Short and sassy book blurbs

Blurbs may be short, but that doesnt mean they are easy to write. My friends and i picked up this one book and read the blurb on the back. The internet would be a much friendlier place if it had more and better blurbs. That is probably quite intimidating to someone whos just written a few thousand.

These may be used for an interview, a book jacket, or even an event program in which you are a presenter. I would love your opinion if am going at it in the right direction. Light touch on the plot, hook me with whats different about the book rather than whats the same. When the number of books you sell doesnt justify the gas and a cheap hotel, the answer is obvious. Also blurbs by joy williams, padgett powell, ann beattie. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. Their technical staff is obtuse and they use a biased color profile. If youre looking for an unusual nonfiction book about emotions, im yours. Fantasy book blurbs summary or tease, which do you prefer. This will prevent danielle from short and sassy from sending you messages, friend request or from viewing your profile. At arms, a short story collection in the manatarms and maidenatarms universe.

Bestselling book blurbs part two katie mccoach editorial. Does anyone have advice on how to write a blurb for a collection of short stories or novelettes, in my case. I cannot remember when i was so impressed by a first book by an unknown writer. Hes widely considered one of americas smartest and most inventive authors. Entwined by heather dixon wallwork, the near witch by victoria schwab, the iron daughter by julie kagawa, eve by anna care. Also, this book received a lot of media attention when it was published, so potential readers might already have some awareness of it.

Ive been reading loads of articles on book blurbs and get the general idea how to go about it but nothing really applies to short stories. A oneline description which gives an idea of genre of book and perhaps age. Comments on discussion boards from them will be hidden by default. But, more importantly, im afraid to read the book because i fear the book wont live up to the blurb. Youve snagged a prospective date by your alluring cover, so now youve got to show theres more than just surface appeal. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should. Her book copper sun has been selected by the us state department and the. Blurb is a basic service useable for basic book printing. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others.

I have been a long time user but they are unable to print photo books true to the original images. Oroumonsol well, the short answer is as i have conceived it from both of my parents. Print as you go sell one copy at a time and let blurb fulfill the orders or place a large order and sell inperson. Before writing your back book blurb, choose 35 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities. Add comments for more like this author, back cover blurb, back cover copy, book, collection, compilation novel, how to write, novel, selfpublishing back cover blurb, selfpublishing compilation, short stories, short story, short story collection, short story compilation, writing back cover blurb, writing tips. Jenny smith lives in dubuque, iowa with her husband, two children, and three great danes will probably not help persuade more wouldbe readers to buy a book. She has published numerous poems, articles, and short stories in a variety of literary journals. I am so excited for this book i absolutely love caleb and maggie, cannot wait for the next generation to find their significant. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry book s overall success and reputation. If you or your publisher has asked another author to write a puff or endorsement for your book, this will.

Basically, the name of the game with a blurb is to entice readers to buy your book. One of the shortest is the author blurb, the two or three descriptive lines at the end of a published work. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. One of the things an author is expected to do from timetotime is to produce at least a short biographical blurb.

While the amazon book description wont affect traffic i. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. The blurb is usually presented as if it were written by a colleague of the author, or another professional in the same field, lauding the book without expecting any compensation. Blurbs are short descriptions that promote things such as movies, books, or other projects. 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.

All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. Short and sassy book blurbs melissa does a great job giving us stories with characters whose stories will keep you engrossed wicked babes blog she has a. If youd like for me to read the entire book instead of just. Family writing celebration an anthology of your familys writings over the school year. What is a good blurb for the book outsiders answers. But the place youre most likely to come across shteyngarts name is, oddly enough, on the back of somebody elses book.

Oct 16, 2014 writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. Sell your book in the blurb bookstore, through amazon, or in the global retail network of over 38,000 retailers, libraries, and schools. Self publishing that story your young author has been writing over the past few years the possibilities are endless. Be clear about length when you ask for blurbs, so your contributors dont spend time writing lengthy paragraphs that will only have to be cut. Abstract the purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary approach to the study of blurbs, brief texts traditionally displayed on bookcovers, and nowadays also on the internet, which provide. Here are six rules to be mindful of before you put pen to paper on your back book cover blurb. I try to give my blurbs a funny, smart, sexy, tender vibe, because i think i hope that matches the books. See more ideas about funny, the funny and just for laughs. Underneath the covers melissa foster has to be my favorite author out there.

Author bios tell about a writer, his work, his professional experience andor personal background. She took my poetry samples and current book blurb and wrote something amazing. Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i. Biography welcome to the official site of sharon draper. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile. For shorter fiction the word count can run from 100 to 250 words. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well. I love blurbs that are character, setting and premise with a promise of something unusual. Check out blurb today and get started creating your own books to fill your bookshelves. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. Ponyboy knows what to expect and knows he can count on his brothers and friends until the night someone takes things. Holden walker has put his personal life on hold to help rebel walking with security on tour.

The socs ideas of having a good time is beating up greasers like ponyboy. So, this little book will hopefully provide you with some useful assistance along the way by offering up 101 actual blurbs written in short form and containing no more than 100 words. Im a fun, meaningful read who will make you feel understood and laugh out loud. Blurbs are short descriptions that promote things such as movies, books. Mar 06, 2012 its the perennial question of whether the blurbs on book covers are still meaningful or have. Danielle from short and sassy shortandsassybookblurbs. Please leave a comment and let me know if you found this post useful. This means all the focus needs to be on the reader their needs and expectations. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed.

As you gather endorsements sometimes referred to as blurbs for you book, youll want to keep a few things in mind. Using blurb to create an awesome anthology family style. I have a book coming out this summer, and ive been working on writing one that i need feedback on. Then theres the blurb which is only other writers praising the book or the authors previous work. Nov 19, 2015 blurbs for your book jacket and praise pages inside the book can be short in fact, they must be as brief and punchy as possible. For a 70,000100,000 word story, word count of the blurb can be up to 300 words again, check out blurbs of actual books within your subgenre. His short, pithy endorsements are on more than 100 books. With over 2 million books sold, the usa today bestselling beachwood bay series is a romance phenomenon. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. As already noted, writing a back book blurb is a marketing exercise. Word count on blurbs not etched in stone, just a suggestion.

Goodreads a book is a dream that you hold in your hand neil gaiman. Considering theres no rulebook to follow, writers are often confused about how to request and obtain blurbs. Cruising susan one of the greatest contemporary romance authors of all time. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb. Short blurb alternatively, the book might call for a very brief and punchy blurb. Thats not to say the blurb is an actual spoiler, but that the blurb hits all the same notes as usual and leaves very little to the imagination a jointhedots blurb that is so obvious the ending might as well be on the back.

The idea that a writer can bring his core audience into the tent with a blurb. Jun 23, 2015 what your yearbook quote says about you. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. Murrow and other leading radio personalities blurbed the book, published in 1950 by oxford university press, and siepmann thanked paul lazarsfeld and herta herzog in his acknowledgments. Writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading 101 writers short blurb examples. X research source you can write a blurb by gathering important information and putting it together in a short and catchy text. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. How to write an author bio short ramona defelice long. Aj pine has completely swept me away with this novel that includes references to pretty much everything i love hello, gilmore girls and new jessgriffin to fawn over. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. I havent yet read the book itself because my evergrowing book list is so long. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch.

Its briefno more than 100150 wordsand creates interest in the story without giving away major spoilers or the ending. View it here as youll recall from our previous blog post, the second thing that sells a reader on your book is the cover copyyour book description you may have the best hook on the first page of your book, the first sentence evenbut what if no one. To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. Author jordon greene is releasing his new short story come may 23, 2017. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover.

A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. If you look at my books, you can tell from the blurbs, i hope, that some books will be funnier than others. Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. They assure readers that someone is vouching for the quality of the book, even if only in the form of a snappy oneliner on its cover. Blurb create, print, and sell professionalquality photo. His imagination is a dark wood with wildlife in it. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and. Childrens book blurbs geo ashton a blog for aspiring.

Short and sassy book blurbs melissa does a great job giving us stories with characters whose stories will keep you engrossed wicked babes blog she has a way with words that endears a family in our hearts and watching each sibling and friend go on to meet their true love is such a joy. Feb 10, 2016 how to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. The person who came up with the word blurb called it a flamboyant advertisement. Then theres the blurb which is only other writers praising the book. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest. When it comes to book blurbs, by shakespeare, he was right. Try not to mention more than two characters names, and promise your audience a read they. Thanks to dale ward and the rest of the tech guys at the seminary for maki. The blurb described the book as a private detectives journey through personal betrayal to a form of redemption. The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. Here are a few examples of great blurbs for a few of greenleafs recent titles. Caras book boudoir melissa creates quite a palate of feelings for the reader to experience all through the novel. It seems a simple enough task to write a paragraph about oneself, and simpler still for a real writer.

Nov 15, 2019 blurbs are short descriptions that promote things such as movies, books, or other projects. May 14, 2012 author bios tell about a writer, his work, his professional experience and or personal background. The blurb of your book is the second thing a potential reader will look at after the coverso take the time to get it right. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. Vintage romantic tales of fright, i struggle with writing back cover copy, also known as, the blurb.

A blurb is a short description of a book, movie, or other product, written for promotional purposes. There are laughs and suspense aplenty in this sassy southern gothic thri. Chuck arand from concordia seminary for making time to talk about my book. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. In todays digital world, the blurb is also used on sales pages on amazon and other online book retailers. Blind date with a book blurbs adult nonfiction feelings for which there are no names 152.

Your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea. With a sweet disposition, sassy pigtails and a can do attitude, roses story. If anyone needs a happy book to escape with, wind chime cafe is free for a limited time. I hope this post is helpful to you and saves you some of the angst i experienced when i was looking for direction in how to write blurbs. Aug 31, 20 i want to keep it short and simple, so ive shortened the individual blurbs and made a short general blurb about the collection. Another example is the book tour, which, being so much more expensive, both in a financial and a darwinian sense, has all but disappeared already. English us espanol portugues brasil francais france deutsch. Brave, learned, sassy, wildly funny, terry castle is not only our best female literary. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. Park, the international history of communication study page 268 edward r. 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.

Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. A blurb is the description of the story found on the back cover of a book. Check out these favorite books for 3rd graders, picked by our panel of. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. The best blurbs come from someone with a reputation in the same space. Kevin canty is a storm of talent and this book of stories lingers in the mind as only the best fiction does. Youre setting the expectation for the book in the blurb, so make sure that your themes, ideas, and issues match. Write it in your voice, the same voice in which the book is written. This blurb is short enough to allow the addition of a short testimonial or author biography, but consider that like great design, excellent writing is a process of subtraction. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me.

Whats up book lovers any horror readers in the house. If you are looking for someone to write a fresh blurb for your poetry book, you must hire her. 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. Indian, not native american, is how his book blurbs describe him.

How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Sep 27, 2015 the curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still around those snippets of praise on book covers have been around for over 150 years at least. Jul 19, 20 a useful way to help keep it mysterious is to keep it short. May 23, 2012 for examples of blurbs in the 200250 word range, take a look at my page titled my stories on this blog. They are loosely edited into ten different subject headings, or writers genre, with ten examples under each heading, except for the last one, where there. Sassy beauty scarlett ohara navigates the troubled waters of the postcivil war. Try not to mention more than two characters names, and promise your audience a read they wont forget. I want to keep it short and simple, so ive shortened the individual blurbs and made a short general blurb about the collection. This is my second time working with authoreva and she has given me another outstanding experience.