Grade 5 lesson on blurbsadapt by using whatever book. These themes are essentially easily digestible nuggets boiled down from your books plot. Bookwright allows you to create an ebook and a print book, all from one file. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading writing awesome book blurbs a modern indie authors guide. Before writing your back book blurb, choose 35 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities. If youd like for me to read the entire book instead of just. 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. 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. In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps.
How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb. Depending on the level of involvement by the publisher, usually someone else in that company other than the author. Wanting a story to tell might also inspire some pretty incredible adventures. 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. Here are the top ten tips we believe to be the most essential to crafting a book description that sells. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book blurb blog.
When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. I will reread and refer to the ending sentence of the hunger games blurb to show that it is important to refer to a books big ideas in a blurb. Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. So there are 1,000 photos id have to skim through while also looking back at my blog posts to see which photos go to which post. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book. Aim for a word count in the vicinity of 150 words 14 paragraphs.
Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. You know, the ones that readers use to choose the book they want to read next or throw on the pile beside the bed where, among the. I will explain that they can bring out the theme theyve picked by using a small moment, a problem or decision a. The author is too close to the book andor has a voice that doesnt lend itself to advertising. These may be used for an interview, a book jacket, or even an event program in which you are a presenter. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog. The blurbery revisited writing a book blurb eric lahti. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. Focus on the most important aspects, but dont give away any twists or surprises. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Ideally, you should put the 150 word blurb on the back cover and the 250 300 word description in the amazon book description field.
A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book. This is a worksheet intended to be used for planning to write a blurb for a novel study. Please type your blurb in ms or open office word, print it, and bring it to class on thursday. Writing a blurb at ks2 by jessica borges vaz on prezi.
Youve written an entire novel of 50,000 to 90,000 words or more, and then you just need to write a few. Steps to writing your own back book blurb and back cover. Book blurbs are an oftoverlooked part of a writers marketing planafter youve spent so much time writing a new book, it can feel. The content and style vary depending on the type of. Then, write 12 additional sentences that explain the plot of the story in a general way. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Ask the class if they know why blurbs are written for book covers.
This is because writers dont really understand what a blurb is meant to do. May 23, 2018 writing a killer blurb for your book your book blurb is one of the most important components of a successful book launch because its essentially your sales pitch. This sounds like an obvious piece of advice, but youd be shocked to know how many writers miss the mark here. How to write a book blurb that sells not just another boring. Its worth noting that the abna award asks for a 300 word pitch, which makes it a more elaborate book blurb. Blurbs are brief summaries of what a reader will find on the other end of a hyperlink. 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. 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. Writing awesome book blurbs a modern indie authors guide kindle edition by terra, evo, moriarty, jeff, conlin, karen. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. But it is the single most important piece of writing you will do on your book. If youve been an author for any length of time, youve probably learned the pure, untamed agony that is writing a blurb to now sell it to potential. Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something you know insideandout can seem downright impossible.
Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb. If you want instruction on how to write a professional biography from someone who actually cares. 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 blurb writing. Here is an example of a shout line, taken from one of my own books. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. Writing a killer blurb for your book writers hustle. Like the sound of the book based on the blurb on the back what is a blurb. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading writing book blurbs and synopses. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. How to sell your manuscript to publishers and your. Make sure your book blurb reads like those that are selling well. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur.
You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. Blog to book eventually settles into the standard blurb bookmaking software routine, where you can move content, swap around images, play with facing pages, choose numerous layout and text combinations, etc. Introduce your main character s at its core, novels are a storytelling medium. Forget the book, have you read this irresistible story on. How to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman.
Writing a great book blurb is a bit intimidating, isnt it. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending. Fixedlayout ebooks are built seamlessly as you design the book, so no additional steps needed. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well. Writing awesome book blurbs a modern indie authors guide. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. On back covers of books there is usually a summary which attempts to get the reader interested. You must make your selfdescription blurb as interesting as possible. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. How to write an interesting bio blurb this is a satirical article. You want to try to attract the attention of your future employer.
A good blurb is an essential part of selling your book, both in a bookshop and online, and will make all the difference to its success. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb. How to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman for a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the books universe before the beginning of the actual story.
Put their name, age if applicable for the genre, their job cop, teacher, high school student andor anything interesting that is specific to them a princess, a thief, etc. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. I wanted to print a photo book with blurb for a long time, and finally ordered my first blurb photo book in june 2014. However, many self published authors treat it like the hellstrip in front of their house between the sidewalk and a busy street. It entices the reader to read a book by promising twists and turns but without giving away the ending. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book. I was about halfway through the writing of my book when i was asked to write a blurb for the back cover. On taking up writing it had not once occurred to me that one of the tasks of being a writer might be to come up with those concise, quippy phrases on the covers of books. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your book and convert readers. Writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author.
I offer authors two options for book blurb writing services. Your backofthebook blurb is the second thing a potential buyer looks at after your front 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. Consider the blurb, one of the most pervasive, longestrunning and, at. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. Six writers tell all about covers and blurbs the awl. Whatever the old adage might warn, there is a bit of merit to judging a book by its cover if only in one respect. Explanations and back book cover examples for both fiction and nonfiction. The intention is the same as a book blurb to pique the potential bossclients attention. The howto of writing the perfect blurb for your book or novel is a cocktail of creating suspense while revealing the main characters or conflict. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. The back cover of your book is prime real estate for promoting your book.
A blurb should provide key information about the books plot setting, time period, protagonists, outline the main conflict, and incorporate the books marketable themes. 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. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. 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. Basically, the name of the game with a blurb is to entice readers to buy your book.
A blurb from an author whose work i dislike can make me leave the book on the shelf. A blurb from an author i actually know and dislike on a personal level usually based on their abhorrent behavior in graduate school means i will turn the book backward on the shelf in the bookstore or hide it under a stack of sarah palins going rogue. In simple terms, a blurb is the short yet descriptive account of the book that goes on the back cover. Amazon might allow 4,00o characters in the book description box, but nobody wants to wade through a long blurb.
Some writers find it really difficult to present their own work effectively, concisely and in a saleable manner. Depending on the book, the setting might be a single place or a multitude of places, but it should refer to the place that the action starts. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Your blurb should be written in the same voice as your book. The opportunity struck me as a highly significant one.
The blurb should include any information that represents the. Besides, you have loads to offer, and writing like yourself will only make your words more authentic and impactful. The blurb is often referred to as a synopsis or simply book description. Book blurb writing service, novel summary, manuscript editor. Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Writing a blurb the blurb is the writing on the back of a book. The blurb is the short description on the back of the book. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb september 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich in my last post, i mentioned that ive been working on a novella and shared some reasons why you should write one of your own. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. When you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. For a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the book s universe before the beginning of the actual story. Sep 12, 2018 how to write a book blurb in 4 steps 1.
Amazon, kindle direct, create space, ingram spark, etc. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. Once youve persuaded a potential reader to click on your book s link, your blurb will be the driving force behind whether they ultimately decide to purchase or not. A potential reader looks at the blurb the same way they would look at the book itself. Think of the book blurb not as an annoying step between you and selfpublishing, but instead as an opportunity. To each genre their own, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to writing book blurbs. Blurb definition in the cambridge english dictionary. A blurb is a brief summary of your life and work experience.