How to Write Your Book Blurb

Have you ever looked at the cover of a book and thought “Yeah that’s the vibe I’m looking for” only to bring it home, crack it open, and two or three chapters into it, you realize this is not what you thought you were getting into. Every single time this has happened to me it’s because I didn’t bother to read the book blurb.

The blurb offers so much to your reader without giving away the whole story. Sure it helps sell your book, but more specifically, the blurb promises something familiar and comforting, a story that fits within the expectations of a genre they enjoy. At the same time it provides a promise that this story in particular has a little something else, something different, something interesting enough that they’re going to want to take the book home immediately and find out what the secret is.

Writing your book blurb
With only 100-200 words, it’s important that every word has a purpose. A blurb should feel high stakes and more dramatic than regular conversation. The reader should be immediately put into the mindset of the main character; this is best achieved by writing the blurb in present tense.

We want to introduce the character, the world they live in, what they want, what’s standing in the way, and what will happen if they don’t succeed. If you’ve already plotted out your story (or even written the whole thing), it will be a bit easier to fill in these blanks. Then it’s just a matter of writing and rewriting a brief description in a way that captivates the reader and leaves them feeling like they need to know what happens.

Blurbs match the writing style of the story’s genre so the best place to start is by reading book blurbs by other authors in the genre you’re writing in. Take notes on some of your favorites and why they stood out to you. After some research, you’ll start to notice similarities, what a good hook sounds like, and what really doesn’t work.

Be prepared to rewrite your blurb a hundred times or more. Don’t delete anything! After several rewrites, take a break, come back later, and if something’s missing from your last version see if a sentence from an old version fills in the gap.

Check out the StoryForge template on Writing your Book Blurb for more guidance and an organized sheet to fill out as you go!