Writing a Good Book Blurb

Blurbs are book descriptions, and they are a crucial part of book marketing. A bad blurb can cause readers to pass over your book in favour of another book with a more attractive description, so it’s important for authors to know how to write a good book blurb that will get their book noticed. This blog post is written specifically for self-published authors who want to promote their books but don’t know where to start. Book blurbs can get your book more sales and reviews so don’t delay in writing your best blurb yet!

writing a good book blurb
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Book blurbs are important for new self published authors

Book blurbs can be written by any author using solid sales copywriting techniques but they should always be aimed at readers who might not know about your book yet. A good way to start writing a new one is with this question: “What one sentence would make someone want to buy my book?” When you answer it yourself, think about what’s appealing and different about the story compared to other books out there on shelves/eBooks stores now.

The first sentence is everything

The first sentence needs to be the most enticing and capture the essence and theme of the book. And you most certainly need to have a hook in the first sentence.

The book blurb is the first thing that many readers see, and it’s your best opportunity to hook them. It should be short and concise but detailed enough for potential buyers to know what they are going to get out of reading or listening to your book. What do you want a reader who picks up this book to say? That they read an amazing book filled with suspense? A fantastic book with twists at every turn? Let them know before they buy the book!

Writing a good book blurb tips

Don’t use flowery language or tell everything about the story (that comes later). You just need a quick summary of themes, characters, setting. You know, the basics

A book blurb should not be too long or too short, it needs to include the main points of what you want people to know about the book without spoiling anything. Instead, try something like “In this gripping novel by Jennifer Hillier we find out why Alexis left her hometown in shame twenty years ago.” Now their curiosity has been piqued but they don’t have any spoilers yet.

Avoid being clichéd by using phrases such as ‘one man’s struggle to find himself’ or ‘the book will change your life.’ Be specific. Exactly HOW will it change someone’s life? And in what timeframe?

Know what to include in the blurb and what to leave out. Sometimes, leaving out the details and getting people to work their imagination can be the biggest seller since our brains just naturally love to fill in the gaps.

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Writing a good book blurb (step by step guide)

Start with the basics:

Step one – What is your book about?

The best way to answer this question might be in broad terms. For example, ‘a love story set in New York City during the summer.’

Step two – Why should people read it?

Get into the mind of your reader and tap into exactly why they will want to read it. Does your book change your reader in some way? Does it reveal a facet of our minds that we are too afraid to face? Will it help them improve their business? Be explicit here.

Step three – Who are some of the main characters?

This question might be answered with just a sentence or two. For example, if your book has more than one protagonist, then you could say something like ‘The story follows three women: Julia who lives in New York City; Jane who lives in London; and Anaïs from Paris.’ Remember, this is to start with. The following sentence will need to be a contrast, expose the obstacles they need to overcome or the shock to their world. Eg, ‘The story follows three women: Julia who lives in New York City; Jane who lives in London; and Anaïs from Paris. And unearths how their lives or intertwined through a tragic car accident.’

Step four – Summarise

Summarise your blurb in one or two sentences that acts a final convincing statement. Eg, ‘A charming book that will ensure readers learn enough about Paris to never have to go there!’

A book blurb is your biggest selling tool (alongside the cover) when it comes to your book. So you can’t afford to skimp on writing a good book blurb. If you need help, let’s talk and get your book selling like hotcakes with my book blurb writing service.