How to Write Your Book Blurb

Have you ever seen a book cover and thought, “This is the vibe I want”? You take it home, open it, and after two or three chapters, you realize it’s not what you expected. Every single time this has happened to me it’s because I didn’t bother to read the book blurb.

Have you ever seen a book cover and thought, “This is the vibe I want”? You take it home, open it, and after two or three chapters, you realize it’s not what you expected. 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. The blurb offers something familiar and comforting. It promises a story that meets the expectations of a genre readers enjoy.

A book blurb promises that this story has something special. It offers something different and interesting. The goal is to have a book blurb that will have readers want to take the book home right away to discover the secret.

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 author should quickly put the reader in the main character's mindset. This is best done by writing the blurb in present tense.

We want to introduce the character and their world in the blurb. We will explain what they want and what blocks their path. We will also show what will happen if they fail.

If you have planned your story or written it all, it will be easier to fill in these blanks. Next, you need to write and rewrite a short description. It should grab the reader's attention. The goal is to make them feel they must know what happens next.

Blurbs should match the writing style of the story's genre. A good way to start is by reading blurbs from other authors in your genre. Take notes on some of your favorites and why they stood out to you. After some research, you’ll start noticing similarities, what a good hook sounds like, and what utterly doesn’t work.

Be prepared to rewrite your blurb a hundred times or more. Don’t delete anything! After you rewrite, take a break. Come back later. If something is missing from your last version, check old versions. See if a sentence from an old version can fill 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!