Writers and Readers discussion

Here's our second topic in our new marketing forum. Post questions, advice, examples of great book blurbs, ask for feedback on your own blurbs, etc. Just keep it reasonably civil and polite.

The topic we're discussing here is How to Write a Book Blurb: what works, what doesn't.

Here's my thoughts.
Start with a good hook or tagline.
Keep it tight and concise, two or three paragraphs.
Don't ramble, but give the necessary information.
Personalize it a bit, character names, places, etc.

An effective blurb must be succinct and intriguing.
Like a classic striptease, it must leave the audience excited, curious, and wanting more.

Jim wrote: "An effective blurb must be succinct and intriguing.
Like a classic striptease, it must leave the audience excited, curious, and wanting more."

Nice analogy.

Great topic. I'm often unsure whether to emphasize the plot or characters. Any thoughts on where the pitch should be directed? Especially if it's supernatural suspense. I would love to hear from readers here on what kind of blurbs grab their attention.

Paula wrote: "Great topic. I'm often unsure whether to emphasize the plot or characters. Any thoughts on where the pitch should be directed? Especially if it's supernatural suspense. I would love to hear from re..."

I tend to go for plot more than characters. I like to know the type of book I'm think of buying. Such as with supernatural suspense, what type of supernatural? Zombies? Demons? Something else?
And as Jim said, I want to be intrigued and tantalized.

My current blurb is below. I finally have a good cover for my book, after hiring a professional to do it, but I still am not selling many books. If you want to see the cover, you can see it at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2Y2Y1E/
Currently, I'm thinking maybe I need to lead with a tag-line, but it'd be awesome if I could get some more feedback on the blurb:

Tim is a shy history nerd, Julie is popular and smart, Billy is athletic and confident, and Rose is clever and quirky. But what none of them understand is why Steven Hopkins, a Time Traveler from the 24th century, has chosen them to take on the Emperors of Time. The four teens must travel back to 1916 San Francisco to stop the past from being changed. If they fail, the self-proclaimed Emperors of Time will control the future. Their adventure takes them from a bridge over the Susquehanna River in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg to a settlement of outcasts from the Emperors' futuristic paradise and from the seediest to the swankiest parts of 1916 San Francisco.

My social media promotional blurbs are all different because each platform is different. Twitter must be very short of course so I concentrate on keywords. My Facebook page seen by everyone will be general compared to my personal list which targets specific opt-in people with specific hooks. Blurbs on Google must appeal to a wider range of interests. It seems like I can't ever just write one blurb when it comes to promoting a book.

Good topic. This is the tagline for my historical fiction, The Inheritance. I also have a two paragraph book blurb that I wrote for the back cover but thought I'd just include this.

An atypical woman rejecting social norms and a family disintegrating from conflicting loyalties collide in Calabria, southern Italy during the early 1900s.

Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
http://www.marianneperry.ca

Marianne: The blurb is good, but one small bit of advice. The word "atypical" sounds a little clinical to me. I think I'd rather know how she's atypical. Like, is she feisty or energetic or... Know what I mean? I like your website, too. Very professional.

For what my opinion is worth, James, I think the first sentence of your blurb offers too much steak and not enough sizzle. I'd try to punch the lead...

Tim is a nerd, Julie is the bomb, Billy's a jock, and Rose has a razor wit. Yeah, they're just like you and yours. So why, they wonder, has a Time Traveler chosen them to save the future?

Then I'd return to your detailed body. But that's all my opinion and I could be full o' cheese. The book sounds like fun.

Garry, I agree. I constantly rework blurbs for different presentations. And keep all the old ones. You may go back to them.

One of the best tools I've found for writing my blurbs is this book:

Redwine gives a comprehensive structuring formula that really clicked with me. I've taken a number of her online workshops as well, and found all of them immensely helpful. :)

James wrote: "My current blurb is below. I finally have a good cover for my book, after hiring a professional to do it, but I still am not selling many books. If you want to see the cover, you can see it at
h..."

I think the gist of the blurb is good, but the sentences could use some tightening, and I agree with Doug, the opening is wordy and clunky.
Here's my take on your blurb:

Tim, Julie, Billy, and Rose. Four ordinary, diverse teens. But are they?
Steven Hopkins, a 24th century Time Traveler, has chosen them to confront the Emperors of Time. They must travel back to 1916 San Francisco to stop the past from unraveling, and if they fail, the self-proclaimed Emperors of Time will control the future.
Join their adventure as it takes them from a bridge over the Susquehanna River in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg to a settlement of outcasts from the Emperors' futuristic paradise, and from the seediest to the swankiest parts of 1916 San Francisco.

Marianne wrote: "Good topic. This is the tagline for my historical fiction, The Inheritance. I also have a two paragraph book blurb that I wrote for the back cover but thought I'd just include this.

An atypical wo..."

I like it, but it might be long for a tagline.

Maybe something crisper, like this:

The early 1900s, Calabria, Italy.
A woman outside social norms collides with disintegrating family loyalty.

or

The early 1900s, Calabria, Italy.
An atypical woman, a conflicted family, destined to collide.

Garry wrote: "My social media promotional blurbs are all different because each platform is different. Twitter must be very short of course so I concentrate on keywords. My Facebook page seen by everyone will be..."

I get what you mean, you do have to adapt a blurb for different situations, but quite often I find one blurb can be reworked over the different social networks, especially if you have a good first line hook or tagline. And taglines are great for Twitter. For example, I had a tagline for my book Fairy Tale Fusion, Things Get Messy in the Riding Hood, that I used to tie the marketing blurbs together across different platforms.

A.F. wrote: "Marianne wrote: "Good topic. This is the tagline for my historical fiction, The Inheritance. I also have a two paragraph book blurb that I wrote for the back cover but thought I'd just include this..."

A.F. wrote: "Marianne wrote: "Good topic. This is the tagline for my historical fiction, The Inheritance. I also have a two paragraph book blurb that I wrote for the back cover but thought I'd just include this..."

Thanks for the comments! Much appreciated and will note revisions suggested.

I find the one of the most difficult asks to do, I actually asked for professional help, since my mind is so filled with all the story details, condensing it down to two sentences is almost impossible.

Here is some information I've written on the subject...
My recommendation is to have three parts:

* A headline
* A one paragraph summary or "blurb"
* 1 or 2 quotes from reviewers (or other authors)

HEADLINE

The headline is probably the hardest to develop because you have a limited number of words. I suggest the following:

* Limit it to 15 words - This needs to be short and snappy.

* Prominently featured - Center, use a larger (or sometimes different font). For instance san-sarif for headline and all body text in sarif)

* 3 Sentence Technique: This is a great format because it can have a nice rhythm--a kind of meter that rolls off the tongue. The sentences need to be exceptionally short and to the point. I used this technique for "The Crown Conspiracy" it's headline is:

They killed the king. They pinned it on two men. They chose poorly.

Yes, it a bit of a play on Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade but that's not such a bad thing. It also sums up the story pretty well as TCC is about two guys who are framed but ultimately catch the real killer.

* 2 Sentence Twist: Another technique is the "2 sentence twist". This format uses a very simple straightforward statement and then has a twist that makes go "hmm". We used this for "Avempartha" it's headline is:

She hired them to save her father. The wizard had other plans.

This is designed to illicit questions. What did the father need saving from? What did the wizard want? How did he interfere with the original goal?

BLURB

* The blurb is a single paragraph (no not 2 or 3...it is 1) that you would typically see on the back of a book. Exception: if the book is part of a series use the first paragraph for the books summary and include a second that summarizes the series as a whole.

* This is not a SUMMARY it is an enticement. You are trying to pique an interest.

* Keep the cat in the bag - Part of the problem with the blurb is you don't want to "give too much away". We toiled and toiled over the blurb for "The Crown Conspiracy" in this story our two main characters are arrested and how they get out of jail is quite interesting. If we had "spilled the beans" on the back of the book we would definitely hook people...but they would also get a "spoiler. In the end we decided not to put it in there but the temptation to "say too much" is tough and you should your best to not go too far.

* Less is More - I recently finished a book by a new author and after reading I went to the back of the book and read the blurb - Oh my God. It was a complete summary of the entire book! It's like some of those movie trailers that you see before the main feature and after watching you go - well good I saved $12.00 as there is no reason to see that movie now. If you follow the first rule - 1 paragraph the likelihood this will not happen but since I've seen it happen too often it is worth pointing out.

* Tease, please - The point of the blurb is to get someone to want to read the book. Sometimes the best way to do this is to end the blurb in a cliffhanger or to trail off. Ending in a question also works well. What you want to do is engage the reader so don't be afraid to leave the blurb with a bit of a teaser.

* Learn by example - The best thing you can do is read a lot of back of the book blurbs. Personally I suggest going to the store, as Amazon copy is not always the same on the sales page as the blurb on the back of the book (I don't know why - probably a space issue and the Amazon pages seem to have more.

* Write several - Writing a good blurb is not easy but its worth writing two or three and then "mulling them over" for a week or so. Feel free to beta test them at writer's sites or by asking friends. Soon a "favorite will appear.

QUOTES

* When wirting quotes - keep them short and sweet - one or two sentences max.

* If at all possible don't use the ... to indicate missing words - if it is too long take just the front or the back. People see the missing words and wonder "what was in there that was bad that the ommitted."

As I mentioned, sometimes the best way to learn to write blurbs it to look at others. Here are some examples I've done.

--------------

*The Crown Conspiracy*
There's no ancient evil to defeat, no orphandestined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to survive. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater are enterprising rogues who end up running for their lives when they're framed for the death of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy bigger than overthrow of a tiny monarc, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery - before it's too late.

*Avempartha*
When a destitute young woman hires two thieves to help save her remote village from nocturnal attacks, Riyria is drawn into the schemes of the wizard Esrahaddon. While Royce struggles to breech the secrets of an ancient elven tower, Hadrian attempts to rally the villagers to defend themselves against the unseen killer. What begins with the simple theft of a sword places the two thieves at the center of a firestorm--that bring about the rise of a new empire.

---------------

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Think long and hard about your headline and blurb. Work them over and over and if you have one that doesn't work don't be afraid to revise it. They are the main tools you have to get the person to buy the book so invest in them wisely and it will directly effect your bottom line.

Michael. Nicely written and good advice. Blurbs are the bane of my existence. Whether or not your book does well hinges on a good blurb. It's a fine art.

Michael wrote: "Here is some information I've written on the subject...
My recommendation is to have three parts:

* A headline
* A one paragraph summary or "blurb"
* 1 or 2 quotes from reviewers (or other author..."

I like the idea of reviewers' quotes and think at the end a logical place to put them. But I've seen many successful books where the quotes are right up front before the description stuff. Not sure which is best.

Blurbs, synopsis, reviews, pitch to agents/publishers should contain one key ingredient. What makes your story unique from all the rest. Why will readers enjoy your story more than all the rest. Perhaps the characters are unique, or the setting is a grabber. What's special about the plot? Or the ending?

Feather. Well said but how does a new author set herself apart from those with a track record? Perhaps, we could examine some book blurbs from books that have been successful. Just a thought.

Thank you for this thread.

Marianne Perry
Writing inspired by genealogical research to solve family mysteries.
www.marianneperry.ca

I was given an agenda to follow by a company - Voyage Media to keep the blurp short and concise.
If I can find it, I'll post it, but it's basically introduce main character - something about them - scenario - how it feels - offer another scenario - more info in one or two words - closure - tagline so following that here's mine for Echoes my award-winning novel.
Bronwen Mortimer, a mysterious young woman moves to a quiet village in the hope of starting a new life after years of suffering abuse, but the echoes of the land will never lie quietly and when she witnesses a murder, she must face her past and win to have any chance of living in the present.
A supernatural thriller moving between present day and fifteenth century England when Henry Tudor claimed the throne. There were many casualties of war, but some refuse to be forgotten.