Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. No doubt, for your book, having an intriguing blurb is as important as having a great cover, an intriguing title and your story professionally edited thats why, if youre serious about your writing, you should devote a bit of time to learn how to write a blurb in fact, if the cover, well, the thumbnail version of it, is essential to catch a perspective readers eye, then its. Your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. There are endless examples as near as your local library or bookstore online or other. With more than one million copies sold in germany and rights snapped up in twentyseven countries, wetlands is the sexually and anatomically explicit novel that is changing the conversation about female identity and sexuality around the world. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Before we get into why most authors hate writing their back book cover blurb, lets clarify what it actually is. In sextons blurb, one cant help but hear an additional echo of plaths the blood jet is poetry. I used this guide this week to write a blurb for a client and it worked a charm. Just like in kenpo where we regularly practice punching and kicking, it never hurts to shore up the basic skills of writing. On back covers of books there is usually a summary which attempts to get the reader interested. Being able to write a good blurb for your book is an important skill to have, whether its for your website, a query to an editor or agent, or for your selfpublishing book. Before writing your back book blurb, choose 35 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities.
Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. Our experienced copyteam will write a blurb that showcases your books best elements. Nonfiction explains what wetlands are like, looks at the plants that define wetlands, discusses the types of animals that make their homes in wetlands, and includes information on why wetlands are important and what is being done to save them. Please type your blurb in ms or open office word, print it, and bring it to class on thursday.
To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. See more ideas about writing, writing a book, nonfiction books. Sep 01, 2017 pure textuality pr now offers blurb writing services for authors. It was published in english as wetlands by grove press in april 2009. Charlotte roches controversial debut novel is the story of helen memel, an outspoken, sexually precocious eighteenyearold lying in a hospital bed as she recovers from an operation. Reference your bookwriting or professional status, if it relates to your book. Well be using the blurb from dan browns the da vinci code as an example to highlight our tips. Helen memel is an outspoken eighteenyearold, whose childlike stubbornness is offset by a precocious sexual confidence. In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page. In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps.
A blurb is a brief summary of your life and work experience. Whats the difference between book blurb and synopsis. Charlotte roches controversial debut novel is the story of helen memel, an outspoken, sexually precocious eighteenyearold lying in a hospital bed as. Wetlands by charlotte rocheits not as shocking as charlotte roche thinks, finds sophie harrison. Oct 04, 20 an easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. The first thing to think about is what a blurb is supposed. You should have the following goals and ideas in mind. To help prevent you from falling into this unfortunate group, weve put together a few tips that should help you write a winning book blurb, whether its for the latest fantasy novel or for a nonfiction selfhelp guide. Blurb definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Ask the class if they know why blurbs are written for book covers.
A shamefree plan for embracing and achieving your goals by rachel hollis. It can be a daunting task, so heres pins giving you a step by step approach for creating your fiction or nonfiction book blurb. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry book s overall success and reputation. Sep 25, 2016 a simple outline for writing a killer book blurb september 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich in my last post, i mentioned that ive been working on a novella and shared some reasons why you should write one of your own. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well.
With her jaunty dissection of the sex life and the private grooming habits of the novels 18yearold narrator, helen memel, charlotte roche has turned the p. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. Send me the first 3 5 chapters of your finished manuscript up to 5,000 words. This is a guest post by the talented author and editor, kelly exeter of level up your writing. How to write a killer book synopsis aka back blurb or summary duration. Charlotte roches novel feuchtgebiete created a minor literary. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. You must make your selfdescription blurb as interesting as possible.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading writing book blurbs and synopses. We supply you with a catchy 150200 word count blurb and an accompanying tagline optional. With more than one million copies sold in germany and rights snapped up i. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. 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. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. Jerz writing etextblurbs are brief summaries of what a reader will find on the other end of a hyperlink. Browse writing topics to find helpful tips and resources. Written with pervy poise, this tongueincheek polemic wrestles with any. All about the blurb worksheet worksheetirish, worksheet. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. How to write a great nonfiction book blurb from polly letofsky of my word publishing. Find wetland images by philip coldwell at blurb books.
I especially like the one about staying true to your genre. Are american readers ready to embrace the naughtiness. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb september 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich in my last post, i mentioned that ive been working on a novella and shared some reasons why you should write one of your own. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. You know, the ones that readers use to choose the book they want to read next or throw on the pile beside the bed where, among the.
Steps to writing your own back book blurb and back cover. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. Think about suspense, drama, and questions when you are writing a blurb for your book. Copywriting is a completely different skillset to creating fiction, and im here to help you get that blurb in tiptop shape. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Apr 28, 2017 5 reasons why writing a book blurb is freaking hard duration. Tips on blurb writing heres an article with good writing advice on book blurbs. Oct 28, 2009 a blurb is a brief summary of your life and work experience.
Fiction or nonfiction basic blurb cover copyproduct description for fiction or nonfiction extended product description. Introduce your main character s at its core, novels are a storytelling medium. On taking up writing it had not once occurred to me that one of the tasks of being a writer might be to come up with those concise, quippy phrases on the covers of books. Wetlands by charlotte roche paperback harpercollins. Then, write 12 additional sentences that explain the plot of the story in a general way. A useful worksheet to help your children understand book blurbs and help them write their own. It has since been honed to within an inch of its life and i am really pleased with the result. Every writer needs to claim a bit of territory, and assholes are there for the grabbing. The blurbery revisited writing a book blurb eric lahti. You want to try to attract the attention of your future employer.
Charlotte roche appears to be singlehandedly making up for this lack in her novel wetlands. Introduce the situation and characters in the case of a memoir, you are likely to be the main character. Jun 01, 2015 the occult art of the poetry book blurb on taking up writing it had not once occurred to me that one of the tasks of being a writer might be to come up with those concise, quippy phrases on the covers of books. For all intents and purposes, your publisher has written this. Blurb writing is not my forte, but this book offered a clear insight and some useful steps that i was able to work with to produce a good pass at my first blurb. 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. Pure textuality pr now offers blurb writing services for authors. Profoundly unsettling rowan pelling, daily mail if you ever wondered.
When you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. Writing it out fortunately for the fiction writers out there, writing a book blurb for a memoir is incredibly similar to writing a description for a fictional story. How to write a killer book synopsis aka back blurb or summary. 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. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb. So, the simple difference is that a book blurb should not contain the conclusion because it is your books sales pitch, while a synopsis is a 200word version of the book itself. Dumont schauberg and was the worlds bestselling novel in march 2008.
Fixedlayout ebooks are built seamlessly as you design the book, so no additional steps needed. Thanks to my copywriting experience, i aim to make blurb creation as painless as possible. Partly autobiographical, it was first published in german in 2008 by m. The fee for the blurbwriting service is calculated in relation to the length of the manuscript. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so.
The blurb should be in the same style as the rest of the book, for example. Today were going to provide a list of tips to help you write your blurb. Bookwright allows you to create an ebook and a print book, all from one file. It matters not only what a blurb actually says but who said it and when. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. The fussy librarian beth bacon on book blurb writing.
Ive written a couple posts on writing blurbs in the past, but now im staring down the barrel of needing to write one for transmute and decided its probably time to give my skills a little brush up. The wetlands of somerset england shown in its various forms as well a. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Movies do this incredibly well in their trailers and descriptions, so it may be an idea to look at some popular movies and see how they do it. Nov 15, 2019 when you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. Set in an anonymous german city, wetlands is told by 18yearold helen memel, a schoolgirl who spends some days in the. Explains what wetlands are like, looks at the plants that define wetlands, discusses the types of animals that make their homes in wetlands, and includes information on why wetlands are important and what is being done to save them. A book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books 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. Youve written your book, but now you have to publish it and kdp has a box that you dread. Pupils formulate their own blurb for the back cover of the novel using this worksheet. Oct 16, 2014 writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author.
But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb. Blurb, back cover copy, jacket copy, or promotional copy whatever you call it, a great book description is your second best marketing tool your cover is number one. Wetland images by philip coldwell blurb books canada. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest. Wetlands, about one womans obsession with her vagina. Here are some of the reasons you might need to write a book blurb. Literary news this week suggests that when it comes to women writing about sex. Like the sound of the book based on the blurb on the back what is a blurb. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. Blurb writing is an important skill to develop whether you are selfpublished or traditional. How to sell your manuscript to publishers and your indie book to readers writers craft 19 kindle edition by hall, rayne.
The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Buy wetlands by roche, charlotte from amazons fiction books store. That scene when helen pulls out her tampon, rubs it on the bathroom floor, and reuses it as some. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Kinnells landmark the book of nightmares was published in 1971. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. Aug 08, 2009 examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. The book blurb presents the book as a solveall book with the expertise and tools to guarantee you success. Each blurb includes keywords pertinent to your book to hook both the reader and search engines. How to write a blurb for your novel peter reys blog. An easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. Writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author.
Wetlandsan international sensation with more than a million copies sold worldwidehas been at the center of a heated debate about feminism and sexuality since its publication last spring. Put simply, being concise is hard, and being concise about something you know insideandout can seem downright impossible. The grossout parts made me feel like the book was written by a teenage boy with ridiculous fantasies of. Jun 12, 2015 the back cover book blurb can be the hardest part as an author condensing your book into a few, short paragraphs in a way that makes your book impossible to overlook. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. Blurb is here to help you turn your ideas into professionalquality books, magazines, or ebooks. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. Embossing, foil stamping, and other customizations.