Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. How to write a blurb to sell your book writing tips. She moved to florida, and is too busy to host a weekly book blurb. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. A sample letter for writers requesting a book endorsement. Show focuses on creative writing, and last week we were introduced to the joy of f. Radio page, and invite its author on their show a week later for a live pitch to thousands of. Here are some of the reasons you might need to write a book blurb. I have seen nonfiction blurbs that are more about the author than the content of the book and i have seen fiction blurbs that are a synopsis of the story and even tell the reader the ending.
All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. Its a great read and thats saying a lot, since i dont read romance novels. Yet, simple though it seems, many writers have difficulty writing a bio blurb that does not have the side effect of producing heavy drowsiness. Twilight writer stephenie meyer wants matt damon for host movie, mtv movie news. Click on the hyperlinked number crossreference with our list here. The host is a science fiction romance novel by stephenie meyer. But if they succeed, they capture the coveted book of the week title. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book. However, there are a few things i wish i had known before undertaking this project, as it would have saved me some time and effort. Think of the book as the tip of the selfpublishing iceberg, and the gateway to a host of websites recommended by one of the foremost experts in the field.
Also, just to note, this book should have come out last year, and it still doesnt have a a proper blurb, b a cover, or c a reliable author. Kent post the winning work prominently on the blurb. Top tips for new writers advice on writing a series the writers toolkit selling books internationally how to pitch to book bloggers your author business plan self publishing best practices how to host a book tasting youtube for authors how to write a killer book blurb openings and endings pov backstory plotting. However, if you do not wish to publish the book on blurb, the best option is to link amazon kindle store to the existing account. Her first romance novel, love built to last, just came out as an audio book. A great deal of the text, and there is a lot of text, is by writers and illustrators who share their personal histories. Beautiful portraits of writers and artists that will make a wonderful gift.
Radio online radio by drx kent x sally blogtalkradio. Pure textuality pr now offers blurb writing services for authors. Print as you go sell one copy at a time and let blurb fulfill the orders or place a large order and sell inperson. For all intents and purposes, your publisher has written this. Beth bacon, an awardwinning author and marketer, suggests this formula for writing a fiction book blurb. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Six writers tell all about covers and blurbs the awl.
When i read, i desecrate the books perfect pages with my highlighter and pen, so it. Ill probably be 30 by the time this book finally gets written. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a books contents. Once youve taken in all of the above and gotten a feel for the promise you want to make to the reader, use the outlines below to write your book cover blurb. A blogger asked for the book blurb and i didnt have one. Aimed at selfpublished authors, blurbings llc traffics in blurbs, the. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. How to get book blurbs, endorsements, and testimonials. Read this book blurb carefully the writers map is an atlas of the journeys that our most creative storytellers have made throughout their lives. A few weeks later, the writer wrote back with unfortunate news. There is nothing worse than showing up to a book club having not read the book, except maybe showing up and being the only one who finished it.
How to write a blurb to sell your book writing tips pen and parent. A blurb from an author whose work i dislike can make me leave the book on the shelf. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. Writing book blurbs and synopses by rayne hall is available as a kindle ebook and in paperback. Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or. A new company recently emerged on the publishing scene, offering writers the chance to buy and sell book endorsements. Before you write a letter to an author requesting a quote, endorsement, or blurb for your book, take a look at our sample letter shown below. 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. I appreciated the helpful tips that covered both fictional and nonfiction writing. Take one genre, two combative critics, five authors angling to break out of the pack and what have you got. The character development and plot, as others have mentioned, do move slowly at first.
It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the blurb is what is going to make the difference between a missed opportunity and a sale. How to write a great nonfiction book blurb from polly letofsky of my word publishing. 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. I finished reading write and revise for publication, by jack smith, a week or so ago.
The book is about earth, in a post apocalyptic time, being invaded by a parasitic alien race, known as souls, and follows one souls predicament when the consciousness of her human host refuses to give up her body. Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something you know insideandout can seem downright impossible. Malcolm gladwell hands out book blurbs like santa does presents malcolm gladwell, the bestselling author of the tipping point, and some of the book covers that feature his blurbs. Its interesting to see the different directions writers take, given the same photo. How to get great blurbs rocky mountain fiction writers. We are very happy with the resulting book from our recent experience with blurb. Each blurb includes keywords pertinent to your book to hook both the reader and search engines.
Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. Find a wide selection of books and buy the one that speaks to you. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either. Get access to exclusive email offers when you join the blurb bookmaking community. How to start a book club that doesnt suck book riot. Make it clear to your guests which kind youve planned.
If youve been an author for any length of time, youve probably learned the pure, untamed agony that is writing a blurb to now sell it to potential. This is because writers dont really understand what a blurb is meant to do. When its good, the novel works well, and will appeal to fans of the authors hugely bestselling. For more bookcentric book clubs, plan out how you will discuss the book. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. A blurb from an author i admire might seduce me into buying the book. Malcolm gladwell hands out book blurbs like santa does. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Copywriting is a completely different skillset to creating fiction, and im here to help you get that blurb in tiptop shape. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well. Blurb writers thank you to the following people who contributed at least one blurb to our supchina book list. She enjoys hearing from you, sharing ideas, forging friendships, and exchanging guest blogs. Lisa ricard claro was the original creator of this writing challenge.
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. Ideally this is someone in your genre whose word carries clout with your potential audience. Top websites to publish and put up your ebooks for free. But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb. We supply you with a catchy 150200 word count blurb and an accompanying tagline optional. That said, the book itself is only a starting point, with lots of helpful links to outside websites for more information. Simply, a blurb is a short written statement of approval and support for your book from an influencer. The idea is to come up with a sentence or two that describes your novel in a way thats simple, clear, and irresistible. It is fair to say that with the host, her latest novel, she has once again managed to break the usual genre conventions this time writing a science fiction novel for. The aliens in meyers the host are contradictory critters. The book will be published in insert timeline when you plan to publish your book so i would need your blurb before insert blurb delivery deadline date in order to put it on the back cover. Youve written your book, but now you have to publish it and kdp has a box that you dread. Screenwriter and teacher blake snyder describes this method for coming up with loglines for film ideas in his popular screenwriting book save the cat. So there are 1,000 photos id have to skim through while also looking back at my blog posts to see which photos go to which post.
Im a huge fan of stephenie meyer, shes one of the authors that made me want to start writing. And each has got a mere three minutes to convince the hosts that theirs is the one worth cracking. There is just a big difference between writing a book and writing an effective blurb. In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. Reference your bookwriting or professional status, if it relates to your book. Reviewing our example will help you write your own book cover quote requestbut dont copy this sample letter word for word. Check out these writing tips to crafting an irresistible book blurb that sells your book fast. Sell your book in the blurb bookstore, through amazon, or in the global retail network of over 38,000 retailers, libraries, and schools. Writing and the benefit of setting goals and creative intentions that can motivate you to achieve meaningful interactions with your readers, or other authors. If youd like for me to read the entire book instead of just. The last step is to upload your book to blurb so that we can print it or create a digital version for you. For most writers, writing short stories can help you on your path to being a better writer. Are you looking for the secret to how to write a book blurb. If she ever writes it, it will be just to get more money from the movie deals she will get.
Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. These may be used for an interview, a book jacket, or even an event program in which you are a presenter. Many authors find that one of the hardest parts of writing a book, is cramming their 80,000word novel into a descriptive 250word blurb. I found the book full of useful, educational, and thought provoking information. I can see why she was able to become such a popular author since she undoubtedly has a gift for keeping a readers interest and for putting you squarely in the. Her clients have appeared on the oprah winfrey show, cbs early show, the montel williams show, cnn, fox news, new morning and much more. Have you tried these other alternatives to kindle publishing to host your ebooks. So what exactly is an endorsement or blurb and how do you go about getting them. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. I picked up and put down the book several times waiting for it to really get going. Your potential reader needs to know with a quick skim. 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. Blurb writer creates book descriptions, author bios, and other short promo for indie authors, selfpublished authors, small press publishers, or anyone else who needs. Here are a few of the things i learnt from my experiences in preparing my first photo book using blurbs booksmart software.
It tells you more about this book than perhaps the publisher intended. The editorcopywriter producing the blurb will be an experienced professional with many years of experience in editing and the writing skill to put together good copy for your work or an experienced copy writer. I just got around tossing together the collage and offering my two cents obviously. Australian writers tell the truth about perinatal anxiety and depression in poetry, fiction and essay.
Write a catchy poetry book blurb by authoreva fiverr. This is a good spot for you to proofread your book page by page. The aim of my work is to be clear, compassionate and honest. The blurber would not be able to blurb the book after all.