Blurbs - Hook Your Reader

by Enisa Haines

You've completed your novel and now it's time to write the back book cover blurb. Those 150-200 words on the back of the book that grab a reader's attention, intriguing them and enticing them to buy.

How do you write the blurb? In an earlier post author Marilyn Forsyth described the many ways (The Blurb - Make it Count!) and what I learned is that it's not a shorter version of the synopsis as I'd somehow convinced myself. The blurb is a teaser mentioning the setting, the main characters, the conflict and a glimpse of the plot. Most important of all are the tagline, the hook that snags your reader, and the last statement, the hook that leaves the reader yearning for more.

The back book cover blurb to Under Currents by Nora Roberts -
"The perfect facade can hide dark undercurrents" - gives a sinister feel and readers know immediately the story is romantic suspense.

The back cover book blurb final statement to Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie - "But Rose never did follow the rules, and as she takes matters into her own unpredictable hands, Thomas finds himself in an unexpected and infuriating predicament: he is falling in love with his wife..." - tempts readers into immersing themselves in a sweet, romantic tale that promises a happy ending.










How to perfect the tagline? The last statement? Think about your story. What is it's selling point? Is it the main characters, or the plot point that sends them on their journey and pits them against each other? Know the answers to these questions and what to include in the blurb will be clearer.

Do blurbs catch your attention? Do they convince you to buy? Are there any blurbs so memorable you'd like to share? 

Love to love: impulse buys when a blurb reels me in.

Love to laugh: at some of the blurbs I've written - mediocre at best (that's laugh after a good, long cry!)

Love to learn: how to write the perfect blurb.

The Blurb – Make it Count!

with Marilyn Forsyth

I’ve read it takes 10-20 seconds for a potential book buyer to decide whether or not to purchase. Initially, it’s the cover that grabs attention, but it’s the back-cover blurb that can seal (or lose) the sale in those few seconds. Bit scary, huh?

To ensure your romance blurb is a winner, I’d like to share 10 suggestions I've gathered from  reading  up on the art of blurb-writing.

Image courtesy of foodforthoughtbooks.blogspot.com

1. Research. Go to your local library, book store or your own bookshelf and read the blurbs of books in your sub-genre. Examine each blurb and decide: What about this blurb makes me want to read this book over the thousands of alternatives? (Probably a good idea to note what you hate as well as what you like.)




2. Have a clear picture of your audience and speak to them directly. Use words that strike a chord with romance readers - ‘power’ words with emotional punch, like love, grief, betrayal. (But do be wary of clichés.)


3. Restrict to 100-150 words. Ainslie Paton advises ‘no more than 2-3 paragraphs of no more than 40 words each.’ The longer it is, the less likely to be read to the end. Make it short enough to: a) be read quickly in a crowded book section of a store and b) be seen in its entirety on Amazon (so the potential buyer doesn’t need to click ‘See more’).


4. Keep sentences short, with lots of white space, and use present tense to give a sense of the story unfolding before the reader’s eyes.

5. The introductory sentence should sum up the dramatic core of your book; a tagline that will immediately hook the reader. The blurb for Diana Gabaldon’s ‘Outlander’: “Claire Randall is leading a double life; she has a husband in one century one century — and a lover in another…” is what got me in all those years ago.




6. Next, name and characterise MCs, and outline what’s at stake for them both (internal/external conflict) in as few words as possible. 2-3 characters only and a brief mention of setting. Leave out anything the reader doesn’t need to know just yet.


7. Reel the reader in with the last line – ask a question (e.g. Can he give up… for her?), hint at future danger (e.g. But… …Until…) or remind the reader of the conflict keeping your H/H apart. Get your potential buyer excited! Give them something to make them pick up that book because they just HAVE to read it.

8. Stay true to your voice and the tone of your story. It’s what the reader — the one who just bought your book based on your blurb — will be expecting.


9. It should go without saying that it be error-free.

Image courtesy of upstartpromotions.com 

10. Take notice of any feedback you can get and rewrite as many times as necessary. You only have one chance to turn that bookshelf browser into a buyer. Make it count!

What's your take on blurbs? Have some examples (good or bad) that you'd like to share? Love to hear from  you.

Love to love travelling overseas! I'm so excited to be going to Malaysia next month so my mother can show my sister the country where she was born.

Love to laugh at puns.

Love to learn household tips from the Crazy Russian Hacker (Bonus: he makes me laugh). Check him out at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbo7IZ5WKRY