Youve snagged a prospective date by your alluring cover, so now youve got to show theres more than just surface appeal. Bear in mind that such blurbs are often read in crowded places particularly beloved of pickpockets, with shoppers jostling round you whilst your other purchases dangle from your other hand, and that books are often heavy and thus difficult to hold for a. It sounds logical that they might after all a snippet of a blog post is often those first couple of paragraphs. Thanks also to rod horton for reading robert frosts poem birches at our bible study that morning. Sell your book in the blurb bookstore, through amazon, or in the global retail network of over 38,000 retailers, libraries, and schools. The blurb of your book is the second thing a potential reader will look at after the coverso take the time to get it right. We follow the author has she weaves stories of love and childhood kisses, with. A book blurb is a quote from that you put on your book cover or in some other form of media that says something positive about you or your book, and come from someone else. Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i do y, then ill stand out from the crowd. Backcover book blurbs crossword clue answers, solutions for the popular game crossword champ pro. How to title your book and its description are two we have covered, but possibly the very best way to do this other than a good book cover is through the use of blurbs. 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. Writers use the term blurb to describe the text on the back of the book. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes.
You pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. 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. Write only a paragraph or two, and include the hooksthe storys most engaging plot points. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. 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. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me.
The blurb should include any information that represents the. How to write back cover blurb for your nonfiction book. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book.
Looking at and writing blurbsfinal project for the readaloud of home of the brave katherine applegate teacher materials. Blurbs are those few paragraphs that tell you what the books about and give you a compelling reason to buy. Perhaps, sometimes, they should be more selective about what they actually write, too. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Lynn serafinn, maed, cpcc is a certified, awardwinning coach, teacher, marketer, social media expert, radio host, speaker and author of the number one bestseller the 7 graces of marketing how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell and tweepelicious. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that sell books. I am good with the back cover, and the wrap around art. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. Blurb is not the best photo book site for an average user, but the level of customization available will appeal to photographers and other pro users. Introduce your main characters at its core, novels are a storytelling medium, and that means your blurb has to be about characters. Im a published novelist, and i participate in several writing groups and online communities.
Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. 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. While the books do not come in standard sizes and offer few cover options, the binding and paper are high quality. Of course if the bookauthor is an international bestseller. I was fortunate enough to get book blurbs from a former teacher who writes the same genre as i do, and a couple of writer friends just starting out themselves. 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. Do these blurbs many of which could be transferred from book to book without great difficulty actually sway readers. Summary and synopsis are also used but, in my experience, are used only in. For obvious reasons, established writers are usually very selective about which novels theyll blurb. If your book has a flap then its the flaps job to sell the book. Blurbs dont summarize the whole of the book, or even the beginning of the book. A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book.
Digital pubbing writing a strong book description, a. If you have a good enough book cover that attracts readers and most authors dont, the next step is a description that hooks their. Print as you go sell one copy at a time and let blurb fulfill the orders or place a large order and sell inperson. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Smartboard, projector, and class computer smartboard charts. Blurb create, print, and sell professionalquality photo. The blurb can also be a sentence or two of glowing praise written by a fellow author to help market your book, but for this article well focus on the copy that appears on the back cover of a book. They say you cant judge a book by its cover, thats true, but remember a books cover includes the stuff on the back. Back of the book blurbs growing up in disneyland is a.
The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch. Chuck arand from concordia seminary for making time to talk about my book. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile. My problems start with the font type and placement of the authors name. 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.
The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should. Learn what you should and shouldnt do to promote your book. If youre stuck, ask someone else to read your book and write your blurb. Rather, your blurb should present only the faintest outline of the first few chapters. After the cover, a book description may be the most important tool in selling a book. A book blurb is there to entice a purchase, not to justify a lifelong career or calling. Give them a few minutes to figure out tricky words and to synthesize the information. Get a 1year pass to, a 1year subscription to writers digest magazine and 10% off all orders. Although ive seen a couple back covers that did something a bit different like quote from the story and since most books are written in past tense the blurb. 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. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. They might flip to the back of your book or to the dust jacket and read the blurb.
A blurb in a query letter is much like a short synopsis you have approximately 250 words in which to summarize your book in a concise, engaging. How to write a back cover blurb with examples book editing. Backcover book blurbs crossword clue answer crossword. But i havent talked much about the sales copy or book description, even though its one of the most critical pieces of your conversion. In case something is missing or its simply wrong then you can contact us and one of our representatives will be more than happy to help you out. Book blurbs are an oftoverlooked part of a writers marketing. 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. If you are a novelist, your back cover should provide a short summary of what your book is about. 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. 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 blurb definition, examples, and more.
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. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. How to write a blurb, back cover copy or sales description. How to get incredible blurbs for your book the writing. As the head book buyer at kramerbooks, he decides what stocks the shelves at the washington, d. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog. 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. 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. What should be included in the back of the book blurb. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites.
This short video is brought to you by publishnation. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. I mean, if you believed them then youd think every book published is. That stuff, also known as a blurb, typically goes a long way in determining a potential readers likelihood of purchasing and reading your book. How to create a back of the book cover blurb that sells. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples.
After the breakout success of her first book of poems mountain climber, poet june smith returns with an even more enduring tale of love and loss. Popular great blurbs books meet your next favorite book. Back of the book blurbs don defore was one of americas leading character actors of the midtwentieth century costaring in numerous feature films, two popular television sitcoms, and live theater including broadway productions. 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 morebut these blurbs are actually a crucial part of book sales, and they can be what turns a littleknown novel into a bestseller. Backcover book blurbs crossword clue daily word answers. Here is a proposed version of the final book cover. Today is your lucky day because our staff has just finished posting all todays crossword champ pro answers.
Theres no shame in being too close to your book to write a compelling back cover. For ebooks, the description is posted on a book s purchasing page, along with the book cover and price. Grade 5 lesson on blurbsadapt by using whatever book. Thanks to dale ward and the rest of the tech guys at the seminary for making the video.
But, 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. Writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. Fifth grade lesson the blurb on the back betterlesson. Back of book synopsisblurb creative writing forums. The curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book. However, some of the images in our book didnt print true to color. In simple terms, a blurb is the short yet descriptive account of the book that goes on the back cover. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. What is the summary written on the cover at the back of a.
If you queried agents or editors at any point, you might be able to start with the hook from your query letter. The synopsis is always written in present tense and most back cover blurbs are also written in present tense. In journeying to june, the poet dives deeper into her childhood, imagining a world that mightve existing during the moment of her birth in 1982. Say, students, read the blurb on the back of your book and be ready to talk about what is happening or what you expect is going to happen in your book based on what the blurb says. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents.