Cliffhanger book blurb writing

Lets go over the structure, formula, and some tips for writing a good book blurb. Tips on how to write a good book blurb by author tina. Cliffhanger is a book i remember reading during the summer holidays as a child and really enjoyed. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. Blurb, back cover copy, jacket copy, or promotional copy whatever you call it, a great book description is your second best marketing tool your cover is number one. Fox emm shares how to write an effective book blurb for your memoir, or any piece of writing. Hint at some of the events, but leave the reader questioning whats going to happen with your last line.

Cliffhanger was written by jacqueline wilson initially as a television script, she enjoyed the story so. Then ensure you incorporate them into your back book jacket blurb. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction.

For example, margaret peterson haddix i think thats her name wrote her book turnabout, in which case it ends in total uncertainty with a cliffhanger. To cliffhanger or not to cliffhanger, that is the question. There are three key areas you need to focus on when writing your back cover. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. But it is the single most important piece of writing you will do on your. A book blurb, or the book jacket description, summarizes the best part of your book in only 150 words yep. This is because writers dont really understand what a blurb is meant to do. How to write a book blurb by far, the weakest part of many selfpublished books is the synopsis found on amazon and elsewhere. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. Bookwright features videos, instructions, and tips built right into the application so youll have everything you need right at your fingertips. How to sell your manuscript to publishers and your indie book to readers writers craft 19 kindle edition by hall, rayne. Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art.

Writing a blurb for a fiction book is often a lot harder than nonfiction because you need to get readers excited about your story without giving too much away. For nonfiction books your cliffhanger should promise a strategy or solution. For many, they go too deep into the story, describing the beginning, middle and end. Start by introducing the situation of your book, then bring in a problem, follow it up with a twist to whet the readers appetite and finish by. Quotes about plot generator this is the best thing to exist ever. This is police procedural at its bestit is complex, intriguing, and the writing hooked me in completely. Cliffhanger is about tim who really does not enjoy sports or physical activity and doesnt think that he is any good but is forced to go to an adventure centre by. If youre wondering how to do that and where to start, it involves penning multiple drafts, lots of cutting, losing your sanity, and planning your blurb with the help of these steps. That quote and use of bold is reminding the reader that this book is a police procedural. How are you supposed to condense an entire novel into a few lines or paragraphs. Oct 04, 20 an easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. Any of the above reactions could be part of a writers devious plan to entertain readers. Answer a few quick questions and this website will automatically write a story or blurb for you using your keywords. Many blurbs are also preceded by the books tagline, or what i call the killer line.

Apr 28, 2017 when it comes to writing the back blurb for a book, the struggle is real. I think the plot is boring, i am not enjoy reading this book. I have seen many famous authors end a book on a cliffhanger and no one cares. You usually have to catch the readers interest within the first sentence for them to continue reading the blurb. The whole process with blurb has been super easy, putting the book together using the bookwright app was really simple. But there are a few tricks to making your blurb a successful part of your books marketing. Writing a killer book blurb doesnt have to give you a migraine. An object or a person that a climbers rope can be tied to for safety. Cliffhanger is about tim who really does not enjoy sports or physical activity and doesnt think that he is any good but is forced to go to an adventure centre by his father during the holidays. But what a lot of writers dont realize is that the cliffhanger ending is only half the equation. Youll be surprised just how many authors are willing to critique your blurb and help you tighten up weak points. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your amazon page, will either.

This may seem obvious, but many authors get it wrong, anyway. Design and publish beautiful photo books, trade books, ebooks, and more. When you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. Mar, 2019 as much as book covers catch readers attention, blurbs grip shoppers and convince them to buy books. A cliffhanger is a plot device in which a component of a story ends unresolved, usually in a suspenseful or shocking way, in order to compel audiences to turn the page or return to the story in the next installment. You want the reader of your query letter to be attentive, intrigued, and eager to see more. The blurb should be in the same style as the rest of the book, for example. Set the tone and mood for both your books genre and your reader. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. Chapters in stories and episodes of tv shows sometimes end with a cliffhanger. That being said, i find myself now writing books that have cliffhangers.

Writing a powerful blurb that motivates readers into purchasing your book takes time. For a book ending on a cliffhanger, yes, it does play with readers. If youre funny in your story, try and bottle a little. Higher ways publishing explains how to write a book blurb. A blurb also referred to as a synopsis or a glossary is the summary of the story found on the back cover of a book. Write an effective blurb for a nonfiction book proof.

Jul 11, 2017 tips on how to write a good book blurb. Writing blog the author society advises you to adopt a certain structure in order to craft a winning blurb. Blurb writing is an important skill to develop whether you are selfpublished or traditional. C liffhanger is a book about a boy called tim who is going on an adventure holiday without his mum and dad. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book. No matter how well your book blurb is written, it wont be read if your back cover is poorly designed and formatted. Today were going to provide a list of tips to help you write your blurb. How to write a killer blurb that convinces readers to buy your book the book blurb. Yet, i can remember writing until 2am daily to produce some of the best work in my past.

Sep 15, 2017 to clarify the original meaning of cliffhanger, wikipedia says. To each genre their own, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to writing book blurbs. Three publishing experts show you how to write a book blurb and. Sign up for my newsletter, beneath the oake tree, here. It makes your readers intrigued about what happens next. A cliffhanger can end a chapter of a novel, a television episode, a scene in a film, or a serialized story book or movie. Well be using the blurb from dan browns the da vinci code as an example to highlight our tips. The pros and cons of ending a book with a cliffhanger hobbylark.

In fact, in this book, character change is how most of the plot advances. So i used a generator to create a random story and it turned out to be hilarious. Use characters from your work in progress, or try this prompt. I actually took a chance and ended my book on a stunner of a cliffhanger i mean literally revealed in the final sentence. Indeed, it can help you focus if you write your blurb before you even start writing the book. A cliffhanger is hoped to ensure the audience will. Blurbs for nonfiction books are very different to those for fiction, in that they convey a message and the benefits the reader will receive from reading the book. Thats why you want to write a book blurb that sells. Your blurb should match the tone of your book so that you attract the right readers. A cliffhanger is a plot device that is used to keep the audience intrigued and anxious to find out what happens. Aug 09, 2019 a strong blurb is one of the most important and powerful selling tools for your book it serves as your sales pitch. But there are a few tricks to making your blurb a successful part of your book s marketing.

Fiction or nonfiction basic blurbcover copyproduct description for fiction or nonfiction extended product description. Then, write 12 additional sentences that explain the plot of the story in a general way. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. A book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually between 100 and 200 words, that traditionally is included on the inside cover or on the back of a book. The trick with writing a great blurb is to give away enough of whats inside the book, without giving any plot spoilers for fiction or going so indepth the reader doesnt want to read on for nonfiction. How to write an amazing back cover blurb for your book.

Fail to engage your target readers in that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. How to write a blurb to sell your book writing tips. Its a short piece of writing that acts as a sales pitch, telling potential readers why they should buy your book. Sep 25, 2016 a simple outline for writing a killer book blurb september 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich in my last post, i mentioned that ive been working on a novella and shared some reasons why you should write one of your own. If your book is an autobiography, a fictional autobiography, or a memoir told in the first person, you might have an exception.

Blurbs are short synopses with cliffhanger endings. We have put together 10 cliffhangers you can use in your writing to get readers to turn the page. I read the majority of this book in a few short hours not pausing for breath 5 stars rachels random reads. With ebooks, in particular, they are absolutely essential to selling your ebooks. Nov 15, 2019 when you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. I want to show you how to write an irresistible book blurb to sell your book. Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. If you do write cliffhangers, go through your manuscript and look for ways to softpedal it. With this in mind, lets go over how you can create a killer back cover blurb and sell more books. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. I read the majority of this book in a few short hours not pausing for breath 5 stars. Leaving a cliffhanger at the end of your blurb though thats a pro move. Many blurbs are also preceded by the books tagline, or. End your blurb on a cliffhanger to keep the reader interested.

In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page. Here are the top ten tips we believe to be the most essential to crafting a book description that sells. Leave them on cliffhangers, and they wont put your book down. Twotime usa today bestselling author of scififantasy and books for authors.

A cliffhanger can end a chapter of a novel, a television episode, a scene in. I dont know that it would work in just any genre, but my advance readers are loving it so far book is out in feb. We get so caught up in delivering an enthralling story or a big idea. It tried a few variations and got some very quirky results. End with a cliffhanger your blurbs objective is to get readers excited about your book and. Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful than writing the ebook. Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, or. No matter when, no matter the circumstances, even, im not capturing my thoughts and not writing anything that could even be call editable. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. Download blurb bookwright, a powerful and free book publishing software anyone can use. Before you write your blurb, look at existing examples so you can learn from the experts what works well. Find out the four things every book blurb needs in order to hook readers and properly showcase your novel. Print book, ebook, and pdf outputall from the same project file. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

A book blurb is there to entice a purchase, not demonstrate your writing skills. The harry potter cliffhanger uses elements of the peril cut and the plot reveal types. I have seen nonfiction blurbs that are more about the author than the content of the book and i have seen fiction blurbs that are a synopsis of the story and even tell the reader the ending. Your book blurb is an incredibly important piece of marketing that you need to perfect if you want to ensure that you are attracting the right readers and showcasing your work in its very best light. Dont spoil the entire plot of your book in the blurb or else people wont have any reason to read the rest of the story. 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 sale. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb.

Many authors find that one of the hardest parts of writing a book, is cramming their 80,000word novel into a descriptive 250word blurb. And, what does your blurb need in order to catch readers attention. Great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. May 23, 2018 writing a blurb for a fiction book is often a lot harder than nonfiction because you need to get readers excited about your story without giving too much away. How to write a cliffhanger 5 tips for emotionally charged. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. Jun 02, 2016 if you craft a compelling blurb, you can entice your target consumer to purchase your book so they can read further. You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. Movies do this incredibly well in their trailers and descriptions, so it may be an idea to look at some popular movies and see how they do it. Apr 23, 2018 what works about that is that some people, just from knowing that this book is a solution, potential solution to their problems, they say, boom, snatch it up because, nonfiction readers, they will buy every single book on a subject, so if you can at least prove that your book is in that genre, then youre in great shape here. Before writing your back book blurb, choose 35 of the bestselling books in your genre and make a note of stylistic similarities. Keep your target audience in mind when writing your blurb. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020.

To clarify the original meaning of cliffhanger, wikipedia says. The book blurb in your query letter shouldnt be longer than 200 to 250 words. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Writing a killer blurb for your book writers hustle. The blurb on the back of the book includes the text i slipped backwards and. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and. Dec 04, 2019 a book blurb also called a backcover blurb or a book description is a short description of the books main character and conflict, usually between 100 and 200 words, that traditionally is included on the inside cover or on the back of a book. The blurb is often referred to as a synopsis or simply book description. Join author support groups and share your blurb with others in your genre. A cliffhanger is a plot device in which a component of a story ends. Somehow we can write 50,000word novels yet when it comes to writing a little paragraph about that novel well lets just say wed rather shave our eyebrows off. Could you write part of a story with a cliffhanger ending.

Essentially, the cliffhanger puts the protagonist or the lead character in a precarious situation and leaves them in that situation, which creates enough suspense to compel the reader to read the next chapter or book to see how the story unfolds. It landed me a two book deal with a big 5 publisher, but it was a huge risk. Other than the cover, it is the other most important selling feature of a book. But even then, writing the blurb in first person is iffy. How to write a book blurb that sells with examples reedsy blog. Nov 14, 2019 your book blurb is an incredibly important piece of marketing that you need to perfect if you want to ensure that you are attracting the right readers and showcasing your work in its very best light. A trip down into or from something, such as a mountain. Once you have gained a potential readers interest and created intrigue, end with a cliffhangeryou are inviting the reader to find out more. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb september 25, 2016 september 25, 2016 kaitlin hillerich in my last post, i mentioned that ive been working on a novella and shared some reasons why you should write one of your own. Authors who know how to write a cliffhanger are responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in book sales. Worse than the cover, worse than the writing in the book itself, there are a lot of blurbs on amazon that are pretty near atrocious. The first step is determining what youre going to include in the blurb itself. By then the author has proven themselves capable of writing a good ending because book 2 and book 3 are not always a given when a new writer sells a product, and their existence often depends on the sales of book 1 and theyre given a bit more permission to end on a cliffhanger. This can be the most difficult part for most writersits hard to encapsulate your novel into a small, tasty bite.