In this post, three publishing editors have shared their secret behind writing the best blurb. Examples of good fiction book blurbs writing rights. 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. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. 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. 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. Youve snagged a prospective date by your alluring cover, so now youve got to show theres more than just surface appeal. Chuck arand from concordia seminary for making time to talk about my book. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know.
Of course i too have had to turn down various blurb requests from time to time. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea, we forget who were. 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. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. How to get incredible blurbs for your book scribe writing. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. Corbet, also known as killer bee, writes from his under the sea cave in the inland empire. The photos in the book were great i give my highest. His success as a merchant selling pearls to swine lead him to write his autobiography pearls to swine which revolutionized the marketing industry making him the most sought after international speaker, ever. I just finished my first book with, and the people at did an excellent and outstanding job. Aug 08, 2009 examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. As the author of the work you will be very close to your manuscript and getting feedback on your blurb will be helpful. One of my claims to fame is that i wrote a book cover blurb that appears next to one written by mlb network sportscaster bob costas.
Try to use your keywords theyre great for seo findability. In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. 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. 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. Six writers tell all about covers and blurbs the awl. 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. Whatever the old adage might warn, there is a bit of merit to judging a book by its cover if only in one respect. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. Before jumping into the blurb, a lot of authors count on the sentence trio to create impact and generate interest for their target readers. It is a short book set in new orleans during and after hurricane katrina. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count.
Consider the blurb, one of the most pervasive, longestrunning and, at. Browning dives into the strange world of book blurbs. Lisa tener is an awardwinning book writing coach who assists writers in all aspects of the writing processfrom writing a book proposal and getting published to finding ones creative voice. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Great blurb examples for nonfiction books cascadia author services. 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. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb. An examination of the wily book blurb chuck wendig. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. Thanks also to rod horton for reading robert frosts poem birches at our bible study that morning. Poets who have written memorable blurbs for my own books have not only helped boost my selfesteem but braced me up for whatever lack of attention each book would ultimately receive. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others.
Dec 24, 2009 do these blurbs many of which could be transferred from book to book without great difficulty actually sway readers. If youre looking for great nonfiction book blurb examples, youve come to the right place. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. I have gotten two blurbs so far on my own, by which i mean i sort of talked to the only two people i know who are famous writers, and i mentioned that the book was written, and they volunteered to blurb it, at which point i got riverhead to send each one. Your confidential guide to the perfect book blurb click to tweet. In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps. Tell the readers what they will learn, what problems your book will solve, and why your book is different. Nov 19, 2015 early blurbs can be key, but you need to remember that its a numbers game. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog. The curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still. When i was looking to get blurbs for my first book, i had asked, lets say, twenty people, ten agreed, and out of those ten, only about five of them were able to actually deliver the blurbs in a timely mannerthat could be though because we were on a time crunch and i didnt start soon enough. A useful worksheet to help your children understand book blurbs and help them write their own. How to get awesome book cover blurbs build book buzz.
Soliciting blurbs is part of the publishing process, so much so that editors often expect to see a list of potential blurbers in an authors book proposal. The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. 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. The 1 st third of the 150 word promo should be what the book is about. If you are looking for someone to write a fresh blurb for your poetry book, you must hire her. Oct 04, 20 an easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. The book came in the united parcel service ups very quickly on friday, 17 january 2020. Apr 04, 2011 i have gotten two blurbs so far on my own, by which i mean i sort of talked to the only two people i know who are famous writers, and i mentioned that the book was written, and they volunteered to blurb it, at which point i got riverhead to send each one a galley and a note formally making the awful request. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, almost blackmail readers into feeling that youre either intellectually or morally incompetent if you dont love this book or youve. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should. For more on writing a great book blurb, check out the 5 core elements of a book blurb, or for more help with your books exterior try get your book cover right or lose sales. 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.
Thanks to dale ward and the rest of the tech guys at the seminary for making the video. Try doing this in three short sentences, or in one sentence with three examples. Her clients have appeared on the oprah winfrey show, cbs early show, the montel williams show, cnn, fox news, new morning and much more. An easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Optimizing your blurb for amazon and other online retailers. Author bios tell about a writer, his work, his professional experience andor personal background. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. Jul 19, 20 writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. Sep 12, 2018 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. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. You are using some of the credibility and status of the person giving the blurb, and reflecting it back on your book.
May 26, 2017 the weird world of book blurbs by barbara browning. A book blurb is there to entice a purchase, not to justify a lifelong career or calling. Popular great blurbs books meet your next favorite book. Youre setting the expectation for the book in the blurb, so make sure that your themes, ideas, and issues match. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. In my most recent novel, the gift, my narrator, barbara andersen, describes a. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. 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. An examination of the wily book blurb terribleminds. Reference your bookwriting or professional status, if it relates to your book. His success as a merchant selling pearls to swine lead him to write his autobiography pearls to swine which revolutionized the marketing industry making him the. Jul 16, 2012 this is a guest post from robert bruce.
Sep 15, 2017 some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, almost blackmail readers into feeling that youre either intellectually or morally incompetent if you dont love this book or youve. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. Mar 06, 2012 its the perennial question of whether the blurbs on book covers are still meaningful or have become just background noise. He is a fulltime writer and parttime book blogger at 101 books, where he is currently blogging through time magazines top 100 englishspeaking novels. So if you are looking for a good book about how a tragedy can bring a father and a son closer, then hurricane song by paul volponi is the book for you. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. Blurbs are basically endorsements from other authors for your book, which go on the front or back cover. Endorsements, also known as blurbs, are the sentence quotes you see on the book cover. Thats why we will be looking at some more good book blurbs in a few more genres a continuation of the examples of good fiction book blurbs part 1.
Do these blurbs many of which could be transferred from book to book without great difficulty actually sway readers. 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. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. For an unknown author, such endorsements are essential for compelling readers to take a chance on someone theyve never read before. You cant expect to write a fabulous blurb in an hour, it may take many rewrites before you feel the blurb hooks your reader in. This is my second time working with authoreva and she has given me another outstanding experience. One of the best examples of this is the blurb for stephanie myers twilight.
Check out our examples of blurbs, and the dos, and donts to help you craft the best blurb. The weird world of book blurbs by barbara browning. In this article, youll find out why blurbs are critical to the success of your. I mean, if you believed them then youd think every book published is. To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant.
Mar 02, 2016 great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. She took my poetry samples and current book blurb and wrote something amazing. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. How to write an author bio short ramona defelice long. See more ideas about books to read, books and my books. At the end well deconstruct blurb examples for books in seven bestselling nonfiction categories on amazon. The five s of blurb writing check these 5 awesome tips editage. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch. 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.
Its the perennial question of whether the blurbs on book covers are still meaningful or have become just background noise. One of the shortest is the author blurb, the two or three descriptive lines at the end of a published work. The blurb should include any information that represents the book best and. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. 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. Examples of good fiction book blurbs when it comes to writing book blurbs, looking at genres is one of the best ways that you can figure out how a good blurb should go. Successfully launching my third book, our earth, our species, our selves. 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. Book blurbs 2010 hurricane song by paul volponi good stories about fathers and sons are few and far between. The goal of a nonfiction book may be to inform, inspire, educate or entertain. Your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention.
After all, kindle singles are doing just fine without covers and. Sep 27, 2015 whatever the old adage might warn, there is a bit of merit to judging a book by its cover if only in one respect. Early blurbs can be key, but you need to remember that its a numbers game. Make sure the reader understands what is inside your book and why you are qualified to write it.
Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something you know insideandout can seem downright impossible. 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. If youd like for me to read the entire book instead of just. 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. Writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. When it was published, adam grant was a fairly obscure professor, not well known outside of academic circles.
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