For example, romance books often include a dual perspective in the blurb. Dec 17, 2015 malcolm gladwell, the bestselling author of the tipping point, and some of the book covers that feature his blurbs. 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. My friend ken, who also got me addicted to audio books, and chick lit, loaned me his copy. Examples of good fiction book blurbs writing rights. Rockefeller preserve in grand teton national park megaregion projections 2015 to 2045 with transportation policy implications road user.
Entwined by heather dixon wallwork, the near witch by victoria schwab, the iron daughter by julie kagawa, eve by anna care. For a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the book. Read the back cover copy of the most popular authors in your genre to see examples of how to entice readers without giving away the entire plot. Because bookwright is built with the latest technology, it runs smoother and faster, and incorporates new features that are not available in booksmart. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. May 07, 20 here are some basic rules of book blurbs courtesy of createspace.
If your blurb is for a novel, it should promise a good read. Plus a selection of other morgan club newsletters and some decorations i think my morgan will wear to the picnic on the 14th. Writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. 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. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Youve written your book, but now you have to publish it and kdp has a box that you dread. Writing awesome book blurbs a modern indie authors guide kindle edition by terra, evo, moriarty, jeff, conlin, karen. 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.
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. The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. Mar 06, 2012 its the perennial question of whether the blurbs on book covers are still meaningful or have become just background noise. Next time youre at the library or in a book store, take a look at the back cover blurbs. Levine the evil, bucktoothed donkey is hilarious in david e. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. Copywriting is a completely different skillset to creating fiction, and im here to help you get that blurb in tiptop shape. 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. Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something you know insideandout can seem downright impossible. Booksmart was our first book making tool, launched in 2007. Nov 17, 2011 ive done a lot of thinking over the last few months about book blurbs. Art posts must be formatted as title by creator, usernames are ok. Malcolm gladwell hands out book blurbs like santa does. Oct 28, 2009 a blurb is a brief summary of your life and work experience.
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. While in bookwright, navigate to distribution assign a free isbn. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book. One of the shortest is the author blurb, the two or three descriptive lines at the end of a published work. Her clients have appeared on the oprah winfrey show, cbs early show, the montel williams show, cnn, fox news, new morning and much more. A blurb is a brief summary of your life and work experience. Shelfies, hauls, etc may be posted in the monthly show and tell post which occurs on the 7th of each month. Originally mocking excessive praise printed on book. 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. But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb.
I feel like we have to promote ourselves, he said of. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book. Popular great blurbs books meet your next favorite book. 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. No book of this brevity can live up to all the claims of its blurb. Mar 09, 2016 depending on the level of involvement by the publisher, usually someone else in that company other than the author. Mar 19, 2018 erika jayne may give some fks about her new memoir the real housewives of beverly hills star is getting candid in her wild new memoir, pretty messand weve got some of the juiciest moments. Then theres the blurb which is only other writers praising the book. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me.
We dont offer free books or free paper samples but you can view our paper and book customization options by doing one of the following. Using the blurb book creator in indesign, you can obtain a free isbn by checking the isbn box. Detailing every character and plot twist is unnecessary and can be overwhelming to the buyer. Fantasy book blurbs summary or tease, which do you prefer. A book blurb is there to entice a purchase, not to justify a lifelong career or calling. You want to try to attract the attention of your future employer. I mean, if you believed them then youd think every book published is. Oct 21, 2019 sample books and paper samples we dont offer free books or free paper samples but you can view our paper and book customization options by doing one of the following. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. Levines if you give a donkey the white house, described as a fresh, entertaining political satire of the infinite haplessness of the government. After all, kindle singles are doing just fine without covers and. The back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft.
Abstract the purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary approach to the study of blurbs, brief texts traditionally displayed on bookcovers, and nowadays also on the internet, which provide. By day, clumsy panda po works faithfully in his familys noodle shop, but by night he dreams of becoming a true master of the martial arts. Purchase a swatch kit that contains samples of all the different blurb. It typically serves as the foundation for your online book descriptions, as well as any press releases or pitches you make to the media. When it comes to the book description, the only thing that matters is the main plot or main theme.
Here are the top ten tips we believe to be the most essential to crafting a book description that sells. Abstract the purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary approach to the study of blurbs. Its the essence of your books most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. Fantasy book blurbs summary or tease, which do you. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. From cambridge english corpus their synergy with other paratextual elements blurb, preface and dedication should be.
Purchase a swatch kit that contains samples of all the different blurb papers with photos and text printed on them. Apr 28, 2016 the back cover copy you write for your book is among the most important marketing messages youll craft. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. Author bios tell about a writer, his work, his professional experience andor personal background. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading writing awesome book blurbs. Its the essence of your book s most exciting features, distilled into a few hundred words. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Buy 101 writers short blurb examples by cope, quentin isbn.
Blurb definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Oct 16, 2014 blurbs are like poetry every word matters. Here is the logo that graced the cover of the inestimable blurb back in the 80s. Bookwright is our latest and greatest book making app for designing and selfpublishing print and ebooks on your mac or pc. Evaluation of vehicle parking queueing in a national park. Dec 24, 2009 do these blurbs many of which could be transferred from book to book without great difficulty actually sway readers. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book. Its the perennial question of whether the blurbs on book covers are still meaningful or have become just. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. The blurb is often referred to as a synopsis or simply book description. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites.
If your blurb is for nonfiction or selfhelp, it should appeal to the readers selfinterest. A novel by carl reiner meet your next favorite book. Whats the difference between bookwright and booksmart. Back cover copy is the blurb on the back of a book. I feel like we have to promote ourselves, he said of endorsing. Thats not to say the blurb is an actual spoiler, but that the blurb hits all the same notes as usual and leaves very little to the imagination a jointhedots blurb that is so obvious the ending might as well be on the back. The first thing you should do is look at successful books in your genre and read the blurbs. Do not post memes or photos of booksbook shelvesbook haulsplaces that make you think of a particular book. Writing awesome book blurbs a modern indie authors guide.
Malcolm gladwell, the bestselling author of the tipping point, and some of the book covers that feature his blurbs. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. Find the latest book blurbs news, videos and more from consequence of sound, your goto place for music, film, and tv news. Please type your blurb in ms or open office word, print it, and bring it to class on thursday. The curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still. How to write a blurb back cover copy marilynn byerly. How to write an author bio short ramona defelice long. You must make your selfdescription blurb as interesting as possible. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading writing awesome book blurbs a modern indie authors guide. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. But clive barkers books were something new and exciting in horror. In the twentyfirst century the most important aspect of getting any point across is the use of the internet, and particularly social media. Sep 27, 2015 the curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still around those snippets of praise on book covers have been around for over 150 years at least. Nnnnn by carl reiner is a short piece of metafiction that in audio form, is read by the author. 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. Blog to book eventually settles into the standard blurb bookmaking software routine, where you can move content, swap around images, play with facing pages, choose.
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. 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. The job of a book blurb is to whet the readers appetite to buyread the entire book. Here are some basic rules of book blurbs courtesy of createspace. For a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the book s universe before the beginning of the actual story. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Copywriting is a completely different skillset to creating fiction, and im here to help you get that blurb.
643 1400 312 148 972 1315 845 337 1142 1522 1345 528 1501 467 62 855 935 384 102 232 732 1224 32 249 37 600 303 693 239 182 998 255 1392