Wattys 2020 Boot Camp

How to Write a Book Blurb

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 one of my favorite ONC entries this year. It's called Mind the Gap, co-written by EvelynHail and RainerSalt .

Two strangers on separate trains, divided by uncaring glass.

A bond forms between them.

But will it hold when their trains are bound for different destinations?

Evan's heart has been bleeding since his little family was torn apart by divorce, and his nose runs with a cold. Trying to pick up the pieces of his life, he has changed cities, and he's about to change jobs. And he has run out of tissues.

A woman's blue hair catches his eye at a train station. And her smile, fortified by braces, catches his heart. Sitting in her train, Iris revels in her future perfect. Her work is finally getting published and she has found Mr. Right. Nothing could go wrong now.

Gazing out of the window, she sees the stranger. He looks miserable and sneezes, but her hands want to tousle his bed hair.

A random encounter at a subway station. But both of them are caught in their tracks, and when their trains pull apart, they don't expect to meet again.

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Another great example is from our very own neverfakeit 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?

Homework for this week is to write your own blurb. Workshops on the Forums for feedback will commence on Monday, March 23.