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."

Tips & Warnings

• By all means, avoid plot spoilers or going too far into plot events. Although book blurbs will sometimes include the brief description mentioned above, there is a line that should not be crossed between outlining general plot/setting and divulging things that the reader should have to figure out for themselves. Many times, a book blurb will set up the "general problem" of a plot and then ask a question that the reader will answer in the course of completing the book.

Resources

• A publishing website
• A website on book jacket and publishing information