How to Write a Great Book Blurb

This is an excellent article on writing a good book blurb. My advice has always been to start with a hook, and not to give too much away. Both those points are covered here, along with several others that make good sense.

Book Daily’s keywords are: Engage, Allure, Honest, Quick, Intrigue.

The entire article is here: http://www.bookdaily.com/authorresource/blog/post/1924159

Helen Woodall

7 Reasons Why Readers Hate Your Book Blurb

Book Daily has an interesting article on writing book blurbs. They list seven main fails.

The first sentence is incredibly important. A blurb is short, the shorter the better, so wasting the opening sentence with an introduction is a bad step. Jump right in with a catchy hook.

They also advise against using clichés or rhetoric, and also against introducing too many characters, too many place names, or too many plot points.

From my own observation a major problem I see with blurbs is that they give away too many plot points or twists. They should hook the reader to buy the book. Why bother to read the book if the reader can already guess exactly what happens just from reading the blurb. Remember, keep it short, punchy, and intriguing.

To read the complete article go to: http://www.bookdaily.com/authorresource/blog/post/1802306


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

The blurb is all about the hook

Michaelbrent Collings said it well: The only purpose of the back blurb is to raise a question that can ONLY BE ANSWERED when the reader BUYS and FINISHES the book.
It seems as though I’ve read far too many blurbs lately that tell me too much. They name too many characters and give me way too much information on how the plot will turn out. We all know that a true romance story always has a happy ending. But the readers still want the hint, the possibility, the fear that in this book these characters won’t be able to solve their problems before time runs out.
The whole point of the blurb is to hook the reader, not to tell the story. The book tells the story. Blurbs should be short. In the olden days they were three very brief paragraphs. One about the heroine, one about the hero and the third about the plot. These days they might only be one paragraph.
The only things you need in the blurb are the genre (readers get cross if they think it’s a paranormal and it turns out to be historical), the mood (spooky, suspenseful, lighthearted), and the hook (that’s why they’ll buy the book).


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Mistakes newbies make

There are several standard errors that scream “newbie”. A good editor will make sure the writer fixes these up, but not every editor notices, not every author does what their editor says, and with the rise of self publishing there are more authors than ever doing their own thing.
So please, make sure your book does not contain any of these things.

The blurb that tells the entire story.
That thing you write telling the entire story? That’s called the synopsis. The blurb is meant to be brief, introducing the reader to the main characters and the main plot point, without giving the reader any extra information. In particular never reveal the spoiler or the conclusion. Also, don’t end the blurb with the book’s title, or a question. That screams newbie too.

Opening with the heroine standing in front of a mirror describing herself (or a reflective pool of water or…)
The opening of the book is your one chance to hook the reader. It needs to be action. If the villain is going to grab her by her long red hair hair, fine. Let him so that. Then we’ll know she has long red hair. Don’t tell us as well.
Similarly don’t have her looking at her straight white teeth as she cleans them. Most people who look in the mirror notice their faults. This is a very weak way for description. It’s much better done in action scenes, or at least by another character.
“I would never have chosen that shade of orange with your red hair but actually it looks okay,” said her sister.

Tying up the story with a big pink bow at the end.
No, we don’t want plot holes or loose threads, but we don’t want absolutely every secondary character placed neatly in a box or married off either. If this book is successful, those secondary characters are needed for the sequel. Leave some mystery and opportunities for a sequel, and skip the epilogue with two kids and a dog frolicking on the front lawn. It’s old and boring.

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

How to write a blurb

The blurb is what goes up on the back cover of a print book and is often in the front of a digital book, and also sometimes inside print books as well. On many websites and catalogs it’s the blurb that’s listed to describe the story and help the reader see if the story is one they’d like to read.

A good blurb is crucial to a reader buying your book.

Often there are word limits. Many websites in particular only allow so many characters of promo per book so you need to keep it short, sharp and appealing.

Begin with a line about the heroine (or main character). Who is she and why is this story about her?

Then a line about the hero explaining his motives.

Then a line about the plot.

DO NOT try to tell the whole story, mention any plot spoilers, or how the book concludes, or any minor characters.

DO make it as catchy and engaging as you can.

Try not to end the blurb with a question or a cutesy line incorporating the book title.

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.