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I was asked to write a post about writing a book blurb. At least I think I was since it’s sitting on my topic list with a blogger’s name next to it. To be fair, I have part of a shopping list on this thing too. Still need to pick up those eggs.
Now I’ve written several book blurbs and synopsis and one or two of them could even be called good. The thing is that I truly hate writing these things because they leave me drained and stressed. Why? Because there is so much I want to say and I never know what’s the important stuff and what hooks should be used. Keep this in mind as I tread into the list. As I said in the title, I don’t always know what I’m doing. In fact, I had to rewrite all of mine and annoy a good friend who knows better than I do.
- Keep It Simple!– A very long blurb can turn a potential reader off because they lose interest or fear that the author has no concept of ending. It’s smarter to stick to the facts and leave the extraneous stuff as surprises. For example, naming every character in an ensemble is a mistake, so choose the one or two that will be the focus. The rest can be friends that reveals more heroes will appear.
- A Blurb Can Reveal Style– You might not realize it, but a potential reader may look deep into your blurb to guess at your writing style. Is there humor? Is everything spelled right? Is it long-winded? All of this will give the insightful a hint at what to expect beyond the words. A big reason to edit and try to be yourself with writing a blurb.
- Need that Hook– This is still something I haven’t learned very well. You need to having something in the blurb to make a potential reader curious. Hit them with a stunning first line that has them excited to keep going and finish them off with a question or statement that puts a sense of mystery into their minds. To get an idea, take a look at the blurb for Beginning of a Hero:
(Opening hook.) Every hero must take the first courageous step into adventure. For Luke Callindor, it’s more of a blind stumble.
(Body) Depending more on bravery than common sense, Luke sets out to protect a royal heir who is attending the prestigious Hamilton Military Academy. With a demonic assassin in the shadows, the determined warrior will have to think on his feet to defend his charge. If only he waited long enough to find out which student is the hidden noble.
(Closing Hook) With Luke’s dream on the horizon and a deadly enemy on his path, how will he transform from a reckless adventurer to a true hero of Windemere?
- Write Too Much and Cut– This is a method that might work if you find yourself saying too much in your blurbs. Go wild with the first draft then go take a break. Come back with the intention to slash the whole thing down to something smaller. You might have to make it go up and down in size and scale before you get what you want.
- Utilize Your Blog– I think this is a no brainer, but only if you have a blog or some social media platform. Put your nearly finished blurb out there for a little time to get opinions. I do that with mine by posting it for a day on my blog and shutting down the share functions. This keeps it in your area, so all comments and feedback will come directly to you. It also tells you what your potential audience thinks.
- Read Blurbs in Your Genre– If you’re really unsure then wander over to your local library, bookstore, or visit Amazon. Head for your genre and read blurb for 15-20 minutes. Get an idea of what the trends and traditions are. You’ll find that you gravitate toward certain styles, which is what you should go for. Write a blurb that you would enjoy as a reader.
Legends of Windemere 
This is really helpful – I find blurbs very difficult indeed!
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Glad to be of help. Blurbs seem to be harder than the actual books.
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Great post, Charles. Love the honest title. I think your blurbs are great:)
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Thanks. 🙂 Reminds me that I have to post the blurbs for the next book at some point. It’s always a one day event where I block all reblogging and sharing.
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Reblogged this on Illuminite Caliginosus.
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Thanks for the reblog.
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Good advice. Writing a blurb is like marketing. I find it very difficult.
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Me too. It’s possibly the first stage of marketing if you think about it.
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Thank you for the excellent advice. I think blurbs are difficult to write.
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Extremely. So much to say, but so little space.
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I struggle with blurbs. Yours are always good. Thanks for the advice.
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You’re welcome. Glad to hear mine are good. 🙂 Never any way to really tell.
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Wonderful advice, Charles. I need all the help I can get with book blurbs! 😀
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Glad to be of help. I’m usually stressing about it too.
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Awesome advice and just what I needed, thanks for writing this Charles!
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You’re welcome. Glad to be of help. Enjoy the blurb writing.
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Some good advice for anyone. Especially a newbie like me. Thanks
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You’re welcome. Always glad to pass on the knowledge people have given me. God knows I didn’t figure this out on my own. 🙂
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Reblogged this on chrismcmullen and commented:
Helpful tips for that oh-so-difficult-to-write blurb.
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Thanks for the reblog.
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You’re welcome. Thank you for the tips. 🙂
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I’ve just rewritten my blurb for the… I-don’t-know-number time and it makes me feel seek.
But I’d agree with you. Write mor ean dthen cut… that worked for me.
And the hook… boy, it hurts… 😦
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And why do I ALWAYS proofread my comments AFTER I’ve posted them? 😦
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I do the same. I’m happy as long as the point gets across. 🙂
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That hook really is barbed at times. I always think I have something great because it catches me. Then I find everybody ignoring it. Definitely one of the more frustrating parts of publishing.
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Reblogged this on lilicasplace.
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Thanks for the reblog.
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Great info as always, Charles!
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Glad to help. 🙂
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Great hints, Lily! You did such a good job!
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Great tips. I think outsiders find it much easier to test a blurb, so your 5th tip is one I’ll be using for sure! 🙂
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And we’ll be happy to help. Seems to work for your covers.
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I know. You guys are the best 🙂
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Well you pay us in useful information, so we have to return the favor some how. 🙂
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Lol – so sweet 😀
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I’ve been meaning to write a post about blurbs. A few weeks ago I spent a day studying the blurbs of five books: Yellow Dog (Martin Amis), The Name of the Rose (Umberto Eco), Angels and Demons (Dan Brown), Hawksmoor (Peter Ackroyd), and The History of Danish Dreams (Peter Hoeg).
All of them were different, from a single paragraph for the Name of the Rose, to a multi-paragraph character analysis for Yellow Dog. I looked at the word count, how the points were arranged and structured, the style and tone and then, having done all that, wrote a blurb for my book in the style of each of those five novels.
It was one of the most fruitful days of writing in a long time and has left me with five blurbs for five different situations from back covers to letters to agents. As you suggest, find succesful or critically acclaimed books and look at what the professionals write.
Chris
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Sounds like a good experiment with great results. I stuck to the ones in my genre, but I kept running into a lot of name dropping. Really cool that you have a variety to work with for the various blurb uses.
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Wow, since I don’t have a book, I never even thought of this topic. Good to know info, for when I do!
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Happy to help. A lot of people don’t realize how hard this is until they try it. It never even crossed my mind that it would be a challenge when I started.
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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Thanks for the reblog.
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