Writing a Blurb

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE BLURB

WRITING A BLURB IS NOT EASY: Anyone who thinks writing a blurb is easy, has probably never written a good blurb. The blurb I speak of here is the kind that’s found on the back of a novel – a short paragraph briefly encapsulating a book’s essence, it’s heart and soul. Sort of an abbreviated synopsis, if you will.

If you think writing a novel is hard, imagine condensing that novel into a few sentences. Shoehorning a 400 page novel into a few lines of copy is, in itself, an art form of the highest order. And unless you’re John Grisholm or Stephen King, a good blurb is absolutely necessary to selling your book.

WHY YOU NEED A BLURB: Writing a blurb is sort of like writing the first page of your novel, and perhaps every bit as important. Just as a prospective editor or agent will read the first page of your book and decide whether to proceed based upon that, so too will prospective readers of your book first read the front and back covers. Based on what they find there, a powerful first impression is formed, influencing whether or not they will buy and read your book.

You should therefore strive to write something that sets your book apart from the pack. In a place where every word counts, you must use vivid and compelling language whenever and wherever possible. A blurb is the author’s chance to grab a reader by the throat and shake some money out of their pockets. A blurb should accurately and eloquently depict the gist your book in one or two sentences. These sentences should intrigue the reader and pique their curiosity – the kind of curiosity which can only be relieved through buying and reading the damn book.

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD BLURB: A proper blurb should consist of the following elements:

The PREMISE: The premise consists of the following elements: The main character or protagonist, what the protagonist wants, and the obstacles standing between the protagonist and his goals.

THE MAIN CHARACTER (PROTAGONIST) Who is this book about? And why should we care about them?

WHAT THE PROTAGONIST WANTS: What is the “holy grail” our hero is seeking? Tell the reader EXACTLY what it is your character wants. And whatever it is, they should want it BAD! REAL BAD!

OBSTACLES/COMPLICATIONS: Standing between your hero and his or her holy grail are a series of conflicts, obstacles, and complications. List a few of these. Make the prospective reader say to him or herself: “Holy crap! I’ve GOT to see this!”

To write a persuasive blurb, you should, in the fewest (but most powerful) words possible, describe your characters’ quest. You should do so in such as way as to compel the reader to care; to make them WANT to come along on that quest, to discover for themselves if the hero attains the object of their quest, or dies trying.

All of these elements comprise a books PLOT. And PLOT, my friends, is the thing you are trying to convey in your blurb in the most appealing way possible. You only have a few lines with which to hook the reader; and to persuade them into laying down a few bucks for the privilege of finding out if a story is as good as the blurb makes it out to be.

And that, my friends, is what makes a good blurb.