Tips on How To Write Your Blurb

[Amanda]

Thanks! Very helpful sites:)

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

V.M. wrote: "Hey SIA members..."

Thank you, V.M. Due to the other discussion, I think I'm going to look over my blurbs and try to tune them up. Way up. I hope these will help me to get them to at least a "not too sucky" a level.

[Igzy]

Thank you, V.M. Bookmarked and appreciated.

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

BB. wrote: "Dwayne, your work can never be sucky. You have a wonderful imagination too."

Thank you, BB, but I always feel my blurbs are flat and boring.

[Ken]

Thanks, this is a useful set of pointers. Most authors struggle with their blurbs, so all help is greatly appreciated.

[L.F.]

Thank you, VM. Some great advice. For me, the blurb is always the hardest part of the book--one I'm really struggling with for my latest work.

[K.C.]

Thanks, V.M. This is an area I have trouble with. Good tips.

[C.B. Matson]

Confession: I enjoy writing blurbs. I throw aside the cloying garments of civilized composition and ride my scattered herd of wits off into that endless sunset of the blurb.

I am the writer of the purple page.

A few ideas:

1. Don’t fear hyperbole, embrace it! But avoid clichés. Oh, and triple (quadruple) check for typos and crappy sentences.

2. Never try to tell the story, but clearly define the setting, the time frame, and the main characters.

3. Be sure your reader understands the genre from your description.

4. Embed a question, or a mystery, or an intriguing trope within your blurb. Equally effective is some kind of unresolved conflict or implied disaster.

5. You might want to simplify and subtly tweak your story description. After all, your book is so much more than you can possibly describe in 200 words. By the time they have finished your tale of conquest and heartbreak, of bitter victory and redemption, of screaming terror and slow climb to freedom, your readers will forgive a minor inconsistency between your blurb and your story.

Okay, caveat: I’ve studied the heck out of blurbs, but only written a few myself. You can read three of them here Allochthonous Tribe. Also, I have no real idea how effective my own blurbs are, but for the genre I write, they seem to fit. However, I think what I’m trying to say is that if you have fun with your blurb (ohhh… be care-ful), then your readers will sense your excitement (please ignore the salacious implications, they were totally inadvertent).

[Dwayne, Head of Lettuce]

C.B. Matson wrote: "5. Oh, yeah… and you can lie too. "

While the first four are good, I can't say I'd agree with this last. I want to try to treat the reader the way I would want to be treated. I'm not fond of being lied to for any reason. If I buy a book expecting certain things in it and they're not there, I'm likely to never buy another book from that author.

[Ken]

Dwayne wrote: "C.B. Matson wrote: "5. Oh, yeah… and you can lie too. "

While the first four are good, I can't say I'd agree with this last. I want to try to treat the reader the way I would want to be treated. I..."

Agreed on that. Lying to the reader can get you a big one-star review.

[C.B. Matson]

C.B. Matson wrote: “Oh, yeah… and you can lie too. Yes, prevaricate, obfuscate, and deceive your reader, if necessary.”

Ahh… the “Imp of the Perverse.” I knew that Item 5 would garner me a solid one-star, yet I had to kick the hornet’s nest to see if they were home. I’ve since made a minor edit to my earlier post, and I will admit that this ploy should be used with extreme subtlety, as your readers must not-only remain unaware of the dissonance, but must be glad to find more in your book than they had expected.