Writing a book cover blurb

Writing industry caitlin berve august 27, 2018 ignited ink writing, llc book covers, book cover design, back book cover, book blurb, author bio, fonts, emotion, emily st. Condense, and keep condensing until youve synthesized your book into one or two essencecapturing paragraphs. For example, if youve written a nonfiction selfhelp book and the back blurb reads more like a thriller novel, thats going to leave readers more. Sep 03, 2018 writing industry caitlin berve august 27, 2018 ignited ink writing, llc book covers, book cover design, back book cover, book blurb, author bio, fonts, emotion, emily st. Writing a blurb for a fiction book is often a lot harder than nonfiction because you need to get readers excited about your story without giving too much away. 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. How to write a great ya fantasy or scifi book blurb. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book by lynn serafinn on july 17th, 20 lynn serafinn shares a template for writing good marketing copy for your wholesalers, and discusses what. If you have a good enough book cover that attracts. Its ironic, after writing thousands of words to create your novel, that a 100200 word blurb pitching your baby to potential readers could completely stump you. For many, they go too deep into the story, describing the beginning, middle and end.

Type the books title, a subtitle if there is one, and any authors names. The book blurb is an essential part of the entire selling process for your book. How to write an irresistible book synopsis youtube. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. The book industry study group offers 51 significant subjects for books. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs.

Your blurb should tease the main conflict and encourage readers to feel concerned for your. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. 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. If the cover design is the hook, the cover blurb is the line you use to reel readers in. How to create a back of the book cover blurb that sells 1. The fiction category alone is broken down into 140 subgenresthats a lot of book categories. Within a week barry had agreed to look at the book and, shortly after, wrote the wonderful blurb that now adorns the top of my cover.

When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. Mccarthy in james scott bells book marketing for writers who hate marketing, i found the best method for me to create a book cover blurb or copy. How to write an irresistible book cover blurb ignite your ink. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb. How to get incredible blurbs for your book scribe writing.

The blurb should be in the same style as the rest of the book, for example. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the. Lets look at how to make your nonfiction cover blurb sell your book. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Engage their interest with a strong blurb, and they just might open the book and read a bit. However, there are some similar patterns that have proved successful. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and.

A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. So youve written your book, youve chosen your title and cover design. Writing it out fortunately for the fiction writers out there, writing a book blurb for a memoir is incredibly similar to writing a description for a fictional story. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either. The trick with writing a great blurb is to give away enough of whats inside the book, without giving any plot spoilers for fiction or going so indepth the reader doesnt want to read on for nonfiction. In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. There is a big difference between writing a cover blurb for a novel and writing a cover blurb for nonfiction. You pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. How to write a back cover blurb with examples book editing. New authors sometimes rush this decision, writing the first. The authors that do are usually the successful ones. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide.

There is no rigid formula for a fiction cover blurb. Follow up by delving a little deeper in to the books blot. Your back cover blurb is what they will use to decide whether to buy your book or to move on to the next book. Here are a few writing tips to help you craft a great blurb. Writing a killer blurb for your book writers hustle. Even if you cant judge a book by its cover, the cover can definitely make a great first impression. The next step is grabbing the readers interest with a tempting back cover synopsis that leaves her guessing. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. There is no rigid formula for a fiction cover blurb, as there is with query letters. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. The process is exactly the same as writing a blurb.

May 23, 2018 writing a blurb for a fiction book is often a lot harder than nonfiction because you need to get readers excited about your story without giving too much away. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. Jan 16, 2020 an easy way to write a book cover blurb posted on january 16, 2020 january 16, 2020 by zoe m. Oct 04, 20 an easytofollow guide to writing a cover blurb to help seal that sale to your target reader, by ya author sarah juckes from alli partner member completelynovel. How to write a fiction book cover blurb that can make your novel a. 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. Introduce the situation and characters in the case of a memoir, you are likely to be the main character.

How to write an irresistible book cover blurb ignite your. I recently used this formula to write the blurb for my upcoming debut, blackbirch. To each genre their own, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to writing book blurbs. How to write a fiction book cover blurb that can make your. Once you have those locked in, a way to add credibility to your book is through the use of blurbs. For a nonfiction book, this could be your main thesis statement. Design and publish beautiful photo books, trade books, ebooks, and more. When writing a back cover blurb, you want it to set you apart from other books in your genre. Use the rotate button to change the orientation of your text. In todays guest post, editor jessi rita hoffman explains how to craft professional and compelling backcover copy.

How to write a blurb, back cover copy or sales description for your book that converts. Whether youre self or traditionally publishing, the aspect of your book cover you have the most control over is the blurb, where you describe. For example, if youve written a nonfiction selfhelp book and the back blurb reads more like a thriller novel, thats going to leave readers more confused than engaged. Before sitting down to the task of writing your backcover copy, examine the. The blurb should include any information that represents the. Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or. So youve written your book, youve chosen your title and cover design, and.

In simple terms, a blurb is the short yet descriptive account of the book that goes on the back cover. How to write a back cover book synopsis pen and the pad. Even if you cant judge a book by its cover, the cover can definitely make a. Your back cover blurb is what they will use to decide whether your book is interesting enough or useful enough to buy. How to write an irresistible book cover blurb ignite. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. 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. Sep 12, 2018 creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. The fiction category alone is broken down into 140 subgenresthats a lot of. Movies do this incredibly well in their trailers and descriptions, so it may be an idea to look at some popular movies and see how they do it. Jan 14, 2014 how to write a great ya fantasy or scifi book blurb posted on january 14, 2014 by conjurors its ironic, after writing thousands of words to create your novel, that a 100200 word blurb pitching your baby to potential readers could completely stump you.

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 create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. To set yourself apart is good, to be too different from the rest is not. 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. Bookwright features videos, instructions, and tips built right into the application so youll have everything you need right at your fingertips. Get a professionally written book blurb that will sell more.

As much as book covers catch readers attention, blurbs grip shoppers and convince them to buy books. Apr 17, 2017 my top choice was my writing idol, dave barry, so my agent asked me to write a paragraph about why his blurb would mean so much to me. Use the button to work in layout mode just like when youre working on pages click the button to draw a text container. You should have the following goals and ideas in mind. Worse than the cover, worse than the writing in the book itself, there are a lot. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a. How to write a book blurb by far, the weakest part of many selfpublished books is the synopsis found on amazon and elsewhere. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dust. An easytofollow guide to writing a cover blurb to help seal that sale to your target reader, by ya author sarah juckes from alli partner member completelynovel. In james scott bells book marketing for writers who hate marketing, i found the best method for me to create a book cover blurb or copy bell says to write three sentences. Unfortunately, while most authors will hire a professional to create their cover, very few hire a professional to write their book description. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. Sep 25, 2016 a blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book.

Type the book s title, a subtitle if there is one, and any authors names. While your cover is the first thing to catch a readers eye and entice them to click through to your book page, its your blurb that will convert that curiosity into a sale. 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. Get a professionally written book blurb that will sell. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. The opportunity struck me as a highly significant one here was my. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. Writing your back cover blurb dorrance publishing company. Download blurb bookwright, a powerful and free book publishing software anyone can use. 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. Theyre fine on your cover, or on the back in a separate section, but shouldnt be part of the blurb. Now you have to decide what goes on the back cover. How to write a nonfiction book cover blurb that sells. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020.

I was about halfway through the writing of my book when i was asked to write a blurb for the back cover. Go over to your bookshelf or go to your favorite bookshop and look at the back cover blurb of one of your favorite books. Many of the best authors in the world dont write their own blurbs, because effective blurb writing is a special skill that is more marketing than creativity. Access the cover by clicking the icon at the top left of the main toolbar. So youve written your book, youve chosen your title and cover design, and youre breathing a sigh of relief. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Its important that this information matches everywhere that your book is displayed.

How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending. The front cover can feature your book title, a subtitle, author name, and images you select. While theres no official formula for blurb writing, what youre likely to see is a similar layout on the backs of those books you just looked at. My top choice was my writing idol, dave barry, so my agent asked me to write a paragraph about why his blurb would mean so much to me. How to get book blurbstestimonials for your book cover. 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. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book. 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. Writing a book blurb for your back cover and other promotional uses is one of the hardest steps for many authors. How to write a blurb, back cover copy or sales description for your book that converts im working through the material for my next course, guerrilla publishing, but this part is too important not to share for everyone.

In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. There is a big difference between writing a cover blurb for a novel and writing one for nonfiction. 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. Cover design shares the same basic elements as page design. Nov 19, 2010 you pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. Draw another text container on the spine of the book and enter the title and author information there, as well. The book cover, book title, and book description are three we have covered. 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. Typically, book blurbs are structured following a basic pattern. A book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually. How to write a blurb, back cover copy or sales description. When a reader first comes across your book online, two factors will determine if they pay any attention to it the cover and the book description.