Fringe Fiction Unlimited discussion
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Can writers write their own blurbs?
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Tht sad truth is, for the masses, bland sells the best. Because it's easy, and no other reason than that.Marketing tricks aside, I do feel any blurb should be consise. I would go so far as to say the best blurbs are 20 words or less. It might sound impossible, it can be done.
It takes a lot of practice to sum up a whole story. I've been practicing for years, and I still learn new ways to sum everything up every day. Just keep in mind, blurbs are for the readers. They're not for the authors. It's the one exception to the rule. Don't write blurbs for yourself.
Now i come here to try my blurbs. I admit i suck hard in that department. It's a skill i wish i had, but just wasnt born with. Also being too close to the story makes blurb writing that more difficult. Im a decent writer supposedly....
Blurbs can be challenging. I often help my publisher with blurbs for books I've edited for her. I've found it depends on the book and its story as to whether it's easy or not.
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 don't see a problem with writing your own ads. Keep it short.
Kevin,I don't think your blurb was bad :0)
As to your question, I too am a Blurb Critique folder-user here at Fringe and am deeply appreciative for the feedback I've gotten.
Before there was a Blurb Critique folder, I ran my blurbs by another author and my editor, and I did a lot of "research" by studying the styles of blurbs for novels that I enjoy or that I felt were marketing to a similar audience as my novels.
That being said, I think if you write the book you can write the blurb. However, there's no shame in going through an outside party.
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 polish it up..."This. I have 'blurb/query' folders for the books I planned to publish. Folders with 10-20 blurb attempts in them. They are a tricky beast. I've spent entire days on them.
I've also come to realize that if I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with a blurb, it often means my plot isn't strong enough. If I can tell you my plot in one sentence, my blurb is usually not so hard to write.
Lena wrote: "I've also come to realize that if I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with a blurb, it often means my plot isn't strong enough. If I can tell you my plot in one sentence, my blurb is usually not so hard to write."That. Thanks, Lena.
I definitely have trouble with blurbs - I'm just not very good at being concise, or catchy lol. The Blurb Critique folder in this group was a godsend for me.
Lena, I think it was Steven Spielberg who said that he likes story ideas that he can hold in his hand, i.e. short. I have heard it said that the best ideas are ones that can be told in ten words or less, however, George Lucas needed a ten page treatise to explain Star Wars, so that may not always be true.
I've gotten the best blurb help on Goodreads from people who never read my books. My beta readers know the books too well. I run the GR-improved versions of the blurbs by them and my editor, and then settle on a final version. I can polish other people's blurbs much more easily than I can polish my own.
My blurb was crap. It was Lily who made it into what it is today, something for which I'll be eternally grateful. She was on the mark!I don't have that gift - at least, not with my own work.
Tabitha wrote: "Kevin,
I don't think your blurb was bad :0)
As to your question, I too am a Blurb Critique folder-user here at Fringe and am deeply appreciative for the feedback I've gotten.
Before there was a..."
Kevin wrote: "My blurb was crap. It was Lily who made it into what it is today, something for which I'll be eternally grateful. She was on the mark!I don't have that gift - at least, not with my own work.
Tab..."
Hooray for Lily! She's given me good advice, too. Blurb Critique folder, y'all!
For example, the other day a Kindle advertisement showed something along the lines of, "Detective So-and-so is on a hunt for the truth behind his sister's death!", and I thought, what a horrible way to promote this thing. Unless I'm clueless and the book was for an immediately recognizable series, meaning Detective So-and-so already has a ton of a fans, that's a bland hook that won't get any bites.