Here are a few tips for crafting killer blurbs that will capture attention and sell more books. Whereas novels focus on creating intrigue and use blurbs that attempt to lure in the reader, blurbs for nonfiction books need to take a different approach. The heart of darkness by joseph conrad i had to wait in the station for ten days an eternity. But thats rarely the best strategy for authors who dont already have an. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. Use language that reflects the toneemotion of your novelcompilation. September 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich.
I try to give my blurbs a funny, smart, sexy, tender vibe, because i think i hope that matches the books. Name your main characters in your back cover blurb. Why you should ignore the superlatives on book jackets books. After the book title and front cover, the back cover is the next thing readers look at when deciding whether to make a purchase. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. Examples of good fiction book blurbs writing rights. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. When he says her eyes make the stars look like they arent shining, this is an exaggeration. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. Entwined by heather dixon wallwork, the near witch by victoria schwab, the iron daughter by julie kagawa, eve by anna care.
The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Bruno mars song, just the way you are has some examples of hyperbole. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. 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. Purchase a swatch kit that contains samples of all the different blurb papers with photos and text printed on them. The hyperbole has always been a rather useful literary device in the arsenal of most song writers. Make it easy for them to choose your book over the one next to it. The back cover of your book is prime real estate for promoting your book. An unconscious response to the quote on the back cover pictured above. Indie authors often say that writing the blurb for the back cover of. Secondly, introducing the protagonist in a way that creates intrigue without delving into details.
These 10 examples of hyperbole in literature show this literary tool being used to great, expressive effect. Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending. A strong, descriptive blurb is easily one of the most important and powerful selling tools for your book. The book strives for balance in covering what has become contested territory, but at times a tendency towards hyperbole has the opposite effect.
Blurbs are recommendations that go on the cover and sometimes the inside pages of your book. The passage on the back cover of a book is called a blurb. These may be used for an interview, a book jacket, or even an event program in which you are a presenter. However, many self published authors treat it like the hellstrip in front of their house between the sidewalk and a busy street. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. How to write a back cover blurb for a nonfiction book. How back cover blurbs for novels are similar to back cover copy for compilations. So getting back to my use of the word relationship you get a blurb for a book of poetry by asking poets that you know and respect to read the proofs of your manuscript and write something complimentary about it, along the lines of what they think your poetry is.
In addition to the example provided in lesson one of a wellwritten book blurb, im including a few examples from bestselling memoirs which have their blurbs perfected. Heres how to get blurbs for your poetry collection. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book. 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. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest.
Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. Nonfiction readers might be a little more willing to work for it than fiction readers, but only a little. Here are some tips on what you can do to boost a books sales with its blurb. Your book blurb is just as important as your book cover and title.
Dont neglect the ohsosubtle art of hyperbole in describing your story. Book cover blurb examples from good nonfiction books. 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. In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page. Firstly, highlighting your success in the bookwriting world. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. If your book is scary than you must include elements of horror, if your book is romantic make the reader care about your characters. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is the opposite of understatement and is derived from a greek word which means excess. Write it in your voice, the same voice in which the book is written. The backcover copy also functions as the primary ad for your book.
In this melodyful post, weve rounded up a list of 10 popular songs with a hyperbole in the lyrics. Examples of good fiction book blurbs 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. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Hyperboles are commonly used in writing, but they are also frequently used in everyday language. This person has no intention of literally eating a horse but is trying to figuratively communicate his hunger using a hyperbole for effect see literally vs. How to write a romance blurb blog author rosalind james. Alliteration onomatopoeia metaphor simile hyperbole. Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook itself. Here of some examples of hyperboles in advertising. She one made a rabblerousing speech in the house of commons from notes on the back of a grubby envelope, which she keeps as a souvenir. 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. Writers sometimes use overstatement phrases with their works to add art and emotions. If you look at my books, you can tell from the blurbs, i hope, that some books will be funnier than others. How do you write an amazing summary of your story aka a book blurb or synopsis this is specifically for fiction writers who have a great book and.
But it is the single most important piece of writing you will do on your book. If youve ever bought a book on impulse, it was probably due at least in part to the blurb on the back or the sales copy on the website. Almost everyone reads the blurb before they decide. Shouldnt the back of a book just have a short summary. Or even examples of blurbs that do anything but entice the reader. Movie critics may try to write for the ages, but what theyre often writing is next weeks ad and videobox copy. Read their blurbs and select some of the ones that got you really interested in the book.
The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. Analysis of back cover books blurbs in english lecturer. Kdp print and ingramspark require you to upload a front cover, spine, and back cover. Kids see advertisements all the time and many contain hyperboles. How to build the back of a book cover with template.
Your back ofthe book blurb is the second thing a potential buyer looks at after your front cover. The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book blurb blog. Blurbs are those few paragraphs that tell you what the book s about and give you a compelling reason to buy. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Adds amazing luster for infinite, mirrorlike shine brilliant brunette shampoo it doesnt get better than this.
While theres no perfect formula for writing the best blurb for your novel, there are some patterns worth noting. Secondly, introducing the protagonist in a way that. What are some examples of hyperbole in the hunger games. Examples of idioms dont rock the boatdo not cause problemsgoing out on a limbtaking a risk hit the roadleave hit the haysackyou are going to go to sleep im all earsready to listen lend someone a handhelp someone out that is over herhis headthey dont understand penny pinchersomeone who does not spend a lot of money and likes to buy things cheap. From cambridge english corpus such techniques as punning, oxymoron, and hyperbole are employed by admen to lure customers for their clients. The exaggeration in parkers back by flannery oconnor. An interesting aspect of back cover book blurbs is the kind of linguistic features. If your work is funny then the back cover should be humorous. Fred johnson of standout books helps you make your book blurb stand out. Dont worry, in this article, well 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. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. Words like never before, incredible, unimaginable and.
Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. How to write a nonfiction book cover blurb that sells. A feast for the mind gets boiled down to a phrase garnished with exclamation. Once you are happy with your blurb, let it rest for a day or so before you look at it again. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office. Hyperbole definition in the cambridge english dictionary. A book blurb also called a back cover blurb or a book description is a short description of the book s main character and conflict, usually between 100 and 200 words, that traditionally is included on the inside cover or on the back of a book. They may or may not help sell some readers on your book, but theyre a publishing convention.
With thousands of books published every day, you need to capture attention quickly and make sure they have enough information within a few seconds to want to buy your book. Youre setting the expectation for the book in the blurb, so make sure that your themes, ideas, and issues match. The crying of pinocchio all night until his tears became dry is an example of hyperbole. Look at samples go to amazon and click on the bestsellers in your genre. How to write a killer book synopsis aka back blurb or. And its something that in my experience takes some timeas you have to distill quite a few elements to make a sparkling blurb cocktail. Back cover copy is the blurb on the back of a book. Not only will it appear on the book itself, but youll probably use it. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. How to get blurbs for your poetry collection writers digest. However, these exaggerations should not be taken literally as they only use it to add effects on facts and for the sake of emphasis. How to write a nonfiction book cover blurb that sells thgm writers.
691 542 722 1020 674 639 1393 1502 1249 73 1025 940 452 710 467 1137 1179 58 1071 95 266 204 894 1165 1280 1120 264 1290 1284 128 1063 1135