Writing a Book Blurb

Writing back jacket copy (also called a blurb or marketing copy or book description) can give most writers a major headache. To write compelling blurbs, fiction writers need strong keywords, a great opening, along with a kickbutt last sentence "hook," and be able to instantly grab a readers attention within seconds. Not easy.

Besides having a professional-looking book cover and a catchy title for your novel, you need... 

AN AWESOME PRODUCT DESCRIPTION, WHICH IS THE #2 MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO SELL MORE BOOKS!

Consider how readers look for books. They browse through lists of novels, looking at the cover art and titles, and then the price and often the star rating. Then if those things have grabbed their interest, they scroll down the page and read the description. 

This is THE MOST CRITICAL point in the process for a potential reader. This is when they need to become intrigued or hooked into deciding that they must read this story. Otherwise, they click the back button and start looking for something else to read. And you’ve lost a sale, and possibly a long-time reader forever. So it’s crucial to have an appealing blurb for your book—one that’s compelling enough to entice a reader into buying your work. 

Let me stress—great blurbs sell books! 

Blurbs are one of the most important selling tools a fiction writer has for their work, because an author wants it to grab the reader's attention. 

Superb back jacket copy never explains every characters background, every plot twist, or pinch-point of your story. Professional copywriters like myself know that effective promotional copy harmonizes with a storyline and doesn’t exaggerate or minimize what readers will find inside.

Writing a novel is an artistic talent, but if you plan to self-publish, then it becomes the business of selling that art.  

When you are marketing your book, you need a strong blurb with active advertising. Study other blurbs in your genre and get a feel for creating marketing copy.

It is a good idea to use a trope or cliche in your book description. In all of the marketing courses that I've taken and the advice I've gotten from bestselling authors (especially in the romance genres) tropes and clichés are acceptable in blurbs. Readers are used to tropes because they are familiar and they are like the touchstones that readers can easily relate with. Tropes are universal identifiers when it comes to stories.  Need help drafting a book description? Start reading THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO AMAZING BOOK BLURBS and start selling more books with 6 weeks!

 

  

BLURB WRITING SERVICES:

Blurbs are one of the most important selling tools a fiction writer has for their work, because an author wants it to grab the reader's attention. 

Superb back jacket copy never explains every characters background, every plot twist, or pinch-point of your story. Promotional book descriptions should harmonize with a storyline and never exaggerate or minimize what readers will find inside.

Writing a novel is an artistic talent, but if you plan to self-publish, then it becomes the business of selling that art.  

When you are marketing your book, you need a strong blurb with active advertising.

 

I offer book description rewrites, or I can write an original draft. I have been in the publishing business for over 15 years, and I seem to have a knack for creating strong book blurbs. If you need help, please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Rewriting a blurb, which includes html code to help it look more professional: $75

To write an original blurb, which includes html code to help it look more professional: $125

 

If you want to start selling more books, EMAIL ME 

12 Surefire Tips on Writing Great Marketing Copy - Book Blurb 101

If you plan to self-publish, it’s crucial to know how to create an appealing blurb for your book—one that’s compelling enough to entice a reader into buying your novel. 

Blurbs (or called back jacket copy or marketing copy) are used in the back jacket copy of paperback novels and on the book's product page. Basically, it is the beguiling description of your novel used to entice readers into, well, reading your work.

This is marketing copy, not a synopsis. Keep it brief. Keep it interesting. Keep it engaging. Don’t bog it down with too many details about the plot or subplot. Use persuasive and strong nouns, adverbs, and verbs to describe your novel. (If you're querying an agent or publisher, then you need to slightly restructure your pitch, but it is basically the same method described in this post. And in your synopsis, I suggest that writers clearly define every plot point and reveal the ending.)

A book blurb is supposed to be about 200 words or less. Sure, I have read some that were as long as 300 words, but a writer only has a few seconds to attract a potential reader. Length matters. So “short and sweet” is usually best when writing marketing copy. Learn to trim down until only the story's heart remains.

Strive for quality—not quantity. Superb back jacket copy never explains every characters background, every plot twist, or pinch-point of your storyline. Write a blurb that is descriptive, but not all-inclusive. Think tempting, but not embellished. 

Professional copywriters know that effective promotional copy harmonizes with a storyline and doesn’t exaggerate or minimize what readers will find inside. 

Don’t assault the reader with a dense block of text. White space is your friend even in blurb writing. Remember that readers usually skim the text unless it's so gripping that they don't bother finishing it because they're already clicking the "buy button."

One way to get a better understanding of good promotional copy is to read the blurbs of other published novels in your genre. Visit a library, bookstore, or search online at places like Goodreads to read blurbs. Whenever you find a blurb that really grabs your attention, see if it gives you some ideas for your own book description. 

Once you have a few blurbs written down that you like, find a critique partner to help you polish it. Or ask a friend or writing buddy, who’s familiar with your premise, and have them write a brief summary of your novel, noting the detailed plot points they enjoyed. This is an excellent way to gain an invaluable assessment of your storyline.

Another excellent way to help you write a blurb is to excerpt your own work. Try this, comb through your entire manuscript searching for paragraphs or phrases to quote. This method can be very effective if you find a strong passage that can be taken out of context and still make sense. 

If you’re trying to summarize your work into 200 enticing words, I suggest reading the marketing copy of other work. Start reading a ton of book jackets, video game summaries, and DVD boxes. If you’re writing creepy horror, it helps to read the blurbs of scary stories. Study book blurbs, video game cases, and DVD boxes in the genre that you're writing, then mimic. It will help inspire you because the blurb (marketing copy) is meant to entice readers. 

Keep this mind while drafting the blurb, "Conflict is the fuel that excites most readers." 

I spend a lot of time revising and tweaking my own blurbs. I go over and over them until my head hurts. Writing a good blurb with a great “hook” isn’t easy, but it is essential to a self-published author if they want readers to take a chance with their time and money on their book. It is important to create a blurb so amazing and catchy that who wouldn’t want to read this story?

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1) Strive to keep each paragraph at 50 words or less. 

2) The tagline should be one or two short sentences and try to keep it under 15 words. 

3) The total word count (not counting the tagline) should be 200 words or less.

4) The initial GMC should be mentioned in the blurb.

5) As long as each subject is mentioned in the blurb, it can be placed anywhere. Depending on the genre, for example the external goal can be mentioned in the third paragraph or the setting can be stated in the tagline. 

6) The "hook" at the end should be enticing enough to lure the reader into wanting to find out more by either buying the book or reading the excerpt. (or both!)

7) All great plots need some conflict and tension. Make sure you include hints at those in the blurb. 

8) Powerful verbs and nouns should be used. Make every word count by choosing each one carefully.

9) It is okay to use cliches that reflect the genre or tropes that will resonate with readers. 

10) Study other blurbs in the genre that your book is written in to gain insight into revising your own marketing copy.

11) Always use a character's full name (first and last) when first mentioned in the blurb. 

12) Characters need human flaws, a weakness to make them realistic and cause the reader to feel empathy. Try to add a hint at the characters "fatal flaw" or character ARC within the blurb to create likability, too.

Still stuck? Read, "Gotta Read It!: Five Simple Steps to a Fiction Pitch that Sells" on writing book descriptions / book blurbs for more great tips.

Please read these awesome posts on writing a better blurb, which should really help as you revise your own with a more successful “hook”:

How to Write a Great Blurb

Better Book Blurb Copywriting for Fiction

SELF PUBLISHING AN EBOOK - Writing A Catchy Book Blurb

5 Tips for Writing a Compelling Book Blurb by Amy Wilkins

5 Ways a Bad Back Cover Blurb Can Kill a Good Book

How to Write a Brilliant Blurb for Your Book

Gotcha Blurbs: Easy and Fun To Write

How to Write a Blurb (Back Cover Copy)

Are you having a difficult time writing a Book Blurb? You're not alone

How to write a Book Cover Blurb

The 5 core elements of a book blurb (and why you should know them)

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How long does it take you to write a book blurb? What methods do you use to create a strong "hook"? 

If you have questions, or need further help, please leave a comment.

Proven Marketing Tips to Increase Sales on a Backlist

Recommended reading to help indie authors sell more books:"Relaunch Your Novel: Breathe Life Into Your Backlist"

Have you launched a novel, or many novels, only to have them land with a whimper? 

Have you had a great selling book or series slowly fade away to obscurity? 

What if you could relaunch those books, turning your backlist into a great source of income?

You can. This book will teach you:
- How to analyze your previous launches to determine failure points
- How to turn your backlist into an automated system that feeds readers back into your other books
- What types of relaunches exist, and which is right for your book.
- How other authors have successfully relaunched. What worked, and what didn’t.
- How to use keywords to successfully attract your target readership, including using keywords in your title
- How your book cover can negatively impact sells
 

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This guide is great to read even if you haven't published a book yet. The advice in this book helped me to increase my own book sales and revive my backlist.

Actually, I recommend reading all of Chris Fox's informative writing and marketing guides. :-)