Why this blurb works The blurb showcases a sense of mystery and intrigue that works as a great hook to get readers to want to learn more. },{ . "acceptedAnswer": { We all only have so many good words in our brains. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Generally, 150-200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. "text": "At its core, novels are a storytelling medium, and that means your blurb has to be about characters. The author does not dwell on the negative problems in our lives but rather barrages the reader with positivity and a feeling of empowerment, that can only be attained through her book. Perfect timing as I am struggling to write the blurb for my third science fiction/fantasy book. The simplest part of this whole article, you’ll open the Book Manager from the Edit screen. According to the Amazon book description guidelines, you want the book description to be approximately a 150-word paragraph. All Reacher knows is that he didn’t kill anybody. Say you’re a gym trainer who wants to make money by selling your expertise in ebook form to those who can’t come to the gym. But with those first lines, the book description and the book itself, resonate with readers and feel just as relevant today as it was seventy-five years ago. Stakes: Has she Rachel done something terrible? A person’s general attention span and the time they’re willing to spare to read the blurb of a book are limited. Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love. With ebooks, in particular, they are absolutely essential to selling your ebooks. Because of his successful track record, the first line of his blurb is able to use social validation to hook readers in. You CAN take control of your money. A blurb that says “Jack Ryan has 24 hours to rescue the Russian ambassador,” isn’t as impactful unless we know what’s at stake: “...his failure will result in certain nuclear war.”", Profanity in Literature, And Now for Something Completely Different, a non-stop rollercoaster ride (the loop-de-loop kind, even; don’t get me wrong, though, wooden coasters are cool, too), more suspenseful than when your in-laws’ car won’t start just as they’re about to head home, sturdily bound, printed in an inoffensive typeface. Log in. In his first bestselling novel, The Notebook, he created a testament to romantic love that touched readers around the world. Introduce your main character, establish the primary conflict, lay out the stakes and let fans of the genre see that this book is for them. Check out bestselling author Robert J. Crane's 5 Tips for Writing Your Book Blurb. Ex-military policeman Jack Reacher is a drifter. DO NOT keyword stuff The list is far too extensive. Now, thanks to tinyCoffee and PayPal, you can! But if you don’t have any suitable reviews or sales stats to speak of (yet), make sure that your first sentence features a snappy, irresistible hook. Sticking with Mark Dawson’s example, here is part of a blurb from another one of his thrillers: John Milton’s life is about to change. Why this blurb works Not only does this blurb have a hooking first line, its entire content is enticing for the reader, making us decidedly interested in reading the rest. (The film adaptation of Me Before You, image: Warner Bros). But, in our opinion, there are few better ways to figure out how to do something than by seeing how the professionals do it. Thanks guys. "text": "Most readers have an idea of the book they’re looking to read next. “The book includes fundamental techniques of Mexican cuisine, insights into Mexican food and culture, and favorite recipes from Nopalito such as Crispy Red Quesadillas with Braised Pork and Pork Rinds; Toasted Corn with Crema, Ground Chile, and Queso Fresco; Tamales with Red Spiced Sunflower Seed Mole; and Salsa-Dipped Griddled Chorizo and Potato Sandwiches. The conflict: Juliette must mend her community while coming to terms with its inherent flaws. "name": "1. It‘s tempting to talk about “interior journeys” in your blurb, but that’s something best avoided in most cases. "name": "Examples of book blurbs", But don’t give up your secrets and all the fun stuff. I'll likely print and keep over my writing desk. }] Do some research. What does this tell us? I just recently finished writing a blurb for my novel “Reckless Beginnings.” From my experience, I have decided to share with you, my tips on how to write a good blurb. maybe also pick up my book, which is kinda similar and has a 3.81 on Goodreads. Challenged by the mystery and pulled by emotions she doesn't fully understand, Theresa begins a search for this man that will change her life. Find out how much a professional book marketer costs in 30 seconds. Inside is a letter of love and longing to “Catherine,” signed simply “Garrett.” Challenged by the mystery and pulled by emotions she doesn't fully understand, Theresa begins a search for this man that will change her life. That may seem obvious for novels, but what of works of nonfiction? "text": "1. It’s Harry Potter doing battle against Voldemort and his minions, FBI Agent Clarice Starling negotiating with Hannibal Lecter, or Captain Ahab’s obsessive vendetta against a whale. Now everything’s changed. marketer for your next book. Set the stage for your primary conflict, 4. Still can’t decide? Sometimes, you will hear them referred to as ‘book descriptions.’ So now that we have our basic definition out of the way, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. “For a lot of first-time authors, I think there's an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the book’s universe before the beginning of the actual story. And finally leaves us with a cliffhanger and only one possible solution: to buy the book. Set the stage for your primary conflict", Jess and Jason, she calls them. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Now in this New York Times bestseller, he renews our faith in destiny, in the ability of lovers to find each other no matter where, no matter when…, Main character: Theresa, divorced, disillusioned Before you begin, start a collection of what you consider the best book blurbs for your category. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire learns her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. Genre keywords: shocking, police, investigation, deeply entangled. } The key is to imply similarities between comparable books without sounding derivative: ensure you also distinguish what makes your book unique. There you have it the most basic and most successful template. A good blurb for a novel should set the stage for the primary conflict and establish the stakes. Likewise, the intrigue and suspense and hints at plot twists used in fiction book blurbs will not assure shoppers looking for self-help books that your book holds the solutions to their problems. "name": "2. This single sentence not only establishes the external conflict (“Louisa must convince Will to live”), it also lays out the stakes, which are literally life-and-death. If your first sentence is dull or of no interest, they won’t … Just enter “British government assassin” into the Kindle store search box and see whose books turn up first. If they lack romance, give them intrigue and passion. Writing Process Explained for Non-Writers. Her sales kept doubling to the point where she was selling 2,000 copies a day. You want to pick your book description words to make people want to read the rest of the blurb. Not much of a welcome. As you read through it, you start to feel for Trevor through his life’s journey, which in turn has you interested in learning more about him. marketer for your book. },{ Now that you know how to write your book description, let’s see how you’ll add the blurb to your ebook in Kotobee Author. Use keywords correctly “I believe we can change the world. Using techniques that are typical of one category for another category, will only confuse shoppers. Not in Margrave, Georgia. Let’s see how a few popular books from different genres establish the stakes in their blurbs. This blurb is a lot shorter than the previous examples. If you’re in the right mood, you can quickly churn a couple of samples with vastly different tone or even content. And great examples. The blurb starts by establishing the author’s expertise and the irresistibility of the book itself. Adhere to the adage, keep it short and sweet — and more importantly to the point. “How long is a short story?” can be a particularly tough question to answer — …, What is a novella? “In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world” Book Blurb for Becoming by Michelle Obama. Just reach up on to your bookshelf and pull down your favorite book — see how they go about establishing characters, stakes, and conflict. They feel a tugging on their hearts for something more, but they’re afraid of embarrassment, of falling short of perfection, of not being enough. Well, if you’re struggling to finish a novel, transitioning from short stories, or looking to test-run a book series, then it might just be the answer to your writing prayers! Four examples of bestselling novels with blurbs that rock! Now we’ll show you how to also make it work better on Amazon and other online booksellers. The time and effort you put into refining and testing your blurb is money in the bank. } Self-publishing your first book? Some writers will ask, “What if it’s my travel memoirs, or success story, or even a full autobiography?” The answer is still a resounding, “Even so, in the third person.”. With The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition, you’ll be able to: Includes new, expanded “Dave Rants” sidebars tackle marriage conflict, college debt, and more. If you’re selling an ebook on Amazon, you can quickly and easily change the blurb at any time. It sets up just enough backstory to help us understand the main conceit: a woman from the 40s sent back to the 18th Century and being torn between two different men in two different times. In Keto Diet, bestselling author Dr. Josh Axe sets the record straight, offering thorough, step-by-step guidance to achieving lifelong health. Generally, 150-200 words are more than enough for a full blurb." All Your Questions Answered! Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook itself. As witty as some expressions and idioms may seem, let’s face it, a lot of them are overused and the only response they elicit is an eye roll. The former government assassin follows a lead to Manila that he hopes will change his life. } The kind you’ve never made before. In this post, three publishing editors have shared their secret behind writing the best blurb for your novel. Scottish Highlands, 1945. It’s an industry standard and quite easy to implement. Find the perfect You want to tell readers enough about your plot for fiction, or lessons for nonfiction, such that they’ll want to know more. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. For ebooks and print books alike, try to stick to 100 – 250 words. Okay, folks, do you want to turn those fat and flabby expenses into a well-toned budget? When practiced correctly, it has been proven to burn fat, reduce inflammation, fight cancer, balance hormones and gut bacteria, improve neurological diseases, and even increase lifespan. saw her daily sales jump to 300 overnight, consult a professional in blurb optimization, Optimize your book's Amazon blurb (without having to keyword stuff). We read self-help books to help us get past problems in our lives, so show us that you know how to get us out of our ruts. “He's capitalizing on those potential keyword searches to make sure that they show up in his first paragraph, so he's gonna appear higher up in more Amazon searches.". But if we’re writing a blurb, we need to talk about the conflict that’s happening in the physical world of the story — which in this case is, ‘A guy wakes up as a bug.’”, Without consequences, a conflict lacks drama. The primary conflict is what drives your story. Writing a book blurb can be tough. To each genre their own, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to writing book blurbs. That’s why you want to write a book blurb that sells. You need to give readers an idea of your genre — and keywords like murder and former government assassin will let the reader know exactly what they’re in for.

2. Rather than tell them what’s inside your ebook in details that deem the book useless in the end, you can allude to all the possible gems they can find in the book that will make it hard for them to resist buying your ebook. When you’re done writing, write another one. Start with a hook. { Amazon’s algorithm is mysterious and ever-evolving, so it’s impossible to know exactly what level of keyword use is acceptable. “The opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic,” says editor Rebecca Heyman. If you're a writer working on a children’s book that you just can’t wait to share with the world, self-publishing can be a great route to take. Introduce your main character, establish the primary conflict, lay out the stakes and let fans of the genre see that this book is for them. Secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement. "@context": "https://schema.org", Start With An Intriguing Tagline. What is a Novella (and How to Write One): Tips from an Expert, 21 Memoir Examples to Inspire Your Own Memoir, How to Plan a Successful Book Launch in 6 Easy Steps, How to Plan a Novel: From Idea to First Draft in 7 Tips. Surely this is a place where the methods of ethos and logos, win over pathos. Perfect your first line “That's not to say that character arcs are not a critical part of what makes a plot dynamic, but they are certainly not going to hook most readers.”, “If we're talking about Kafka’s Metamorphosis, the story is just this big analogy for the human condition, where there's so much happening under the surface. Primary conflict: Charged with a crime he didn’t commit. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. The web is full of articles that in a nutshell say "Blurbs are important. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. "acceptedAnswer": { Thank you so much. “Your primary conflict has to exist in the physical world of your manuscript,” says Heyman. }] Which brings us to our final tip, give your blurb a plot. Let’s look at a few bestselling blurbs and see what we can learn from their successes. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. "description": "Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. The blurb is often referred to as a synopsis or simply book description. That's generally a mistake.”. You need to figure out what those people truly want. Make sure your marketing strategy covers all the major bases with this downloadable checklist. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. ", . It starts with the exposition, establishing expertise and success. "name": "Optimizing your blurb for Amazon",

Nicholas Sparks exquisitely chronicles the human heart. Share them in the comments below and tell us why you like them. Think of … Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. "image": "https://d2ybmm5cpznb3i.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/write-blurb-560x300.jpg", A well-tuned blurb won’t try to sell everybody on the book — it will help people who already want a book like yours see that it’s for them. Whether it’s for entertainment’s value or to learn more about a specific topic, there’s always a reason. With a challenge to women everywhere to stop talking themselves out of their dreams, Hollis identifies the excuses to let go of, the behaviors to adopt, and the skills to acquire on the path to growth, confidence, and believing in yourself. ", If you’re looking for book description templates, look no further. Whether your ebook provides training techniques and nutrition advice to lose weight in no time or get ripped fast, tell them now that it’s in your book. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Adding Style to the Blurb Start with an attention-grabbing hook for your opening sentences. "name": "4. Reedsy is more than just a blog. You may also want to consult a professional in blurb optimization, as they have the expertise needed to attract readers from the get-go — otherwise, it'll probably take you a few tries to get it right. "text": "The primary conflict is what drives your story. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . At its core, novels are a storytelling medium, and that means your blurb has to be about characters. The old plot diagram you studied in school, the same one in every feature film, is the rhythm we as consumers have grown accustomed to and the one we find most satisfying. And, unfortunately for him, Milton doesn’t remember a thing about the night before. behind at the scene of the crime, police sirens rapidly approaching. "@type": "HowToStep", "image": "https://d2ybmm5cpznb3i.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/write-blurb-560x300.jpg", Study the layout, the content, the word count. Note the popularity of the books as you search. Blog > Book Marketing, Perfecting your Craft – Posted on September 12, 2018. Why this blurb works This book is surely an enticing read for women who feel they’re either oppressed, constantly harassed or merely can’t speak up. How Long Is a Short Story? Writing a good ebook blurb can be easy once you get the hang of these ten tips. "text": "- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: This will often be an evocative tagline or a punchy story hook. “There is an element of penalization if they feel that the description is sort of spamming the system.”. Not unlike the life she recently lost. 1743. Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. Once you’ve started it’s not nearly as intimidating as it may have seemed at first. The organization is the same once again. Export multiple formats. It takes us straight into the world of the book before it throws us into the protagonist’s head. Remember that the main purpose of the blurb is to highlight the reasons why your readers should be reading your book right now rather than all that they can find inside the book. Amazon only displays the first few lines of your product description, which is why book marketing consultant Bree Weber emphasizes the importance of hooking the reader in with your blurb's first line: “You have a limited amount of real estate to capture someone's attention. Genre keywords: Passion, compulsion, torn between, shatter her heart. The book blurb presents the book as a solve-all book with the expertise and tools to guarantee you success. "name": "How to write a book blurb in 4 steps", "step": [{ accessible explanations of the science behind keto’s powerful effects. Primary conflict: Will she be able to untangle the mystery she’s become a part of? In some cases, one week can be enough time to determine which blurb works best for your ebook. And create it NOW, Make some damn money already. So if it shouldn’t set the stage for a reader who’s about to dive into your book, what should your blurb do? When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Notice the plot diagram at work, as the blurb begins with the exposition telling us about the characters and the setting. While a character’s compelling internal conflicts might turn out to be an aspect that reader enjoy once they read your novel, they make for terrible blurb-fodder. Subscribe today today for writing, publishing and marketings tips.

Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or To show your story’s full potential, the reader must be aware that something hangs in the balance for your characters. Don’t worry, in this article, we’ll walk you through the important points to keep in mind while writing your book’s blurb, as well as give you a simple blurb template that sells and some bestseller examples for different genres. Stakes: Will Theresa find romance and find her faith renewed? Uprising. ", She then gives the readers faith that she can help them and shows them the light at the end of the tunnel, that can only be attained by reading her book. How to Write a Synopsis Agents Will Notice, How to Self-Publish a Children’s Book: 6 Steps to a Magical Launch. How are you supposed to condense an entire novel into a few lines or paragraphs? “She’s even started to feel like she knows them”: by giving the reader her point-of-view, an attachment starts to form, and we’re more likely to care about her fate. Generally, 150-200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. Main character: Jack Reacher, former MP, drifter Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Your job is to figure out what said reasons or motivations are and highlight how your ebook will fulfill their needs. Main character: Claire Randall, a former Combat nurse, recently reunited with husband Inside is a letter of love and longing to "Catherine," signed simply "Garrett." “Amazon, like any search engine, is looking for quality content or authoritative content,” says Weber. home alone on Christmas, defending the house against incompetent burglars. Go ahead and start collecting your favorites, then hack out a bunch of sample blurbs. Without having to spell it out, we can tell that Jack Reacher is about to encounter some small-minded locals. Finally! Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. Send your book to the top of its category by using Amazon's recommendation system to your advantage. "text": "Without consequences, a conflict lacks drama. If you stick to this formula, you won’t go far wrong. Show the reader why this book is for them, Optimizing your blurb for Amazon and other online retailers, Read this: "How to write a novel's blurb in 4 steps".