When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. Nov 19, 2010 you pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. As much as book covers catch readers attention, blurbs grip. While theres no perfect formula for writing the best blurb for your novel, there are some patterns worth noting. They are loosely edited into ten different subject headings, or writers genre, with ten examples under each heading, except for the last one, where there. These 50 awesome book covers will inspire you learn. Lets look and learn from 50 fascinating book cover designs. I am using scope to polish up my back cover blurb for one of my novels thats getting a. 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. 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 best blurbs come from someone with a reputation in the same space. 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.
Here are a few examples of great blurbs for a few of greenleafs recent titles. Once a reader sees a book cover design and thinks the book title is intriguing. 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. Before we get into why most authors hate writing their back book cover blurb, lets clarify what it actually is. 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. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. So, this little book will hopefully provide you with some useful assistance along the way by offering up 101 actual blurbs written in short form and containing no more than 100 words. How to build the back of a book cover with template. From there, let outsiders sample the cover free of context. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. The space on the back cover of a book for blurbs, which are brief.
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. The drop cap at the beginning of the description can reflect the style used inside the book. Follow these nine steps and youll come through the process with an awesome blurb and a big smile. Lets look at a few bestselling blurbs and see what we can learn from their successes.
But, in our opinion, there are few better ways to figure out how to do something than by seeing how the professionals do it. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. Make them feel something emotional appropriate to the tone of your work. Sep 20, 2016 a great tagline can help sell books and give readers an idea of what kind of story theyre picking up. For ebooks, the description is posted on a books purchasing page, along with the book cover and price. As you gather endorsements sometimes referred to as blurbs for you book, youll want to keep a few things in mind. Nov 17, 2017 sometimes a great cover is not a great cover for a particular book. A mention of setting and time period of the story a mention of the main character an intriguing glimpse of the plot, but with no reveals a question, or hook, at the end. Aug 22, 2016 how to write a great blurb for your selfpublished novel with examples 22 aug 2016 selfpublishing one of the more teethpulling tasks of selfpublishing a novel is having to write your own blurb or what amazon calls a product description, and what some people call a synopsis. If youre looking for book description templates, look no further. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know.
These cover spreads can help give you an idea of what a great back cover looks like once these tips are put in practice. How to get awesome book cover blurbs build book buzz. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. This is all great advice, not just for the back cover but also for query letters, website copy, etc.
Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that sell books. For all intents and purposes, your publisher has written this. Mar 02, 2016 great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. 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. 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. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book.
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. Youre setting the expectation for the book in the blurb, so make sure that your themes, ideas, and issues match. Start with your own judgement and then move to the author. I just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. Jan 14, 2019 how long did it take you to write the blurb of your book. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that.
We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea, we forget who were. Speaking both as a reader and a writer, for me a good back cover blurb includes. When you select your paper weight in bookwright, youre setting up a spine width specific to how thick your book will be, which means your cover design will be accurate in your printed book. Good book blurbs can influence buyers, though, so you want to push past anxiety or discomfort and work to get at least one or two youd be proud to share on your cover. Jan 09, 2017 sophie, ive been writing back cover copy and catalog copy for a publisher for thirteen years, nearly 2,000 books, both nonfiction and fiction. Newspapers do it with headlines and arresting images, but novelists have three tools at their disposalthe book cover, title, and taglines. The more sets of eyes you get on the design, the more youll be able to evaluate whether a cover is sending the right message to broad swath of people. Secondly, introducing the protagonist in a way that creates intrigue without delving into details. The other part is the right tone funny, serious, suspenseful, etc. How to write a book description that sells with examples. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought.
You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Writers have a split second to catch readers attention. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. I go with my gut on blurbs because most of what i want from a blurb are the big, fat emotions the stuff that slaps the reader in the face. Jun 01, 2015 the occult art of the poetry book blurb 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. Firstly, highlighting your success in the bookwriting world. 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. The big example bicycle repair cookbook is the last bicycle book youll. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. The space on the back cover of a book for blurbs, which are brief promotional paragraphs, is one of the more valuable spots for book promotion.
At the end well deconstruct blurb examples for books in seven bestselling nonfiction categories on amazon. How to write a great blurb for your selfpublished novel. Examples of book blurbs outlander by diana gabaldon. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. The perspective and the positioning of the images and text make this cover pop off the screen. An example would be the vague endorsement by nelson demille for the. In this guide, ill walk you through how to write a book description, provide you a template, and include. The cover of this book is simply a photograph of handdrawn images on loose leaf paper. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. When youre refining your books blurb, there is a lot you can learn from guides and expert advice. A successfully designed book cover will convey the tone of your book, will whisper hints without giving it all away, and will excite readers into actually opening up the book and reading.
Entwined by heather dixon wallwork, the near witch by victoria schwab, the iron daughter by julie kagawa, eve by anna care. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. Before you begin, start a collection of what you consider the best book blurbs for your category. The blurb should include any information that represents the book best and intrigues. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your.
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. The book blurbs main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. If youre looking for great nonfiction book blurb examples, youve come to the right place. Most good blurbs follow a specific structurethey have three. Even if you cant judge a book by its cover, the cover can definitely make a great first impression. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. How to write a great nonfiction book blurb from polly letofsky of my word publishing. 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. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Aug 08, 2009 examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening statements, etc. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the blurb is what is going to.
Its crucial it be compelling, because readers make buying decisions from the book description. A good tagline will snag readers attention, so they pick up the book and read its blurb or download a sample. This article has helpful approaches to writing back cover blurbs. After writing and polishing an entire book, many authors are surprised when they become stuck when trying to write blurbs. In a nutshell, its the 200 odd words on the back cover of your book that describes the book to the reader. Often people think back cover copy will be easy to write because its short. The front cover can feature your book title, a subtitle, author name, and images you select. Oct 26, 2018 sometimes i employ the film texture from the front as a background. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents.
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