WHAT IS A BLURB?
‘BLURB’ is a word that comes under the jargon of the marketing and advertising world. A concise, crisp, and convincing summary of a book, film, or any artistic endeavours, formulated purposely to spark interest and capture the attention of potential buyers.
A book synopsis and an author’s back-cover copy (blurb) are both used to promote a book, but they serve different purposes and are relevant to various audiences.
A back cover or jacket copy is a shorter, appealing description crafted for readers. Written in an intriguing tone, it showcases key aspects like the protagonist, setting, main conflict, and themes to generate interest and encourage purchases. In contrast, a book synopsis is a brief story summary for agents, editors, and publishers to assess a book’s potential. It is clear, complete, and free of personal opinions or pitches. Discover what makes a true blurb, what doesn’t, how it influences and entices readers, and tips on writing an effective one yourself.
IMPORTANCE OF BOOK BLURBS
Book Blurbs are typically found on the back cover of printed books, designed to sway readers towards giving your book a try. Not limited to print, they are also indispensable for driving eBook and digital publication sales, with their importance extending to online content as well including blogs, articles, web pages, and book reviews. In eBooks and digital publications, the blurb appears right after the cover or as the product description in online stores.
In the ever-crowded literary world of publishing, a powerful blurb helps you to shine apart. It grabs attention, accentuates value and amplifies the purchasing power of a book. In this essence, it is your book’s first impression!
TIPS ON WRITING A MINDBLOWING BLURB
- SPOIL – FREE HOOK: This is the best opportunity to immerse the readers’ interest in your book. The content should only outline your work without spilling important information about the main story or subject. The introductory couple of lines should be crisp yet engaging enough to not only grab the attention of readers but also invest it there so that they feel like knowing more about what happens next or what more lies ahead! This will be your Hook.
- CHARACTER CLICK : An efficiently relevant character introduction is a smart way to enhance your blurb. The main characters are the pillars of a book and the readers experience their development as a story progresses. Hence, they develop a certain connect with them, which is why readers like to know if they want to invest this time in this character’s development or not. Immersive and crisp character information in a couple of lines without disclosing much engages the reader enough to pick up your book to know more.
- CONFLICT/CENTRE: All books usually have a central conflict around which the whole narrative develops towards climax and conclusions. At the very least all books have a central theme. The plot or central idea of a book is the main force working behind the blurb which will be primarily responsible for investing the reader’s attention enough to become a buyer. Thus, it is crucial to make it concise yet gripping without revealing much.
- TONE – It’s true that a blurb aims to gauge and trap the reader’s interest, but that doesn’t mean that blurbs only require an engaging tone to work. To give definition and relevance, it is critically important that the tone of your blurb is easy to read for the majority and matches the mood and tone of your actual content inside the book while maintaining the attention appeal. This gives the readers an overall feel of the book while simultaneously influencing them to buy it.
- LENGTH – A blurb and a summary are the same in content but differ in length and tone because they have different motives. Summaries are simple and lengthier, usually up to a page or two because their job is to condense the whole story into few words. A blurb on the other hand is essentially a marketing pitch and should be very concise and crisp because it is supposed to influence attention span before distraction. Ideally 100-200 words, short and compelling blurbs work most efficiently for readers.
The factors and suggestions mentioned above are the bricks to build your perfect blurb. Keeping all these elements in mind and using a competent and well-balanced approach will create an ideal blurb, which will prove imperative in spellbinding readers into purchasing your hard work. So if you are an author who has just started and want to catch up closely on the ploys of the publishing world, follow us for more tips and tricks on writing!
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