An examination of the wily book blurb terribleminds. Every upload even of a previouslyuploaded book is treated as a new and separate project, with a new share and promote link. 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 dont enjoy reading about the bad thing, and certainly dont approve of it i dont think the author was trying to say the bad thing was okay. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. Chuck arand from concordia seminary for making time to talk about my book.
But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. If your unpurchased book is deleted from your blurb account, you can simply upload the book again. Shelfies, hauls, etc may be posted in the monthly show and tell post which occurs on the 7th of each month. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. Fantasy book blurbs summary or tease, which do you. You may note that scott westerfeld also added a fourth book to this trilogy. Erika jayne may give some fks about her new memoir the real housewives of beverly hills star is getting candid in her wild new memoir, pretty messand weve. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book.
The key with fiction is to excite and engage your reader. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. A blurb is just a short written peice about something. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. 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. Read the back cover copy of the most popular authors in your genre to see examples of how to entice readers without giving away the entire plot. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. Its good to know that authors typically use back matter to offer readers extra book information. Think about your favorite blurbs and what about them draws you in. Id like extras better if i didnt expect another book with my favorite uglies characters at. Author bios tell about a writer, his work, his professional experience andor personal background.
Blurbs synonyms, blurbs pronunciation, blurbs translation, english dictionary definition of blurbs. When i needed to know how to write a good blurb for my stories in the sparta series, i had a hard time finding specific helpful hints on how to do that online. Indian, not native american, is how his book blurbs describe him. The blurb about a new book, film, or exhibition is information about it that is written in order to attract peoples interest. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. One of the shortest is the author blurb, the two or three descriptive lines at the end of a published work. Little blurbs of your life with loki after odin forces him to get engaged and live among earth without powers to try and teach him the meaning of love. 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. Referring to the word blurb on the wrapper of his book he said. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells i just published a guest post which goes into this with some examples. He is a fulltime writer and parttime book blogger at 101 books, where he is currently blogging through time magazines top 100 englishspeaking novels. Comprehensive list of synonyms for parts of books, by macmillan dictionary.
Are you looking for a special minimalist modern logo to elevate your brand. We are 3 award winning logo designers with up to 10 years in the graphic industry. Place testimonials that corroborate your claims about what the book will do for the reader. 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. Blurb definition and meaning collins english dictionary. You read the blurb on the back of a book to figure out if you want to shell out the extra bucks for the hardcover. Thanks also to rod horton for reading robert frosts poem birches at our bible study that morning. Writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. Detailing every character and plot twist is unnecessary and can be overwhelming to the buyer. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. David foster wallaces postmodern novel draws its title from a line in hamlet in which poor yorick is eulogized. Bear in mind that such blurbs are often read in crowded places particularly beloved of pickpockets, with shoppers jostling round you whilst your other purchases dangle from your other hand, and that books are often heavy and thus difficult to hold for a. In publishing, blurbs are something of a contentious topic, as different people debate whether or not blurbs are even necessary. Its the perennial question of whether the blurbs on book covers are still meaningful or have become just background noise.
When rene rodriguez of the miami herald blogged about having seen and loved the departed in toronto. How to write an author bio short ramona defelice long. Search the meaning and definition of over one hundred thousand words. All of those run 1 to 2 weeks and give you lots of extras like social media shoutouts.
Ive been thinking for a while about selfpublishing. It is a fabulous urban fantasy read, but it is not in any way tragic or a sob fest. Takes place after the events of the first avengers. This description, which is always full of praise for both author and the book, is called a blurb. As the head book buyer at kramerbooks, he decides what stocks the shelves at the washington, d. Copywriting is a completely different skillset to creating fiction, and im here to help you get that blurb in tiptop shape. Your design needs to be recognized within a split second. Information about blurb in the dictionary, synonyms and antonyms. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count.
Blurbs definition of blurbs by the free dictionary. An examination of the wily book blurb chuck wendig. Usually its in reference to a newspaper article that briefly mentions a barely newsworthy item. A book blurb is there to entice a purchase, not to justify a lifelong career or calling. The blurb is often referred to as a synopsis or simply book description. Based on those considerations, i concluded as did many other writers and critics that book was a book worthy of endorsement. The blurb described the book as a private detectives journey through personal betrayal to a form of redemption. Youll also need to have the same number of blurbs or descriptions of your book.
The uglies book series, intended for young adults, was actually. Getting a feel for different types of blurbs can give you inspiration to write yours. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Munsey when he wrote on the front of his magazine in red ink i consider this number of munseys the hottest pie that ever came out of my bakery. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb is your sales pitch. Blurb definition in the cambridge english dictionary. There is a reason why big brands opt for a minimal and simple concept. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile.
The generous and brilliant writers who did read catcher, caught and who wrote blurbs knew me and my writing from book festival panels and writing fellowships. Art posts must be formatted as title by creator, usernames are ok. Its reader confession time i love the whole blurb catnip subject cause we all have read those blurbs that just grab us and make us want to read it asap. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, almost blackmail readers into feeling that youre either intellectually or morally incompetent if you dont love this book or youve.
Design 3 killer minimalist logo design and branding by. How to write a book synopsis, blurb or logline fail better. You will need three for the back cover of your book. Everyone has some idea as to what extras might make their work look. What percentage of time do you should you spend on your blurb, summary. It uses twilight as an example, but dont hold that against me. For me, this means that when tally does do something good, it feels much more. Avoiding receiving warnings over the course of 30 days. Rowling title takes its name from severus snapes lineage and mothers maiden name. Uglies series uglies, pretties, specials, and extras author. Thanks to dale ward and the rest of the tech guys at the seminary for making the video.
The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should. Popular great blurbs books meet your next favorite book. Do not post memes or photos of booksbook shelvesbook haulsplaces that make you think of a particular book. Here are the top ten tips we believe to be the most essential to crafting a book description that sells.
Her clients have appeared on the oprah winfrey show, cbs early show, the montel williams show, cnn, fox news, new morning and much more. When you hear about authors being asked to blurb a book, its this endorsement theyve been asked to provide. The blurb on the back of the book says that it will touch your heart. One caveat i will offer, it is usually easier to write the blurb before youve gotten very far into the manuscript because it keeps you from getting lost in the details. I mean this book was not about her so i dont understand why she had to be in it. Extra blurbs are often put on the first page of the book, in front of the.
The curious history of book blurbs and why theyre still. Youve snagged a prospective date by your alluring cover, so now youve got to show theres more than just surface appeal. I will admit that as a consumer, ive only ever once picked up a book because of a blurb, and that was the very book for whom neil gaiman gave the above quote. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. Gather a bunch and use the best ones for a particular purpose. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. A short description of a book, film, or other work, written and used for promotional purposes. When we pick up any book, the first thing we normally look at is the back cover.
You are paying a high quality gig to receive a perfect quality service and design. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Proper usage and audio pronunciation plus ipa phonetic transcription of the word blurb. Early yet in my second career writing fiction, i take more note of opening pages than blurbs, though i do like to know that a writer i admire feels something is worth reading. Remember, youre probably the best at telling people what your books about, and this is your. Josh corman nov 14, 20 if you need a few lines of effusive praise for your soontobereleased novel, dont go ringing margaret atwoods doorbell in my head, blurbhunting works exactly like trickortreating.