Fringe Fiction Unlimited discussion
Group Questions?
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Can writers write their own blurbs?
Writing a blurb, description, or synopsis, is a learned skill. So, on one hand, yes authors can most definitely learn to write a blurb. On the other hand, it can take a lot of practice. For authors self-publishing, you don't always get the needed feedback beforehand that allows you to learn blurb writing.It only becomes an art after the skill is learned.
Kevin. I have some things I hate doing about writing. One is writing a query letter. One is writing a cover blurb. One is writing a synopsis...I went to fiverr.com and I paid someone to help me out with my query letter and my blurb. (Don't check out my blurb yet, she's working on it). If it's usable, $5. is totally worth it.
There are a lot of other services there, too. :))
**I am making no commission off the site, I'm just sharing the love.**
If it's easier and quicker to pay someone else to do it then it makes sense to do that and spend the time you would have been writing a blurb on writing another book. :-)
I hate synopsis writing myself, but it's a valuable skill. If I don't know how to describe my own book in 4 sentences or less, that would make it impossible to do any promotion. Even in ordinary situations.Let's say, I'm hanging out with friends. There's a friend of a friend I hadn't met before. They ask what I do and please tell them about my book. If I had to say, I don't know, someone else wrote it for me, well, there goes a potential sale.
I don't begrudge anyone for paying someone to write a blurb, and 5$ is a fantastic deal. I just feel it's dangerous territory to give up on knowing how to describe your own book.
I'd definitely try to learn and do it myself. Not easy, I agree. But especially when it comes to self-publishing, I think it's part of the deal, of the experience, of the fun, too. Just like getting a tattoo: if no pain's involved, it's not the same. ;) (Yes, I know, I'm a glutton for punishment.)
Well, from my experience...I had a blurb. It made at least three people - just from Fringe Fiction! - think my UF was a preachy religious allegory.
Oops.
So I got feedback and rewrote it. Consensus is that it was much improved.
Trial and error.
Jason- how did you have people give you feedback? I'd love to have some feedback on my existing. Is there a section for that? :)My cover releases Thursday... and I don't have the perfect blurb yet.
There's a thread for Blurb Critique. Start a new topic and duck! I'm kidding. Everyone is helpful and constructive.
We have a Blurbs Critique folder. Post your blurb and get feedback. So far, it's been quite successful.
LOL Jason. I'm going to check it out now. Thanks!
I've read blurbs that told about the book,,, on the edges. Nothing at all about what the book was truly about. Misleading is not teasing, and bothers me. It makes me think the blurb was written by someone who hadn't read the book!Does this blurb service require reading the book first or do they work from your outline or notes? Just curious ;)
Meran, the blurb critiques are set up to get feedback from people who have never seen the book before. Or at least, we pretend. So it's completely objective feedback.If anyone tries to be subjective or biased, they'll deal with the wrath of Lily.
:)
Ugh, Lori, I am so sorry, please post your blurb again in the blurb folder, you had it right. Just add the title and you're good to go.
Blurbs are not easy to write. It doesn't come easy for me and I spend days writing it. I'm going to utilize the critique folder for my next one. Great idea!
The funny thing is, we blurb all the time about others' work. Don't even think about it. "Wha'cha reading?" "Oh, it's about...." In ten seconds, we say what we can't write about ourselves in ten hours. But it's true, you gotta learn it yourselves. Even the best jobs have their downside.
Heh, it's true. Being objective can be hard for any writer.I've learned various tricks, what to look for, in my own blurb or synopsis writing, and I try to introduce bit of that in the Blurb Critiques. But I tell ya, it took me years to develop that objectivity.
I think it stems to being our own worst critics! I'm learning already from the comments on mine!
lol Hold on Lori, we're here to help, keep workng with us and we'll get your blurb in shape. Jason can attest to that. I'm still so proud of how he revised his blurb.
Oh I'm in awe of you guys! :) I want people to actually want to read and buy my book once it's released!
We can help you with that. We managed to get Jason's blurb whipped into shape, to the point that even I went from zero interest to omg I want to read this book!Just keep posting on your blurb thread, answer questions, and go from there. The Blurb Critiques are interactive. It's not a one shot deal, where you have to get everything perfect the very first time, or give up now. Nothing like that. Criticism might seem harsh, but we are here to help.
Absolutely. It honestly took me a bit of courage to even post mine, but it was totally worth it! No one (that I've noticed) in this group is going at it to tear you down - we just know that coddling is going to end up with a dissatisfied customer and low sales ;)If you can take the lumps, you will be the better for it!
i tend to overthink and overwrite. my blurbs are hit or miss...
The blurbs section is one best ideas in this group. It made me revisit and rewrite mine. But I'm still having difficulty. I think I'll post and see if I can get a little guidance.
Happy to help, Jennifer!KP, not all hope i lost, we've been helping you a lot :)
Jason, definitely no coddling ;)
Annnnyway, getting back on topic. I firmly believe in real help is about helping people to help themselves. Yes, authors can write their own blurbs, whether for good or bad. Allowing an author to write their own blurb well, is about giving them the tools to write it for themselves. It can be done.
No one knows the book better than the author. It's about listening to the impressions of others and modifying your initial presentation to accommodate that.Are they saying what you want? No? Then fix it.
@lily - i'm glad to have found you guys. i wish i knew of this space sooner. ya my blurb's improved (i have a few nibbles). i was just saying in general, without help, my blurbs are hit or miss.
Honestly, even I wish this group existed 10 years ago. It would have saved me a crapload of grief lol
You're pretty good at it, though. I suspect I'll always hate synopsis writing myself. It's like, oh come on, just read the damn book.
Mod
Sarah wrote: "Thanks Lily. That means a lot coming from you ;-) I wish I could hand my book to someone and say - ok now you tell me how to write a synopsis, etc for this beast. lol"That's what you get when it's accepted by a publisher. Well, a legit publisher anyway. So, back to wearing all hats. Did you need more help with blurbs? I thought we already covered everything.
Kevin wrote: "Most people hate advertising. I don't. I respect it and would even go so far as to describe it as an art. That being said, it's an art that not every one can do, including me.Last week I offered ..."
I wrote mine. I posted it for critique on Nathan Bransford's forum back when he was still an agent and that helped me.
I think writers should definitely learn to write their own. I wrote my own. I know it isn't perfect, but I'll get better with the next one.Perhaps I'll put it up for critique just to see where I need pointers though.
Lily wrote: "Honestly, even I wish this group existed 10 years ago. It would have saved me a crapload of grief lol"I totally feels!!
Lily wrote: "You're pretty good at it, though. I suspect I'll always hate synopsis writing myself. It's like, oh come on, just read the damn book."
lolz I know, right??
My thoughts on blurb writing is if you don't obsess over it, change it a million times, reword it, fuss over every single word, bleeding and crying the entire time, you probably need to go back and polish it up some. Seriously. I've written chapters in less time and with less angst than I do when trying to write a blurb. I find it excruciating.
Regina wrote: "My thoughts on blurb writing is if you don't obsess over it, change it a million times, reword it, fuss over every single word, bleeding and crying the entire time, you probably need to go back and..."I totally agree, writing the book was easy compared to the blurb. I had probably 9 different versions before I made myself move forward, and I still fiddle with it!
Thanks everyone, reading this thread has helped me a lot. I didn't have a clue for the best way to go about it until reading your thread.
Regina wrote:"Seriously. I've written chapters in less time and with less angst than I do when trying to write a blurb. I find it excruciating." I know exactly what you mean!
I actually found once I had a few reviews it was easier to take some of other people's comments and add then to make a better blurb. As I sometimes think another persons take on a book gives a totally different perspective.
Blurbs are definitely tough, and it really is so funny (and true) how easy it is to pitch someone else's book in comparison to your own. I plan on sharing my blurb for critique here one of these days. I just haven't yet because.Because . . .
I got nothing.
Blurbs have been the bane of my writing existence. What I did on my newest book was ask a couple of my beta readers to describe my book to me. They perceive the book very differently than I do. I used that perspective and some of their key phrases to put together the blurb. The three people that helped were excited to see some of their phrases in the final blurb, and I gave them each a signed print copy for their help. I'll use this method in the future since it saved me a lot of stress and hassle.
Oh blurbs are hell in a hand basket! I've got a notebook with about 17 different blurbs written in it because I couldn't quite get it right. It was too contrite, or too silly, or too serious, or too much like another book, or too long,or gave too much away. I wanted to tear my hair out with it, and considering just how important blurb is, it was even harder to do. I really like the idea of asking beta readers for help with the blurb though! I definitely think that's something I will use for my next book.
Mod
Chloe wrote: "Oh blurbs are hell in a hand basket! I've got a notebook with about 17 different blurbs written in it because I couldn't quite get it right. It was too contrite, or too silly, or too serious, or to..."
Sometimes it's good to write more then one. I know many have a hard enough time writing one but I read somewhere that you want to have at least 3 on hand. The one that goes on the back of your book, one to use for promotion and marketing and a very short one to two sentence blurb to plug in places where they ask for a small synopsis.
Last week I offered up for criticism the blurb to my book, Days of Throbbing Gristle. Surprisingly, I wasn't surprised when legitimate criticism came my way. All I could think in my defense was, "I didn't know what else to write."
But now a friend of mine just posted a review of DOTG on Amazon and I was blown away. Why couldn't I have written his description? He got it right. I got it wrong.
http://www.amazon.com/Days-Throbbing-...
I suspect writers--not all, but some--are too attached to their little babies to be able to write about it objectively and with an eye toward strategy.
What say you?