This is again an interesting story, on very regular note the budding Authors comes up to me in order to seek my guidance in creating a perfect Book Blurb, just the way they seek my help in creating a perfect Author’s bio! So, yes of course this write-up is for all those debutant Authors who are looking forward to create a perfect book blurb for their upcoming books, in their journey of becoming a published writer.
Without any shred of doubt, we can conclude that a perfect Book Blurb is definitely a great tool for Sales as it helps in creating the first impression of your book among the readers and mind you in these cases, first impression is always the last impression! Therefore, the debutant authors and new learners should very much focus on creating a perfect book blurb as it may open several doors of success for them. Moreover, a good book blurb simply reflects the creativity of the author and this not only helps in gaining sales but also helps the authors in gaining the respect of the readers!
Well, before diving deep into the methods of creating a perfect book blurb, let us try to understand, what a book blurb is actually! 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. Whereas, in eBooks and self-publishing, a book blurb is the written content that is used on the main online sales page!
Blurbs are a key part of book marketing as they are supposed to entice readers to buy the book. They are also a ‘Sales Pitch’ that should sound interesting and should represent what is in the book without giving too much away. If a blurb makes a reader want to read more, it is successful; if a blurb bores or overwhelms the reader, it needs to be rewritten.
Now, let us focus to the steps, which are required to create a perfect book blurb –
Step 1) Give readers what they want and yet not everything: Your blurb should tease the main conflict and encourage readers to feel concerned for your characters, but do not go too far and include any big spoilers. A blurb is not a book summary or synopsis: it should give only enough details to intrigue readers and end in a painful cliffhanger that will make readers want to buy the book!
Step 2) Make sure it’s appropriate for your genre: Your blurb should match the tone of your book so that you attract the right readers. If you are writing a suspenseful thriller, your blurb should feel urgent and should clearly establish the stakes; if you are writing a casual self-help book, your blurb should feel conversational and friendly and discuss the problem you want to help solve. If you stray too far from your book’s tone when writing the blurb, you run the risk of selling to the wrong target audience, and those people will have the wrong expectations and may not enjoy your book.
Step 3) Focus on readability: Readers are not going to sit down and read your blurb carefully; in fact, most readers will skim a book blurb to see if it sounds interesting before they give it their full attention. Make your blurb simple and easy to read, short sentences, short paragraphs and simple descriptions of your plot and characters are great ways to write a blurb that sells. Remember that readers do not have all day, so a short blurb will be more memorable and interesting than a two page long summary.
Step 4) Read examples: Now, if it is your first time writing a book blurb and you are still wondering how to do it, the best way to learn is to read examples. Pick up (or look up) a few of your favourite books and see what those authors did to hook readers. Well, every debutant Authors must try reading other book blurbs as examples as much as they can since this is going to teach them the industry level writing!
In the modern publishing landscape, where every day more books are being Purchased Online than in bricks and mortar stores, you are more likely to encounter blurbs on the product page of Amazon or any other digital retailer. Sometimes, you will hear them referred to as book descriptions too. Well now, I hope that we all have known the gravity and the seriousness of creating a perfect book blurb so let us roll up our sleeves and get down to work!
Written By NEEL PREET – Author of the Books, Voice From The East (2016); Journey With Time Place And Circumstances (2018) & Indian Defence Files (2021).
