However, titles, covers and blurbs play a much larger role in book marketing, so taglines aka straplines or endlines in the uk are rarely discussed. 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. Youre going to be actually reading the book, not looking at an image, so a dull blurb says way more about a book than a bad cover. A great tagline can help sell books and give readers an idea of what kind of story theyre picking up. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. How to write a book blurb trish nicholsons words in the. Even the patron saint of teenage girls, judy blume, is featured on the back cover with a blurb for the book. Blurbs from the back cover of the selfpublishing manual. 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.
How to write a book blurb trish nicholsons words in the treehouse. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. Jan nathan, executive director, publishers marketing association one essential. Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure.
Jan 14, 2019 the blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something. Popular adjectives books meet your next favorite book. Above the list, speak directly to the readers, and give them the primary reason why they should read your 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. However, titles, covers and blurbs play a much larger role in book marketing, so taglines. This should be broader in scope than the reasons you put in your bulleted list. Your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention. Oct 16, 2014 writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more.
In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps. Nov 23, 2015 write a short summary of what your book is about. I have been asked to blurb it, and i am recommending it now to all of you. The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Its the second most important thing, after the cover, when it comes to selling your book. One way to write this primary reason is to present it as a question. While the amazon book description wont affect traffic i. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. Total the number of words from all the blurbs and divide by 10. Put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. The highly selective dictionary of golden adjectives. After a blurb applied the high praise of the new york times vincent canby for ingmar bergman to his 1971 stinker, the touch, canby fought back. While its still advisable to heed your english teachers advice on most other matters, the highly selective dictionary of golden adjectives for the extraordinarily literate proves that breaking certain rules can. 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.
All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably. Mar 12, 1993 after a blurb applied the high praise of the new york times vincent canby for ingmar bergman to his 1971 stinker, the touch, canby fought back. Jan nathan, executive director, publishers marketing association one essential ingredient to our chicken soup success was consulting with dan poynter in the early stages. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. 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. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. When i talk about establishing an atmosphere for a novel with a blurb, this is what i. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information.
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. Speaking both as a reader and a writer, for me a good back cover blurb includes. While its still advisable to heed your english teachers advice on most other matters, the highly selective dictionary of golden adjectives for the extraordinarily literate proves that breaking certain rules can make written and spoken language that much livelier, adding muchneeded color, style, and adornment. Avoid too much hype and elaborate awesome adjectives because people. Back book blurb back cover how to write blurb book writing tips author self. I am the first person in my family to attend college, i was on the deans list all four years of college, i triple majored with two minors, etc. Dec 23, 2015 for some reason, book covers get all the attention, and blurbs less so. How to write an amazon book description that sells selling books is a result of two factors. Purchase a swatch kit that contains samples of all the different blurb papers with photos and text printed on them. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Worse than the cover, worse than the writing in the book itself, there are a lot.
Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book, so. Here is an example of backcover copy for loving legit, a novel by my. Its hard to come up with adjectives to describe the writing of the. All of the words like terrifying and menacing let you. Apr 5, 2017 learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. Descriptive words like that arent necessary, i would say, but as a reader i like knowing a little bit about the experience i will have reading the book. 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. Just as the title says, the author, quentin cope, provides one hundred and one examples of both the short blurb and the single sentence for a variety of topics. Jun 30, 2014 when youre setting up your book for sale on amazon or some other outlet, one of the tasks will be to enter a description of the book. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. How to write a book description that attracts readers. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and.
We dont offer free books or free paper samples but you can view our paper and book customization options by doing one of the following. If its a novel, you must include the storys most engaging plot points. This is where you put the promotional copy for your. Here is an example of a back cover description from my first childrens chapter book. However, many self published authors treat it like the hellstrip in front of their house between the sidewalk and a busy street. How to get awesome book cover blurbs posted on february 26, 2020 by sandra beckwith 21 comments affiliate disclosure. Have questions about book editing, blurbs, or something else. Or even examples of blurbs that do anything but entice the reader. When youre setting up your book for sale on amazon or some other outlet, one of the tasks will be to enter a description of the book. They are used before gradable adjectives indicating degrees on a scale. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. It has to be almost an exaggeration of your story that entices the reader to buy, or at least download a sample to their kindle or ipad. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, i will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
This is where you put the promotional copy for your book, and the writing of this small block of text is one that many writers find difficult. Your back of the book blurb is the second thing a potential buyer looks at after your front cover. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. The blurb is your sales pitch, printed on the back of. After the cover, the blurb is the next chance of grabbing the readers attention. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and.
Youre setting the expectation for the book in the blurb, so make sure that your themes, ideas, and issues match. But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb. Oct 21, 2019 sample books and paper samples we dont offer free books or free paper samples but you can view our paper and book customization options by doing one of the following. The blurb about a new book, film, or exhibition is information about it that is written. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest.
The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. The blurb for the online product description or on the back of a paperback is one of the most important pieces of text you will write, and will be redrafted and. Use strong adjectives and make the reader want to get to know the character in more detail. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Its hard to come up with adjectives to describe the writing of the author that are fresh, adequately descriptive. Basically, the name of the game with a blurb is to entice readers to buy your book. This is the first book i recommend to new publishers. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. How to get awesome book cover blurbs build book buzz. The back label has a little blurb about the winery and its philosophy. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells with images. Oh, and when you reach the website, read the promotional blurb. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a. A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book.
Be wary of paying high fees for someone to write your book blurb. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. Blurb definition and meaning collins english dictionary. If you want to learn how to write a book description that captivates readers and. He strongly suggests we read the blurbs of other authors to get a feel for what we want to say. Sep 14, 2015 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. Even the patron saint of teenage girls, judy blume, is featured on the back. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so.
Dont worry, in this article, well walk you through the important points to keep in mind while writing your book s blurb, as well as give you a simple blurb template that sells and some bestseller examples for different genres. And this is why it can be quite difficult to write a good blurb. Aug, 2015 put the bulleted list in the middle of the copy you write for your back cover. 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. Vintage romantic tales of fright, i struggle with writing back cover copy, also known as, the blurb. All of the words like terrifying and menacing let you know exactly what kind of thriller this is. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells writing. The blurb is your sales pitch, printed on the back of your book or quoted on its sales page online.
Even though the back cover is just a list of quotes inside panel has the actual blurb, the potential reader still gets almost all of the pertinent information. The blurb is your sales pitch, printed on the back of your book or. How to write a book blurb by far, the weakest part of many selfpublished books is the synopsis found on amazon and elsewhere. The back cover of your book is prime real estate for promoting your book. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. Play with adjectives, phrases, and literary devices. Blurb distinct from the back book cover blurb is this 12 line endorsement of a book by a celebrity or another author that sits on the book s front cover. For a nonfiction book, authors should make a bullet point list of the books main features and actually put that list on the back cover. In addition to the example provided in lesson one of a wellwritten book blurb, im including a. Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook itself. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dust. However, many self published authors treat it like the hellstrip in front of their house between the.
An interesting aspect of back cover book blurbs is the kind of linguistic features. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away. Do you have any favourite examples, either for your own books or those of. How is it that a writer can write a story spanning tens of thousands of words but stumble at a 250300 word book blurb describing it. Sep 20, 2016 a great tagline can help sell books and give readers an idea of what kind of story theyre picking up. Synonyms for blurb include ad, advertisement, announcement, brief, bumf, commendation, description, details, gloss and info.
Do you have any favourite examples, either for your own books or those of other authors. Writing a book description that sells jessica davidson. Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something you know insideandout can seem downright impossible. The last words that you write for your book will be the first that your audience reads. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. The blurb for the online product description or on the back of a paperback. Youve finished writing your book, its edited, designed and is just about ready to go to press. Blurb distinct from the back book cover blurb is this 12 line endorsement of a book by a celebrity or another author that sits on the books front cover. Analysis of back cover books blurbs in english lecturer. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples.
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