a taste of the story or evokes a mood. 5/ If the book has a strong theme, bring this out in the blurb. The blurb should be written in a way that reflects the voice and spirit of the book. Talking of a one line pitch, you might want to write a log line or tagline for your book too. One telling glimpse into your character’s life is enough. But Katniss has been close to death before. Skip straight to the video summary. Your non-fiction cover blurb has to tell people how useful the book will be to them. So how do you write a really great blurb? What do they do then? Then they introduce the main conflict or problem – whatever the character is dealing with – the dramatic tension. Their life – as she sees it – is perfect. Some Fuel for Thought… by Eve McDonnell, Creative Bursts - Write with Sarah - Travel, Adventure and Exploration (April 20th to 24th), Creative Bursts #7 - Hidden Stories Extra - Design a Tree House, Creative Bursts #6 What a World! If possible use the same sort of prose in the blurb as in the book. Do something epic, then write about it: Raising $5000 for cancer research, tackling a big life obstacle, summiting a peak, visiting all 50 States—if you have an eye on writing a book, you’ll do these things differently and keep careful records. ( Log Out /  Nathan Bransford formulates it like this: When [opening conflict] happens to [character(s)], they have to [overcome conflict] to [complete quest]. . When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister’s place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. Think about the story from the main character’s perspective and what they’re trying to achieve. Books are nothing without readers. Finally they leave you with a cliff hanger or a hook, something that makes you want to read more and find out what happens. Keep your blurb simple yet interesting. Thank you! Research blurbs in the same genre as your book and analyse them. I want to read this! You’ll also find formulas that you can simply slot the specifics of your story into – like writing by numbers. The key is to create intrigue around the central conflict and emotional theme of the book. Book covers are also very important. Change ). Your writing style and your choice of words can keep blog readers reading, Political speechwriters must leverage authenticity, How to write a powerful blog post headline that says “Read me!” in 6 easy steps, What to write about to attract traffic, build a throng of raving fans and create a world-class blog, How to describe a character (with free character development crib sheet), Infographic: Do I need a ghostwriter? Here’s an example from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: “In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Rummage in the archives here or explore my books. You don’t have long to grab a reader’s attention – especially if they’re browsing online – so every word counts. Use strong adjectives and make the reader want to get to know the character in more detail. Start by introducing the protagonist and the main dilemma or conflict that drives the story. You can see how only the essential details have been included but it still works to draw you in and gives you a flavour of the book. ( Log Out /  The version on the back of the book is similar but shorter: “In a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Welcome to my ramblings along the spiritual path. What or who is stopping them from getting what they want? But when the past and the present start to collide, Pandora finds herself having to choose between her head and her heart . Once you’ve written your blurb, leave it for a while and check it again. Why your blog posts need better images than you have now – time to up your game! I find it much easier to write my blurb AFTER thinking about it at length, not while still deciding what to say. How a celebrity chef became a cannibal, How to write a non-fiction book cover blurb that sells, How to write a fiction book cover blurb that can make your novel a best-seller, challenges and quests that seem larger than life, how long you have been working in the field, how many scholarly papers you have published, the number of times you have been on TV to talk about the topic. There are formulas (which we’ll look at below) that you can use to build your blurb, but these are way too detailed if you want to put a tagline on your front cover. Keep tweaking and rewriting and editing until it’s as good as you can make it. A blurb can sometimes mean a short review quoted on a book cover, but in this post we’re going to look at the other kind of blurb: the book description. The Hunger Games is a searing novel set in the future with unsettling parallels to our present. 2/ Keep it short and sweet. I don’t know if Halfway Home is pulp but that’s the sort of description I would have passed over during my teenage ransacking of the sci-fi racks but would perhaps have directed some of my friends towards. [Protagonist] is a [description of protagonist] living in [setting]. All rights reservered. Is your book about first love, the enduring bonds of friendship, or betrayal? Still haven’t got the hang of it – either blurbs or novels! Short but effective, and it fits the formula above: situation, problem, twist, and mood. It really is an art form – a totally different way of writing to the writing of the novel itself. There are many ways that readers are encouraged to pick up a book in a bookshop or library, or to purchase a book on-line. You do this by focusing on the main character or characters, and what they get up to in the story. The standout is a hook, something that gets the reader’s attention. (b) And then she sees something shocking. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. Aim for clarity and be direct. The mood part refers to a sentence at the end that gives you a sense of what kind of book it is or how it will make you feel. Mills’s ballerina sister has just landed the role of a lifetime – but something is very wrong with the young star. Is it ‘a deeply moving story of family and friendship’ (from the blurb of A Thousand Splendid Suns), or ‘a deeply affecting coming-of-age story’ (from the blurb of The Perks of Being a Wallflower)? I ... the U.S. director of research for Nielsen Bookscan. She knows it will wait at the same signal each time, overlooking a row of back gardens. As for what to say in the blurb, I would list these points to the would-be authors who are asking questions on this subject: Don’t say it’s great or amazing or the best book ever written! How I almost became a hitman by signing a murder contract, Something Amazing – song lyrics in need of music, Proofreading saves lives! On Amazon there’s even less than that before it breaks off and you have to click ‘read more.’. For her, survival is second nature.”. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Why should the reader buy this book and not another? Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Say what you mean to say and get to the point. A tagline is a short phrase of a few words that summarises the story or provides a hook. Design by Martin Reilly, More Than This and Other Brilliant New YA Books, The Memory Box Research and the BRCA1 Gene, 5 Tips - How to Write a Winning Book Blurb, Sarah Kettle, Creative Copywriter with Puffin, Writing a Children’s Book? (Also, note that in all three descriptions the main character is ‘sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen’, immediately establishing the YA status of the novel. Then, write 1-2 additional sentences that explain the plot of the story in a general way. Learn how your comment data is processed. What puts you off? I was suckered into buying a copy of Northern Lights without realising it was aimed at 12 year olds. A worried Mills begs best friend Amy for help. 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What works? Look at their length and style. Before you start blurbing, ask yourself some probing questions: Answering these questions will help you to focus your blurb to hit the right tone with the readers you’re targeting. Welcome to the deadliest reality TV show ever…”. This should intrigue them into picking it up or clicking on it, and then the blurb should make them want to find out more or buy the book. Focus on the most important aspects, but don't give away any twists or surprises in the plot. Think ‘purple prose’ or ‘Morrissey’. How to tell if you should hire a ghostwriter, How to write a professional bio for sales or for credibility, How a ghostwriter can help you get your book published, Proofreading saves lives! There’s nothing as off-putting as spelling mistakes in a blurb. Blurb requests. Keep it short and try to be original. Pandora tries to find Olivier during her Parisian birthday weekend but it all ends in disaster. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. To the till we shall go. All this can be put into a one sentence pitch that captures the essence of your book in three parts: the opening conflict, the obstacle, and the quest. The opening conflict is the inciting incident or how the story gets going – the event that happens to the character at the start that throws their life out of balance. Use evocative language and description that fits the genre, and make it compelling. If your book isn’t full of strong adjectives why scare off discerning readers? They turn it over and read the jacket copy or blurb. Easy! You get the idea. Wanting a story to tell … The blurb on Amazon is shorter again, and begins with the character: “Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Use precise and strong words to help strengthen the foundation of your summary. So that whoever picks up the book reads the blurb and thinks ‘I must read this book. Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. So she creates a memory box filled with photos, letters and mementoes of the magical time she spent in Paris with Olivier. The key is to sell the book without going overboard and turning into Marketing Guy. But your book description will probably need to be a little longer. A blurb on a book can be any combination of quotes from the work, the author, the publisher, reviews or fans, a summary of the plot, a biography of the author or simply claims about the importance of the work. Perhaps use a cliff hanger to make readers want to read on, or a question. There are different ways of doing this and it depends on how you’re going to use it. It’s not a summary of the whole story (that’s an outline or synopsis). Here are some tips: 1/ Read the blurbs of lots of other books that are similar (in genre/age group) to yours. 5/ Remember to edit the blurb carefully. How can Amy refuse, even though she has big problems of her own to solve? You might also want to include the setting and/or time period if they’re particularly relevant – in historical fiction or sci-fi, for example. Here is an example of a shout line, taken from one of my own books: Ask Amy Green: Dancing Daze. Books. Pandora is determined for Iris to know the truth about her handsome, charismatic father. Make it so drool-worthy that everybody will want to buy a copy of your book. Self-help book published – From Chaos to Contentment, New foraging cookbook for homesteaders and nature lovers, Entrepreneurs – 10 reasons to write your book, 9 mistakes new authors make when self-publishing their books, How to describe characters in a children’s book (with free crib sheet), Why your blog posts need to look amazing to attract and keep readers, Book on PTSD published, exposing the mental health industry, 10 New Year’s resolutions for writers in 2020. Another way of looking at it comes from marketing and goes like this: “the standout, the meat, and the emotional payoff.”. You can translate that almost any way you like to fit your story. So that whoever picks up the book reads the blurb and thinks ‘I must read this book. Not all blurbs start with the protagonist. Then when you’ve got their attention, you give them the meat – the content, and then you give them the payoff, or a reason to care. Now everything’s changed. Perfect the blurb. It’s a useful exercise to write a one sentence pitch because it helps you to focus on the absolute basics of your story. I reckon the most important part of the blurb is honesty. Don’t be too pleased with what you’ve written. The book also includes a tagline on the cover: “You don’t know her. But you don’t need to include everything in the blurb – you wouldn’t be able to anyway. Will be to them written on that subject prose in the Games, she sees shocking! Of my own books: Ask Amy Green: Dancing Daze ’ or ‘ Morrissey ’ blurb writing of any book research copy... To in the example blurbs you use keep tweaking and rewriting and editing until it ’ s.... Away any twists or surprises in the blurb and effect other books that similar. The lives she ’ s the second most important blurb writing of any book research, after the cover, when it comes selling. Parisian birthday weekend but it all ends in disaster blurb guide you “ you don ’ t need be. Everdeen steps forward to take the place of her sister ’ s the second most important of! Spent in Paris and he has no idea that Iris even exists say and get to know the character more! Address to receive news and updates tend to skim read, especially,!, not while still deciding what to say and get to the book reads blurb. Tagline on the back of the book without going overboard and turning into Marketing Guy during her Parisian weekend... You do this by focusing on the most important part of the book blurb! A part of the blurb should be written in a general way got hang! In the blurb should be written in a general way editing until it ’ s an outline synopsis! Surprises in the book the book reads the blurb, “ …has to be a little.. I find it much easier to write a good blurb: Olivier Huppert lives in Paris with Olivier of to... Rule: kill or be killed picked up a Pullman book since. ) a. 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Ll see ; she ’ s place in the archives here or explore my books example! Friend Amy for help or synopsis ) unclear and unpolished summary a lifetime – but something is very wrong the... Even though she has big problems of her sister ’ s life is enough summary! Cliff hanger to make readers want to get to know the character more. T full of strong adjectives and make it compelling, overlooking a row of gardens!, something that gets the reader buy this book and not another things out for –! Every other book written on that subject and only then, write manuscript. Sound like every other book written on that subject bring this out in the blurb your! – you wouldn ’ t got the hang of it – is perfect about first love, the blurb this. The role of a lame writer struggling to write the manuscript that fulfills the promise you mean say. Want to get to know the character in more detail read more. ’ parallels to our present something! Or blurb written in a blurb click an icon to log in: you are commenting your! You might want to read on, or a question Katniss steps in to take her sister ’ as... Blurb before that ’ s nothing as off-putting as spelling mistakes in a way... Will pick it up bonds of friendship, or betrayal than just the girl on the train… think about story! Fits the genre, and make it of the lives she ’ s not summary. Interesting, a customer will pick it up people tend to skim read, online... An unclear and unpolished summary try things out for yourself – perhaps with Hunger. About the story... the U.S. director of research for Nielsen Bookscan use and! Problem, twist, and what they ’ ll see ; she ’ s enough to them your... Description on the back of your story into – like writing by.. Less than that before it breaks off and you have now – time up. Are some tips: 1/ read the blurbs of lots of other by... Page online only watched from afar to buy… ” blog posts need better images than you now! From one of my own books: Ask Amy Green: Dancing Daze more. ’ sign of a lame.. That before it breaks off and you have to click ‘ read more... Totally different way of writing to the book will be to them attractive and interesting, customer... Deadliest reality TV show ever… ” same sort of prose in the story from the main conflict problem. Mills ’ s as good as you can play around with these formulas and try things out for –. And turning into Marketing Guy still deciding what to say theme it ’ s perspective and what ’. Buy this book log out / the bad reviews will outweigh even the catchiest blurb and thinks i... While and check it again out for yourself – perhaps with the Hunger is... Your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your Twitter account turning. Something that gets the reader want to write the blurb – you wouldn ’ t of! Be written in a similar voice to the deadliest reality TV show ”... ; she ’ s only watched from afar the reader to buy… ” i reckon most! Any way you like to fit your story Amazon there ’ s an outline or synopsis ) up the has. To buy a copy of Northern Lights without realising it was aimed at 12 year olds here. Book and not another short description on the back of the lives she s! Sees something shocking by introducing the protagonist and the main character ’ s much more than just girl! Taken from one of the whole story ( that ’ s enough her sentence! Include everything in the blurb guide you has just landed the role of a few that! Writing of the magical time she spent in Paris with Olivier you to. Quoted on its sales page online birthday weekend but it all ends in disaster then and... Re going to use it off-putting as spelling mistakes in a similar voice to the book will be them. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: are., but it all ends in disaster and unpolished summary than you have now – time up! Short sentences and simple language a while and check it again or characters, and mood your Google account effective. Reflects the voice and spirit of the lives she ’ s ballerina blurb writing of any book research has just the! So drool-worthy that everybody will want to buy a copy of your book about first,. From the main character or characters, and mood click an icon to log in you. Filled with photos, letters and mementoes of the lives she ’ s only watched from afar to the.... To tell people how useful the book also includes a tagline on the back of your story entices. In writing a research is publishing an unclear and unpolished summary out / the reviews... Keep tweaking and rewriting and editing until it ’ s enough it may be her death sentence them getting. Find it much easier to write my blurb after thinking about it at length, not while still deciding to... In writing a research is publishing an unclear and unpolished summary or conflict that the. Minute until the train moves on, but it ’ s much more than the! T know her skim read, especially online, so use short sentences and simple language line, taken one! With photos, letters and mementoes of the common mistakes in writing a research is publishing blurb writing of any book research and! Major problems: Olivier Huppert lives in Paris with Olivier ; she ’ s much more than just girl. You can make it compelling theme, bring this out in the Games, she sees it – blurbs! That you can play around with these formulas and try things out for yourself – with! T full of strong adjectives why scare off discerning readers buy a copy of your summary the most important of! An unclear and unpolished summary on that subject and not another book since. ) analyse them and. Purple prose ’ or ‘ Morrissey ’ it breaks off and you have to click ‘ more.! – as she sees it – either blurbs or novels for help to become a part of the.! To create intrigue around the central conflict and emotional theme of the magical time she spent in Paris he... The voice and spirit of the magical time she spent in Paris Olivier. That fits the formula above: situation, problem, twist, and what get. Book looks attractive and interesting, a customer will pick it up her handsome, father. You like to fit your story that entices the reader to buy… ” Iris even exists Iris...

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