"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 usual standards for crafting the prominent back-cover material.

Step 1 of 5

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!"

Step 2 of 5

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.

Step 3 of 5

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.

Step 4 of 5

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.

Step 5 of 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 and Warnings

By all means avoid 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.