What's a Book Blurb?
A book blurb is a brief description of a story typically found on the back cover of a book. On Wattpad, it's what you add under Description on your Story Detail Page. The book blurb's main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to read your book. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the blurb is what is going to make the difference between a missed opportunity and a reader jumping to your first chapter. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader, and the payoff is big if you do it right.
How to Write a Book Blurb
Here are some tips we believe to be the most essential to crafting a good book blurb.
1. Start with a hook.
Hook them into the blurb. If your first sentence is dull or of no interest, they won't read the rest of the blurb. Startle readers with an opening line that catapults them into the setting and the mind of the protagonist.
2. Don't summarize. Entice.
The blurb is not meant to be a summary of the book. That can be both boring and a spoiler. Remember that the main purpose of the blurb is to highlight the reasons why your readers should be reading your book rather than an account of everything they can find inside the book.
Saying no spoilers seems a bit obvious, but here's where things get a little tricky. You want to tell readers enough about your plot that they'll want to know more without giving up your secrets and all the fun stuff.
3. Use a formula
Most fiction book blurbs start with a situation, introduce a conflict/problem, and show the stakes if the main character fails. They usually end with a sentence that emphasizes the mood of the story.
4. Aim for 150-250 words
Some writers are so eager to convince readers that their book is the be-all and end-all, they go a little overboard with the blurb. A person's general attention span is limited, so they likely won't spare much time reading the blurb of a book. Adhere to the adage, keep it short and sweet — and more importantly — to the point.
5. Write in the third person / present tense.
Just like the summary, a blurb should always be written in third person/present tense regardless of which point of view or tense your story is written.
6. Appeal to your readers' emotions.
Most of us read novels to escape, so give your readers a blurb that makes them want to get lost in your world. Give them action and suspense. Give them intrigue and passion. That way, when they get to the end of the blurb, they just have to read on.
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Blurb Examples:
This blurb is from this year's ONC contest and was written by evelynhail :
In the year 2210, Magna is sick of being unappreciated by her father. Back in 1840, Lord Edmund Worthington is less than enthused by an idea of an arranged marriage.
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Magna Reign fears her father will order her to take a sabbatical after a full-blown love scandal turns into a media circus. To prove to him she is quite capable of being a successor to Reign Industries, Magna decides to test a prototype of her time travelling device by setting it to a Shakespearean timeline.
Only, the machine malfunctions, landing her in 1840s Britain instead, straight into the household of uptight Lord Edmund Worthington on the very morning of his arranged wedding.
Resourceful Magna attempts to rectify her mistake but makes matters worse. Together, she and Edmund land in 2025. As they try to find a way out of that strange period of time, their stubborn personalities clash and sparks fly.
They knew it was neither his time nor hers.
They didn't know it was theirs.
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Another great example is from our very own Morgan Rider and can be found on her Young Adult profile buzzmama . Neon Girl is a Wattys winner, and the blurb is part of this edgy, teen drama.
Melody Holiday knows Las Vegas is far from paradise, in spite of what the brochures promise. If she's going to make her mark in showbiz, she needs to rub a lot of elbows and take some risks.
In a city where con artists make the rules and aspiring females wear sequins and dance with a pole, Melody Holiday is determined to rise above the weirdos and wannabees. And she refuses to ride on the coattails of her semi-famous grandfather.
After a chance meeting with a well-connected stranger, Mel thinks she's on her way to greatness as she trips the light fantastic with the penthouse crowd. She doesn't notice the trouble until she's finding contracts hidden in strongboxes and falling for gangsters with Rocky Balboa eyes. Mel realizes a little too late that she may have rubbed elbows with the very people who could take away her freedom for good.
If you like your fiction shaken not stirred, with a sprinkle of badboy on the rim, NEON GIRL delivers the goods; giving readers a dose of drama, a dash of romance, and a heaping helping of Las Vegas schmaltz.
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Finally, we turn to a thriller blurb from SallyMason1 for the final book in her Trapped series called Afraid:
One Will Do Everything to Protect Her & One Will Do Anything to Kill Her
After witnessing her boyfriend Malcolm brutally kill an undercover cop in a drug sting operation, seventeen-year-old Natalee Crogan takes refuge in small town Maine to wait out the days until her testimony. Her protection detail, US Marshall Jason Westcott, gets placed on high alert after Malcolm puts out a contract hit on her. Both he and Natalee know that the violent drug runner will stop at nothing to silence the witness who can put him on death row.
Now every single person on the street could be a potential killer. All Natalee can do is watch her back and hope that Jason will protect her. But as it turns out, Malcolm isn't the only one who wants Natalee dead.
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What's next?
Join us for our blurb workshop on Discord this week (March 29th thru April 2nd) to get feedback on your blurb and ask any question you might have.
YOU ARE READING
Wattys 2021 Boot Camp
RandomThe Wattys Boot Camp Mentorship Program is back for 2021! Did you write a story that you plan to submit to the Wattys? If the answer is yes, you've come to the right place. This program helps you prepare your submission to make it the best it can be...
