Importance of the 'Blurb'

[Lynn ODell]

I have noticed a couple of new threads discussing the importance of the cover. While I do agree a good cover is nice, I think that, for e-books, the blurb is the most essential and most powerful marketing tool an author has.

I also think it is probably one of the hardest parts of the publishing process for a self--published author. I am making that assumption that the blurbs for commercially published books are written by someone other than the author, but feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

The 'blurb' on an Amazon book page is the first, and sometimes only, introduction a reader will get to the author.  Whether a reader even so much as downloads a sample or not depends on this small sample of your writing.

I have noticed quite a few typos and grammatical and punctuation errors in these blurbs lately. I won't purchase these books because my assumption is that if an author can't write a few sentences without making mistakes, then their published work must be filled with them. Fair? I have no idea.

So, a bit of advice from a reader: Read your blurb 12 times. Have an editor, friend, family member, and anyone else you know look it over. It truly is the key to your sales.

If there is anyone on these forums who would like their 'blurb' read for editing type errors, I will be happy to do so. My e-mail address has been made public, so just send it to me. If it is already on Amazon, e-mail and let me know that you'd like me to look at it.

No, I can't write it for you.    Even if I have read your book, I would be just lousy at writing a blurb. I can't even seem to do it for my own work. But, I am a prolific reader with excellent grammar and would be happy to help anyone who needs an extra 'eye'.

Edited to add:

Any help requested, whether of published or unpublished work, will be kept completely confidential.  I'm not offering this to offend or embarrass anyone.

[telracs]

I'm with you 100% on this, RedAdept.  I am more likely to pass up a book if there are typos in a blurb or if the blurb is disjointed and makes no sense.  Teasers are okay, but confuse me and I won't invest my time.

[Addie]

I agree as well. Blurbs are either what make me one-click or back page click. Although, I admit if I'm on the fence about a blurb, reviews are the deciding factor--as long as they're not trolling or thoughtless reviews.

[sierra09]

I agree that blurbs certainly sell the book. Though I also know how hard it is to write one that conveys the basic sense of the book without seeming just random words. I think I've gone through about three different ones on my main novel and just finally got one that I liked for the shorter one.

[LuvMyKindle]

Great advice, Red! While my writing is far from perfect, I am reluctant to purchase books with poorly written/edited blurbs. Well-written and edited blurbs will absolutely benefit authors and surely make their extra efforts worthwhile. In addition to errors, if I read a blurb that makes me "dizzy" I don't purchase the book (kindle or DTB). Also, I find myself very annoyed when the blurbs turn out to be deceptive. It is so awesome that you are offering to assist authors with the editing aspect! I have heard that a good way to proofread is to read the sentences from the end to the beginning. I have never been able to do that. I have found reading out loud - every single word - is very helpful. 

Are you ready to say what type of book are you writing? If I had to guess, I would say something along the lines of a psychological thriller/mystery or horror and that it will have great character development, background info, and a few twists...am I way off base? Are you close to publishing? In any case, I wish you much success in your writing endeavors and will look forward to reading your work.  Between reading, writing reviews, and posting on forums, it's hard to believe that you have time for anything else! Who does the cleaning and laundry?

 

 

[MariaESchneider]

Red Adept,

I'd love to have you look at my "blurb" (any and all of you!)  But I think that when you say "blurb" you mean "book description?"  In a print book I associate a "blurb" with a short pithy phrase given by another AUTHOR about the book.  So for example, James Patterson might "blurb" a book for another author, such as J. A. Konrath.  "Laugh out loud funny...romantic...."

 I don't think anyone pays any ATTENTION to "blurbs" but the funniest one I ever read was when Barbara Michaels blurbed Elizabeth Peters (They are the same person and I may have it backwards -- it may have been Elizabeth Peters blurbing Michaels.)

But I'm not positive--I think you mean book description.  I have a Kindle book out, but I don't have any blurbs/quotes, just a book description!

Maria
Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom

Hmm.  Best way to email me is probably to go to my blog:  www.BearMountainBooks.com and on the left, there's an email contact.  Or post here and I'll check back.

[Lynn ODell]

Red Adept,

But I'm not positive--I think you mean book description.  I have a Kindle book out, but I don't have any blurbs/quotes, just a book description!

Maria

Yes, I mean book description.  Sorry, I may be using it wrong, but I have always referred to the description as the 'blurb'.

[Lynn ODell]

Red Adept,

I'd love to have you look at my "blurb" (any and all of you!)  
Maria
Or post here and I'll check back.

I'm taking the lazy route and posting here since you gave me permission. Well, to be honest your blurb is pretty great the way it is. I did make an attempt to offer some advice as to how I would write it, but feel free to ignore most or all of it.    There has previously been some debate over whether commas go inside or outside of quotes, but I just did it the way I thought was correct.  One other note is that I have never been good at remembering what kind of punctuation stories and magazines get, but I know they need some.

So, here it is:

"Sword and Sorcery" meets Agatha Christie in these three novellas which introduce the Kingdom of Sage and those who protect its boundaries. Join Demetria and her husband, Ward, in their adventures as they protect Sage from evil, including rats, snakes and perpetrators from within.

Sometimes it takes a more experienced hand to save an entire Kingdom.

In "Toil, Trouble and Rot", previously published in 'Coyote Wild Magazine', <Something about the story>

"Dungeons and Decay" depicts just how far a mother will go when her child is in danger and how much magic it takes to keep him safe.

"Call to Arms" has every hand needed when a ghost invades the kingdom demanding old wrongs be righted.

Maria Schneider has published stories in 'Coyote Wild Magazine', Dunesteef.com, TownDrunkMag.com and ClonePod.org. Her latest short story is due to be published by 'Aberrant Dreams' very soon!

Thanks for letting me try. It's actually fun for me.

[Lynn ODell]

Are you ready to say what type of book are you writing? If I had to guess, I would say something along the lines of a psychological thriller/mystery or horror and that it will have great character development, background info, and a few twists...am I way off base? Are you close to publishing? In any case, I wish you much success in your writing endeavors and will look forward to reading your work.  Between reading, writing reviews, and posting on forums, it's hard to believe that you have time for anything else! Who does the cleaning and laundry?

You are correct that it is a thriller. It's about a man with a secret who meets a woman in an online roleplaying game. She is a single mom with an autistic son. They start to fall in love online, but he thinks they can never meet because of what he can't tell her about himself. However, someone else has taken a more deadly interest in the woman.

Remember one thing: I may be good at reading books, picking out grammar errors, and critiquing. That does not mean that I have any writing talent whatsoever. I think I am good at the mechanics of writing, grammar, etc. But, my imagination is nothing compared to so many of the authors on here. 

[suicidepact]

Great advice, RedAdept. If even the blurb had typos, all I think is what a train wreck the actual content must be like. I know I'm not an author and it's tough to get published, but sometimes the blurb is, as RedAdept pointed out, the only time to represent your creation, and if that's poorly done, then to me it isn't worth spending more time on. The one saving grace at these times might be the sample button, but more often than not the sample just confirms whatever impression I get from the blurb.

[LuvMyKindle]

Oh, Red, I already want to read your book. You will be #1 on Movers and Shakers the day you make the announcement! (no pressure...LOL) Seriously, I already want to know the man's awful secret and why someone else is "after" the woman. In addition, you have a compassion element for the woman and her son. As far as creativity, I have read your postings on many of the humorous threads (on the Amazon forum) along with the non-grammatical/punctuation points you make on the many reviews you write....I am not at all worried that your writing won't be interesting, intriguing, well thoughtout, and an a enjoyable read. If you are worried about the fall out, I will read your book while wearing my "tinfoil hat."  

[tommy jonq]

Once upon a time, a small priesthood of publishing professionals referred to the brief, over-hyped recommendation (by another author in the same genre) quoted (selectively) on the book jacket as a "blurb," a crucial component in the time-honored tradition of "logrolling" each others' books. The short, snappy description of the book was called (at least when I used to write them) the "pitch."

Now that everyone and his dog is a self-published author (and I think this is great, since I am now included) the mob has decided that the "pitch" is now called the "blurb." So be it. Words get Xeroxed, Saran-Wrapped, and Coked all the time. Like how EVERY soup is a "bisque" now. But I digress . . .

Yes, other people (like me) used to write the "pitch" on a lot of books, but my theory is, if the author doesn't know what her books is about, how will anyone else?

[vwkitten]

I'll take any advice you have on the new blurb!

Never Smile at a Crocodile

Do you feel lucky?

Rianna was having the luckiest day of her life.  Oh, it started out as good luck.  She had her dream job, even if they didn’t understand her.  She’d been a part of a miracle.  Just as she gets her little miracle home, though, she’s got trouble; Dead Body Trouble.

Who’d want to put a dead body on her couch?  And why’d they have to pick today?

[MariaESchneider]

Dear Red:

Thanks for the advice!   I will add the quotes and a description for the first story.  I left them out after dithering over the decision (it can get kind of messy looking.)   I much appreciate your taking time to look it over.

And your book does sound intriguing-- suspense with romance in the background...!

Thanks again and see you around the boards!

Maria
Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom

[Lynn ODell]

I'll take any advice you have on the new blurb!

Never Smile at a Crocodile

I sent you a PM. 

[MariaESchneider]

Me again (if I'm hogging the thread, just let me know!)   I've got a book coming out in Kindle in the next couple of weeks--and since this thread is available, I'd like to get opinions BEFORE it goes live!  Here's the blurb/description for:  "Catch an Honest Thief"

Alexia is determined to protect her city, and if that means wearing the cloak of thievery, well, who better than she--a practiced observer of human behavior and a pretty good sneak thief as well? Alexia steals the crystals that power Haven to prove that it can be done. Her plan to improve security works perfectly--until a real thief goes after the crystals. Unfortunately, if she admits what she knows, she'll be blamed for all the attempts at the crystals. With no easy choices, she enters a dangerous game of cat and mouse against both the security chief and the real thieves. The competition is likely to cost her everything she holds dear—but she'll do what she has to in order to stop the insiders that are determined to take the crystals and end the game for good.

Young Adult/Adult Crossover

Maria Schneider has published stories in 'Coyote Wild Magazine,' Dunesteef.com, TownDrunkMag.com and ClonePod.org. Her latest short story, 'Top Secret,' was  published at 'Over My Dead Body' in August 2009.

I welcome comments on it!!

Thanks very much!

Maria
www.BearMountainBooks.com

[Lynn ODell]

I welcome comments on it!!

Thanks very much!

Maria
www.BearMountainBooks.com

Your new work sounds very interesting.    Here is my 'rewrite' that, once again, you are welcome to ignore. I admit that I am not big on 'dashes' in writing, so I will always try to do without those. Also, your quote is possibly not an exact replica, but I have heard readers say that they don't like long paragraphs in a blurb, so I broke it up some.

*******

Alexia is determined to protect Haven, and if that means wearing a cloak of thievery, well, who better than she, a practiced observer of human behavior and a pretty good thief as well?

Alexia steals the crystals that power Haven to prove that it can be done. Her plan to improve security works perfectly, until a real thief goes after the crystals. Unfortunately, if she admits what she knows, she risks being blamed of all attempts on the crystals.

With no easy choices, she enters into a dangerous game of cat and mouse against both the Security Chief and the real thieves. The competition is likely to cost her everything she holds dear, but she'll do what she must in order to stop whoever is determined to take the crystals and end the game for good.
****

I hope you sell lots of copies!

[Ann in Arlington]

I like your version better than the rewrite -- I like dashes. .

Though a paragraph break in the middle would make it more readable.  For some reason, people are, I think, less likely to read what looks like a "long" paragraph.  They tend to see a 'daunting' block of words.  Even though 2 or 3 short paragraphs is just as many words, it feels shorter to people who are maybe just skimming to find something that strikes their fancy.  I'd put one paragraph break before the word "unfortunately."

But that's just me. . . . . .

[Lynn ODell]

I like your version better than the rewrite -- I like dashes. .

Which goes to show that all tastes are different and all opinions are valid. 

Hey, at least we agree on the paragraph thing.   

[Edward C. Patterson]

Hiccup:
I dread the blurb - but if you don't have one that catches the prospective reader and keeps them interested enough to decide that your book in "intriguing," you're lost. There are many authors that just blurb something like this:

"This is a novel about Henny Youngman on the day he lost his violin."

Well, I would actually be interested in THAT book. But the "the work is about," or "the work is like StarTrek," or "Do you wanna buy some candy little girl . . ." approach is "DEATH" to interest.

The blurb should contain, IMHO, a bit of your style - some promise - and nail down at least the genre. If it's character based, you could start with - "Jenny Jones has a problem . . ." or "Whenever Tom Jones picks his nose, he turns into a butterfly." The outrageous usually works. I have even used the open line to the novel. I'd give examples, but it would hijack this thread, so I won't - but I think I've mastered the blurb. BUT it takes me a week to write one.

One variation is the double blurb. The first is the short, hook paragraph. Then a second paragraph restarted with a more pedestrian "and so on and so forth," and also if the work is dedicated to an organization, it should appear in the blurb. For the Kindle you get 4,000 characters for the description, and when Professional Reviews come in, you can follow the double blurb with the review, in its entirety. Since readers often do not consider the reviews, but do consider the stars, reviews that are tucked into the Description area are generally read and the most influential. You should reprint a professional or Review House review, which adds credibility to your work. You can also add "Marks of Distinction" lines, such as "Selected as Book of the Month with the Mugwug Information Library of Greater Muffleton" or "Hibbity-Bibbity Award Winner." I also feel that if the book is dedicated to an organization, that should be prominent. It underscores intent - you wrote it, you're selling it, but you have the interest of others at heart (which MUST be the case). If you have several PRO reviews, it is better to select one or two FULL reviews instead of using "pull quotes." Pull quotes tend to be Use Car Salesmanship, which us poor sainted Indie authors are accused of often enough (untrue as it is, let's not feed the kitty). ALSO, it is perfectly acceptible, and in fact, laudable to delete the downsides of Pro reviews in the reprint. Unlike Reader Opinions expressed in the Review sections on the Amazon Product page, this section is meant to SELL your book, so lines such as "I hated the cover," or "I found a few typos on page 23," should be expunged, because such statements in a PRO review deminish their professionalism. That is "there are opinions and then there are opinions." If you got a Bad Professional review, BTW you wouldn't put it here. I mean, you want readers to be honest in their assessment, and you need to earn your stars, so if the book's a dog and you're puffing the goods, don't worry, your readers will level the playing field soon enough.

For DTB, such as CreateSpace, Amazon only allows 1,000 character blurbs, so only the first paragraph (the hook) will probably fit, and you save the full double blurb and your bio for the back cover of the book.

Anyway, that's my take on blurbs and the Editorial section of the Amazon product page.

Edward Cliffe Patterson

PS: For authors with author pages on Author Central, Amazon has expanded the DTB product page to include your photgraph and a BIG FAT link to your Author's Page now. No such animal on Kindle pages . . .yet.

[MariaESchneider]

Thanks Red and Ann!   I'll split it into at least two paragraphs so that it isn't all bunched.  Good idea, especially for screen reading.

Appreciate the advice!

Maria

[Athenagwis]

I like your version better than the rewrite -- I like dashes. .

Though a paragraph break in the middle would make it more readable.  For some reason, people are, I think, less likely to read what looks like a "long" paragraph.  They tend to see a 'daunting' block of words.  Even though 2 or 3 short paragraphs is just as many words, it feels shorter to people who are maybe just skimming to find something that strikes their fancy.  I'd put one paragraph break before the word "unfortunately."

But that's just me. . . . . .

Ummmm .... Guilty as charged .... I read the first 2 sentences of the first blurb and I read the whole thing of the second blurb even though they both say the same thing!!   Didn't even realize I did it until you said this.  LOL

Rachel

[Keith Melton]

I have noticed quite a few typos and grammatical and punctuation errors in these blurbs lately. I won't purchase these books because my assumption is that if an author can't write a few sentences without making mistakes, then their published work must be filled with them. Fair? I have no idea.

So, a bit of advice from a reader: Read your blurb 12 times. Have an editor, friend, family member, and anyone else you know look it over. It truly is the key to your sales.

Good advice, Red.

However, one thing that has really frustrated me is the fact that it seems all the blurbs from my publisher, Samhain, seem to upload with an error—the apostrophes all become hyphens. They are apostrophes when we write the blurbs and submit them to our editors. Apostrophes when the blurb is uploaded to other vendor sites and uploaded to the Samhain site. Yet, they somehow undergo metamorphosis when they appear for the Kindle.

Learning that an error we (Samhain authors) can’t control may influence readers to dismiss our work out of hand makes blood shoot out of my eyes. Not that I blame the reader. I, too, would look askance at hyphens masquerading as apostrophes. Alas, it’s the first thing the reader sees, even before downloading a sample.

Sigh.

[Lynn ODell]

However, one thing that has really frustrated me is the fact that it seems all the blurbs from my publisher, Samhain, seem to upload with an error—the apostrophes all become hyphens. They are apostrophes when we write the blurbs and submit them to our editors. Apostrophes when the blurb is uploaded to other vendor sites and uploaded to the Samhain site. Yet, they somehow undergo metamorphosis when they appear for the Kindle.

I have noticed this problem. Hopefully, the discerning reader can tell that it's some sort of formatting issue with software compatibility. Unfortunately, there have been a lot of books published on the Kindle with formatting issues, so it's possible that having formatting problems in the blurb could hurt your sales somewhat as readers might think the Kindle version has the same problem.   

Although, when I see an issue like this, it does not stop me from getting a sample. And, of course, if the sample is not a problem, I will buy the book. 

[Steph H]

I've noticed this too on the Samhain books, and so personally discount it from a global "the book could be horribly formatted" problem because I've not yet found (or at least noticed) a Samhain book that had a problem solely due to that.  But yeah, that doesn't mean everyone is as observant/tolerant as we are.

It's too bad that it does that, though.

[Edward C. Patterson]

Rule of thumb to Kindle uploaders and to authors who still use traditional publishers (whom you must educate, because you are ultimately responsible). No printer quotes. No em or en dashes. Kindle translates them into machine language and will mar your blurb.

As for typos and misspellings in the blurbs - I have had some (and they are frustrating) in my first published books. They are highly correctable. So when you discover them, correct them immediately. You can even correct them on POD book covers by adjusting the file copy and at no expense, something you are denied by the tradipubs. However, I have learned that my blurbs must be constructed with care and MUST go through my editor (the famous Peg of the almighty red pen). It is a shame if a misspelled word in a blurb causes a reader to think badly of your work (the ignominy of it all). It IS worse than when a reviewer misspells words left and right/write (couldn't resist  ) when castigating you for typos (they're not selling books and looking for readers . . . just attention, sometimes). Nothing makes me more furious at myself as when a snipper posts that "I didn't buy his book, because he spelled receive "recieve." Therefore the product of 37 years must indeed be a horror akin to a ten year old with a typewriter." No one has ever said as much, but although its my fault, and there are readers who are less interested in your few typos or malapropisms (something that irks me, because I stretch word use to the limit and often get accused of these style quirks as MALAPROPISM), there are those who lurk in the corners and wait for you to switch their for there, and then they hold a party, spin around in delight and shout to the world that 2012 has come early. (How about that long sentence . . . eat your heart out Virginia Woolf). SO spelling counts always, but in a blurb it counts double, because you're double-damned if you do it and you only have yourself to blame when the villagers show up with the pitchforks.  

Edward Cliffe Patterson aka Miss Chatty and on a roll/role today      

[Keith Melton]

I have noticed this problem. Hopefully, the discerning reader can tell that it's some sort of formatting issue with software compatibility. Unfortunately, there have been a lot of books published on the Kindle with formatting issues, so it's possible that having formatting problems in the blurb could hurt your sales somewhat as readers might think the Kindle version has the same problem.   

Although, when I see an issue like this, it does not stop me from getting a sample. And, of course, if the sample is not a problem, I will buy the book. 

That's reassuring to hear. However, one only gets a single chance to make a good first impression. That goes double for unknown writers.

I've heard discussion that it might be an error introduced when the blurb and cover are ported over by Amazon from the mobipocket site.

All that aside, your words on having a polished blurb should be heeded.

[Keith Melton]

Rule of thumb to Kindle uploaders and to authors who still use traditional publishers (whom you must educate, because you are ultimately responsible). No printer quotes. No em or en dashes. Kindle translates them into machine language and will mar your blurb.

Edward Cliffe Patterson aka Miss Chatty and on a roll/role today      

Ah, thank you. I appreciate the information. I will let them know.

[Maria Hooley]

Red,
I am really curious about the autistic son you mentioned as a character in your novel.  I was curious why you chose autism over other disabilities.  I have a six-year-old who is autistic. 


I also hate writing the back jacket copy.  I think the tool that helped me most with that is the Snowflake Method.  It pretty much makes you nail your story in single line then a paragraph and then spreads it out.  It's an amazing writing tool that I highly recommend.  I do not remember the author who developed it, but if you do a search, it should come up.  It's that popular.

[J.E.Johnson]

     Hmmm, when it comes to choosing a book I try to be thorough about it.  First I look at the cover and title (I know, I know, I shouldn't judge, but I can't help it, it's a bad habit of mine  )  If either catches my eye or fancy, I move on to reading the blurb/synopsis.  I have to agree with several of you here; if the blurb is full of typos, I'll assume the book is as well (doesn't mean it's a bad book, it just means I'll get distracted and I'll spend all my energy on mentally editing it). 
     If the blurb sounds enticing but doesn't completely grip me, I'll check out the reviews (both negative and positive - I want to know why someone likes or dislikes this book, may not be for the same reasons I would like or dislike it).  Finally, I read the sample pages.  These are always a plus for me because they give me a feel for the author's style, something that isn't always reflected in the blurb (I mean, authors have to condense their story into a few paragraphs, how could it reflect their writing properly?)  So, in a nutshell, I like to explore all my options before I purchase a book, and the blurb is where I start.
-J.E. Johnson 

[Lynn ODell]

Red,
I am really curious about the autistic son you mentioned as a character in your novel.  I was curious why you chose autism over other disabilities.  I have a six-year-old who is autistic. 

The biggest reason was probably that, years ago, I had a friend whose son was autistic. She actually had 2 sons, both right around my son's age. That's how we met, our kids went to chess club together. My son became friends with both boys. We had them over to spend the night, etc, so I spent a lot of time with them.

However, the boy in my book is only very loosely based on the boy mentioned above.

The boy being autistic actually is an important part of the plot. Or, rather will be, assuming I get that far.