The blurb on the back cover of a novel is a sales pitch (Buy Me! Buy Me!). As an author you want to hook the reader into buying your book.
Writing back cover copy for a novel isn’t easy, at least not for me.
So how does an author entice a reader while highlighting the characters, tone and conflict in about 150 words without giving away the ending? There isn’t a universial template to use but the easiest way is to read and study the back covers of some of your favorite authors.
When I began working on the blurb for my upcoming July release, LETHAL JOURNEY, I started with one sentence to summarize the main conflict.
A killer lurks in the shadows of Hyde Park, New York…waiting.
Then I added another sentence to introduce the main character and what is at stake.
A district attorneys’ journey into the past makes her a target and anyone she has ever loved.
After at least two dozen frustrating attempts…I did it! Finally I was happy with the back cover. Woohoo! My reward? Chocolate and a much needed TALL glass of rum and coke.
Blurb
Manhattan District Attorney, Lauren Taylor, is about to take on the most important case of her career, prosecuting Gino Valdina, acting mob boss of New York’s most influential crime syndicate.
For over three decades, Gino “Pockets” Valdina has led New York’s crime family. Since his recent indictment for murder, the leadership of the family is in chaos, dismayed by the death of one of their own, Gino’s wife. Without the support of the family behind him, Valdina will do anything to save himself.
But Lauren soon discovers, things aren’t always as they seem when she’s tossed into a mystery, a deadly conspiracy that reaches far beyond the criminal underworld and a journey into the past makes her a target…and anyone she’s ever loved.
If you get stuck writing the blurb for your book, here are some useful links.
Writers in the Storm Blog: Gotcha Blurbs: Easy and Fun to Write
The Book Marketing Maven: How to Write a Back Blurb for Your Book
Scribbling on the Computer: How to Write a Back Cover Blurb for Your Novel
Award-Winning Author Kim Cresswell 