Quick Tip #4
by Cathie Dunn
In between posts by fabulous guest authors and designers, I'll be sharing short, concise Quick Tips, to make your author life a little easier.
Here’s the fourth:
* Shape up your book blurb! *
"The book blurb is just a simple summary of the plot, isn't it?"
Well, no!
Over recent decades, we've seen many changes in the look and style of book blurbs (or book description / back cover blurb). These days, with so many books available online, a blurb needs to catch a reader's eye quickly, or they'll move on to the next tempting literary morsel.
How do you ensure visibility?
Your blurb needs to have something that makes it stand out from the rest, something that guides the searching reader's eye to your book, and makes them keep reading. And hopefully, press that ’buy’ button!
Here are a few simple, easy-to-follow ideas:
Use bold text and italics!
Text in bold catches the roving eye, and italics are great in quotes from readers or reviewers.
There are different ways of how to use bold text effectively:
A teaser line at the top of your blurb, which could, for example, be:
- A summarising question, hinting at conflict or danger;
- three different aspects from your plot;
- an endorsement from a well-known author (using both italics for the quote and bold text).
With essential text in bold, the book page immediately becomes more interesting, and a potential reader will likely, well, read on.
But don't overdo it with bold text or capitals! That may annoy readers. Next!
A clever closing line – a hook – for example:
- An open question about the plot, or an event / challenge to a major character, which piques the reader's interest;
- a comparison to other authors who write similar books;
- a quote from a review;
- or a CTA – a Call to Action!
There is a third way of using bold text:
Highlighting key words in bold text, dotted throughout your blurb.
Personally, I consider the first two options the most effective. They make whole sentences stand out, and can be used to guide a reader to important aspects of your plot.
The third option is used less often, and then, the reader will have to cast their eyes to the beginning of the sentence with each highlighted word. That can be distracting. However, it can be useful for readers looking for specific key words.
How much of the plot should be in a blurb?
To be honest, keep it to the basics, but with a teaser or two. A good blurb doesn't give away a lot, but just enough to give readers an idea of what the story is about and what conflicts your character faces.
It's not a synopsis, so you won't need to mention all major twists and turns – just stick to 1-2 major ones.
Give away a little about your main character(s), but don't list secondary characters if they don't play major roles. A mother who brings your main character a homemade casserole every two weeks, but doesn't feature otherwise, won't need a mention. Nor does the postman, unless he has hidden secrets that impact on your character's life!
But the king who plans to marry your heroine off to one of his cronies may deserve a mention, especially if it changes your character's life dramatically!
Don't list all your character's conflicts, or readers will have nothing left to uncover. A major conflict makes for a great teaser. But you may only hint at the outcome, especially if it's crucial to the plot.
Don't go down a blurb rabbit hole! Keep it fairly short and sweet(ly tempting). It's not a novella.
How best to structure a good blurb?
Your blurb should be tidy, and easy to read. It should be broken up into several neat paragraphs, rather than one big blob of text. This makes your book's online store page look tidy and enticing, and it helps readers on different devices to follow your text more easily.
A great blurb should ideally feature some of these points:
- A great teaser line in bold to catch a reader's eye;
- a line with the location and the year, usually in italics or bold (this helps readers with placing a novel accurately, both geographically and within its timeframe, and avoids readers’ disappointment, which may lead to a poor review!);
- 3 - 5 short-ish paragraphs, introducing your character, a major conflict, a hint of the setting or location, and their dilemma;
- a paragraph with an open question, to make a reader curious;
- a final paragraph, with a comparison, or a review quote, or summarising your character's conflict (or a combination of aspects);
- a CTA if you want one, though its popularity depends much on the audience. Authors who love marketing & selling often use them; others prefer not to add a touch of what they consider a ’hard sell’ paragraph. But, ultimately, we all want to sell our books, so...
Examples of Blurbs:
Here's an example from my novel, Ascent:
Trigger Warnings:
You will notice I added a Trigger Warning to this blurb. It isn't necessary, but if your book covers sensitive themes (such as losing a child, which can still be traumatic to a reader who suffered such a loss) or gory violence, you may wish to add a note in explanation.
And for comparison, here's a slightly different style of blurb from Deborah Swift's fabulous novel, The Silk Code:
Reader's Comments:
You will see in Deborah's blurb that not only has her publisher placed key words in bold, but they also quote from reader reviews, with the star rating shown in gold stars.
Using review quotes can be effective, and not only in the Amazon Editorial Reviews section on your book's page on Amazon US, but also as part of your blurb. It's important, though, to have approval from such readers to quote from their review, and always adding their name or blog name.
Most importantly, such quotes should not overshadow or replace the actual blurb, nor should they take up the majority of the top space (the part you see before you click to expand a longer blurb) on your book's page.
A reader searching for their next read will – first and foremost – want to know what happens in your book.
So don't disappoint them!
Right, we hope you found this useful, and you will check your own blurbs now to see how you can improve them. A little tweaking can make a difference. 😁
But if you're looking for a blurb makeover, we can help...
Here, at The Coffee Pot Book Club, we offer assistance with book blurbs. Find more details HERE.
These are just some simple tips to get your book blurb in great shape. The easier it is for a reader to suss out if your book is for them, the quicker they may press that ’buy’ button...
And that's what we all want, isn't it?
Happy reading! 💝
The Coffee Pot Book Club was founded in 2015 by bestselling author, Mary Anne Yarde. Later, her daughter, Ellie, joined her.
Mary Anne’s goal was to create a platform that would help Historical Fiction, Historical Romance and Historical Fantasy authors promote their books and find that sometimes elusive audience.
The Coffee Pot Book Club soon became the place for readers to meet new authors (both traditionally published and independently) and discover their fabulous books.
In July 2022, Mary Anne and Ellie Yarde handed over the keys to The Coffee Pot Book Club to award-winning author, Cathie Dunn, who has many years’ experience as a book reviewer, author, publisher, and editor.
And in January 2025, Mary Anne returned to take on the coordination of the popular Editorial Reviews, whilst Cathie focuses on blog tours, author services, and the prestigious book awards.
Together, Cathie and Mary Anne continue to feature quality historical fiction, non-fiction, and women's fiction at The Coffee Pot Book Club, together with our wonderful tour hosts, book bloggers, reviewers, and associates.
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