The Overlooked Key to Selling a Book – Blurbs
It is called a blurb, which doesn’t even start to give this package of words the respect it should! It would need to be called “The Almighty” or “Atom Bomb” to give it a title with the impact of its real status.
A blurb is simply the term for those couple of paragraphs that you see and read on the back of any published book. The blurb is used for several other purposes as well, like for the description portion of Amazon, Goodreads and all other sites where you will be promoting your book.
A blurb runs about 200 to 350 words and those few words have a huge task. Once you write a strong blurb you are miles ahead in taking all the steps between “The End” and making sales.
A blurb fills these needs for would-be purchasers as they learn:
- the book’s premise (era, genre, etc.)
- its promise (entertaining, informative, reflective, etc.)
- its potential (the writing style, readability, tone)
Readers will make their decision—to buy or NOT buy—based on those couple hundred words! Writers often write really great books then fail to sell simply because they have NOT put as much (actually, it takes more!) effort into writing a really super blurb and promos.
How to write one? First, study the commercially published blurbs on the backs of books and in the descriptions of books in similar genres to yours that you see on Amazon. Note the power words in those descriptions: intense action verbs, sensory descriptions and specific details about characters or setting. Pull together all the similar type power words that specifically fit your own book and start there.
You will want to create blurbs of varying lengths as well. So once you have a great one that is, say, 350 words long, save it. Then ALSO cut it down to create a great 275 word blurb. Then do it again to get one at 200 and maybe even another shorter yet. You’ll find, as you promote your book, that you will need different lengths for different purposes–so get several versions ready while your hot blurb-writing juices are flowing!
Plan on spending several days going over and over this very important package of sales tools that will entice, inform and satisfy YOUR specific audience of readers. You’ll find whatever time you spend on this will pay off more than any other words you write on this book!
Need help? Drop me a line at services@bristolservicesintl.com
