May 29, 2023
We’ve talked blurbs before. Do you have any tips for writing blurbs?
Action words. Lots of action words. Limit passive words as much as possible. There isn’t a way to get rid of all of them, but careful word crafting can eliminate many of them.
Of course, the order you put those words in is important. That’s the tough part. I don’t remember how many revisions the blurb of my most recent release went thru, and how many people chipped in to help me fine-tune it. I have four files with different names and different versions. Blurb new, blurb new version, Rise blurb, and blurb final. Each file (except for the final one) has two or three drafts of the blurb.
The purpose of a blurb is to hook a potential reader by introducing the problem and hinting at the solution, without giving too much away. That’s my struggle-finding the line between the two.
Along with the blurb comes writing the tagline. Yes, there are folks who develop it before they ever start penning the story, but I often discover the tagline amid figuring out the blurb.
Here are a few of the taglines that were suggested for The Rise of Jake Hennessey: I have used 3 out of the 4 in publicity.
- He’s a good man with an illegal hobby…
- What does a semi-retired jewel thief do in his spare time? Help the victims of abuse disappear and start new lives, of course.
- So much for retirement
- Jake Hennessey: Bar owner (twice). Jewel thief (retired… almost). He’s a good guy, it’s just his hobby that’s illegal. Mostly. OK, completely.
So, my biggest tip for writing a blurb and tagline? Don’t be afraid to get assistance. It doesn’t even have to be from other authors, although they are a great resource. My cover artist has a great ear and helps me with both blurbs and taglines as well as creates brilliant covers.
I can’t reveal any great secrets for blurbs because I don’t know any! My best advice is revise, revise, revise. But perhaps some of the others on this blog hop can help. Check out their posts by following the links below.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
May 29, 2023
We’ve talked blurbs before. Do you have any tips for writing blurbs?
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