Many have heard of the phrase, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ But the fact is, when we are browsing books at the bookshop, one of the first things we look at is the cover and the book blurb.

All of us have been there, where we have read a short description of a book and decided to buy it based on that. A well-written blurb or an endorsement of a book by a prominent author or famous personality will attract readers to buy the book. But, a well-written blurb for a book by a new author can work wonders in getting readers to pick up and purchase a book. 

After the cover art, it is the blurb that readers turn to.  But, writing a book blurb is art too, and some tips and tricks can ensure you write a description of your book that will compel readers to want to read your book.

If you want some helpful tips on blurb writing, read on!

What is a Blurb?

A blurb is the short description of a book, film, or other product for promotional purposes. It may be written by the author, publisher, or quote praise from others. Originally, blurbs were found on the jacket of books or at the back of a book. But now, since books are sold online, you can find blurbs on web portals and news sites.

For e-books, the blurb is written on the purchasing page.

The History of the Book Blurbs

The history of the book blurb is an interesting one. It originated in 1855. Walt Whitman had a review of his book Leaves of Grass reviewed by Ralph Waldo Emerson published in The New York Tribune. The review is considered the first blurb. One line of the review stands out till this day, “I greet you at the beginning of a great career.” It is this quote that had been printed on the spine of the book in gold during the second printing in 1856.

10 Tips when Writing Book Blurbs

Now, how can you create a captivating book blurb? Well, it is not a hard task if you follow a few tips and tricks. Now that books have become digital and more and more readers are turning to e-books, blurbs are very important in giving potential readers a glimpse of what your book is about.

Let us look at some simple tips to follow when writing a blurb:

• Give Readers What They Want
• Know Your Genre
• Don’t just Summarize, Captivate
• Hook your Reader With a Great Opening
• Be Concise – 150 Words is Good
• Write in the Third Person
• Appeal to Emotions
• Avoid Cliché's and Cheesy One-Liners
• Give the Blurb a Plot
• Write More Than One

How to Write a Book Blurb that Will Make Your Book Sell

Your book blurb is your single pitch to readers to buy your book. It is an opportunity to convince readers to become interested in the plot of your story and characters.

The book blurb will determine whether readers will want to read further. You may not realize it, but if you can write a blurb that resonates with readers of your genre, you are for sure able to drive book sales.

Let us look at some tips and tricks we can use when writing book blurbs to increase sales.

Introduce Your Main Characters

Your main characters are what drive the story and should be introduced in your book blurb. Readers will want to know your primary characters to decide whether or not they want to spend time with them or not.

Make sure to describe their most interesting characteristics. It is these human elements that readers may be able to relate to and prompt them to purchase your book. After your primary character's introduction, you can follow up by describing the primary conflict.

Set the Stage for Primary Conflict

Your primary conflict will be the hook to convince people to read your novel. The hook of the novel should be the conflict that is happening in the actual world rather than what your characters are going through internally. Your book blurb must be short. You must not go into great detail about internal conflicts here.

Establish the Stakes

After establishing your primary conflict, you should continue to describe the consequences of the conflict. This means you should explain in detail what could or could not happen if the conflict continues. This potential twist in the story is what will interest readers to want to read further. They will want to know what happened and will want to purchase the book.

Show the Reader Why the Book is for Them

Your book belongs to a specific genre and it is important to highlight to your readers why they should choose your book from that genre. You can point out certain elements that would appeal to readers of that genre.  For example, if your book is from the romance genre, you will know what kind of language and cliffhangers to use to make readers want to read more. But, it is important to also highlight why your book is different and unique.

When starting to write the book blurb for your book, it might be a good idea to glance at a ready-made template and know some writing tips. The formula will just help you brainstorm as you will need to include details that are relevant to your novel.

How effective are Book Blurbs in Getting Your Books Sold?

This is an important question and something that many authors would like to know the answer to.

The answer is YES. They do help promote book sales. If a reader is perusing many books and the blurb of a specific book stands out and takes their attention, they will be more inclined to purchase that book.

The problem is that just because you wrote the book, you might not be the right person to write the blurb. It may seem very difficult for you to condense your entire manuscript into 200 words.

You can hire a professional book blurb writer who will know how to create a hook and a compelling summary that will make readers buy your book.

You could also have fellow authors and colleagues review and recommend your book. There is nothing better than having a great review or recommendation that will drive book sales.

Synopsis vs Book Blurbs

A book blurb is used to sell your book. There is a difference between a book blurb and a synopsis. The main difference is that a book blurb will not describe the ending of your book while a synopsis will. The book blurb will leave readers wanting to learn more by reading the book so, try to avoid any spoilers.

A synopsis is used often when you are sending your manuscript to your publishers. They will want a short synopsis that will detail your story, conflict, and resolution. You can use the same tone that you use in writing your book when you write your synopsis. You should include the ending, any important themes of your novel, including details about the protagonist of your story. 

Who Writes Book Blurbs?

Blurbs can be written by the author but are usually not. It depends on the publisher. Usually, your publisher will connect you with the appropriate person so that a blurb can be written for your book. That appropriate person could be:

• A famous personality who has read the book and wants to recommend it
• A professional book blurb writer
• An acquaintance of your publishing company agent or yourself who had read the book and would like to recommend it
• An author who also writes book blurbs

To summarize, the following four things are important for book sales:

• The cover
• The blurb
• The price
• The reviews

Follow these simple tips and you will be sure to have a book blurb that will interest readers. At the end of the day, it is not an expensive feature of your book but one of the most important ones.

Good book blurbs can change the way your books sell in the market. It can create excitement, intrigue, and curiosity. All of these feelings are exactly what you want readers to feel like when they are about to purchase a book. Your story may be worth reading, but without a good book blurb, you may not be seeing the sales you want.