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How to Write a Book Blurb

Book blurbs--the short quotes on the back of a book--provide slight hints of what is inside the cover. The writers of book blurbs are often staffers for magazines or publishers. Their combined input gives a reader a vague idea of what to expect from an author and looking at a wide variety of these quotes shows the usual standards for crafting the prominent back-cover material.

Instructions

    • 1

      Keep it short. Book blurbs are generally not more than 3 or 4 lines and can be as short as 7 to 10 words. One popular format is to omit the subject and only write a description in several words, such as "A wild Dionysian romp--a great read!"

    • 2

      Use extreme action verbs. Providers of book blurbs like to promote literature with adjectives like "sizzling", "crackling" or "shattering." Then there's the ever popular "spine-tingling" used for thrillers and supernatural fiction.

    • 3

      Make author comparisons. New authors are generally compared to more established ones. These comparisons can be made in a second or third sentence that compliments the original style assessment.

    • 4

      Describe the journey. Formulas like "The author takes us through..." or "(Author) introduces the reader to..." are often used to set the stage, giving the reader a preview of the setting or plot.

    • 5

      End with a bang. Those who are enthusiastic about promoting a book will often include a repeated recommendation at the end such as "A must-read."

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