A blurb is a short, descriptive account of a book designed to pique reader interest and entice them to buy and read it. It's a crucial marketing tool, serving as a first impression and potential deciding factor for readers browsing bookshelves or online stores. Think of it like a movie trailer for your book – it teases, hints at the plot, and introduces the key elements without giving away the whole story or the climax.
That doesn’t sound too complex, right?
The problem I faced was condensing everything I felt was necessary and pertinent into barely more than a paragraph. It seemed like an impossible task and made writing the synopsis appear, dare I say it, easy in comparison. Unlike the synopsis, the blurb doesn’t give away spoilers. Armed with that salient fact as my only framework I drafted my first attempt. It was not great. In truth it was rather abstract and distinctly vanilla. It conveyed the theme but didn’t say much about what happens in the story.
I quickly learned that the theme ideas come through while reading the book but aren't as helpful for enticing a reader to buy the book. All of this information is great, but for me, nothing is quite as effective in delivering clarity as an example.
For reference this was my initial attempt:
From the Other Side is a story about a young woman’s experience of the afterlife.
A place where beings clash between three planes of existence.
She finds herself in the crossfire between opposing sides, fighting to assimilate with one whilst enduring an inexplicable pull towards the other, creating conflict between who she wants to be and who she is.
It’s a story about overcoming betrayal and loss, about being brave enough to recognize the chains we have been conditioned to unsee that bind us from accepting who we truly are.
It’s a story about the hidden beauty and power that darkness can hold.
It’s a story about having the courage to stand alone.
Example blurb (courtesy of my wonderful editor):
Alyssa has the worst hangover of her life but gradually realizes…
She hasn’t had a drink.
She can see and hear more than ever before.
No one can see her.
And a malevolent being is stalking her.
On the run from the evil one, Alyssa is saved by new friends who show her how to survive this strange world she never knew existed. But when she suspects her new family is lying to her, who can she trust?
Can you see the difference?
My attempt didn’t even name the protagonist. It is vague and non-specific, whereas the example blurb immediately invokes questions and illustrates the confusion and fear felt by the protagonist in the early chapters. It is specific and jumps straight into an introduction.
Key points to consider when writing a blurb:
1. It should consist of 100-120 words maximum.
2. The first 3 sentences are the most important. They are considered teasers, specific to the character and setting but not necessarily an explanation of what is going on.
3. The opening line should be something catchy.
4. It should only reference two main characters.
5. It should use descriptive words packed into clear yet motivating sentences.
6. It should end with a hook.
7. It should indirectly reveal the genre.
8. It should match the tone of the story.
I found it helpful to pinpoint the inciting incident, which in Alyssa’s case was her death. Thinking about the goal and the main conflict she faced reduced the risk of drifting off into elusiveness.
There are three fundamental elements of any blurb, these being the character’s goal, motivation and conflict. The great thing about blurbs is that you have access to literally thousands of examples. You can research blurbs of popular books within your genre to understand reader expectations without even leaving your sofa.
I would highly recommend writing multiple versions and experimenting with different approaches. When you’ve done this, get feedback from friends, family, online critique and feedback sites. I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for this. Manuscript feedback is a bigger task, as is synopsis critiquing, and although the opinions of friends and family can be helpful, unless they are professionals in the field their insights are likely limited in these areas.
Reviewing a blurb on the other hand is less time consuming. Ultimately friends and family may be representative of your target audience, and if they are not, find someone who is.
Don’t try and cram everything into the ideal word count on your first attempt. Start off bigger and then condense.
And the final point to remember.
You wrote the book. You did it. And if you can do that, you can absolutely write a killer blurb. It just may take a couple of attempts and an extra few glasses of wine.