How the back cover of your book can sell your book. Blurbs have become a wonderfully coded subset of literature, rich with as many. The backcover copy also functions as the primary ad for your book. There are other purposes for blurbs besides being in print in your book amazon, for instance. Some people prefer to have a solid book in their hands to look things up rather than looking on the web all the time. For ebooks, the description is posted on a book s purchasing page, along with the book cover and price. Explanations and back book cover examples for both fiction and nonfiction.
If your book is scary than you must include elements of horror, if your book is romantic make the reader care about your characters. Sample cover blurbs from this centurys most successful novels. We hope that the following list of synonyms for the word book cover will help you to finish your crossword today. Soliciting blurbs is part of the publishing process, so much so that editors often expect to see a list of potential blurbers in an authors book proposal. That descriptionwhatever its calledis a crucial element of your marketing strategy. Use language that reflects the toneemotion of your novelcompilation. The cover blurb is one of the more important adverts for your book it has to summarize your entire novel in just a few paragraphs.
Blurb crossword answers, clues, definition, synonyms. Below you will be able to find the answer to backcover book blurbs crossword clue which was last seen on crossword champ pro crossword, october 1 2019. Something, ironically, every author i know hates writing. A basic layout will include a front cover, a back cover and the books content which is called its body copy or. Once you wow your potential readers with an excellent front cover, the next part of your book thatll hook them is your back cover copy, which is publishing speak for the information that appears on the back cover. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Synonyms, crossword answers and other related words for blurb. Kdp print and ingramspark require you to upload a front cover, spine, and back cover. Lets look at a few samples fiction cover blurbs from some of this centurys most successful novels so far. Next, follow up with approximately five bullet points to share the most important topics in your book. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio. The front cover can feature your book title, a subtitle, author name, and images you select. Your back ofthe book blurb is the second thing a potential buyer looks at after your front cover. Youve snagged a prospective date by your alluring cover, so now youve got to show theres more than just surface appeal.
When your front cover is complete, click on the back cover and edit the text fields to your satisfaction. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, almost blackmail. Its not every day you run into someone whose specialty is back cover copy for your book. A malcolm gladwell blurb on the cover of a book has the opposite of its. How to create a back book cover blurb that sells kindlepreneur. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. To help briana with her back cover copy, i asked her for three books that she thought would share a market with blood and water. Pictures newsletters inside the guardian guardian weekly crosswords facebook twitter. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. Your blurb can usually be used as your pitch in your query letter or when you are doing an actual facetoface pitch session with an agenteditor. The blurb of your book is the second thing a potential reader will look at after the coverso take the time to get it right. Then i turn to the back cover and see the acknowledgee declaring the book huge. We can write your back cover blurb for you when we write your fiction book. I shot another youtube video on this on how to get great book blurbs for your book.
Steps to writing your own back book blurb and back cover. Back cover copy is the blurb on the back of a book. Malcolm gladwell, the bestselling author of the tipping point, and some of the book covers that feature his blurbs. Create, print, and sell professionalquality photo books, magazines, trade books, and ebooks with blurb. I was about halfway through the writing of my book when i was asked to write a blurb for the back cover. Malcolm gladwell hands out book blurbs like santa does. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites. If your work is funny then the back cover should be humorous. Back cover copy includes the book summary and author bio once you wow your potential readers with an excellent front cover, the next part of your book thatll hook them is your back cover copy, which is publishing speak for the information that appears on the back cover. On the back cover of my first book, a kindly elder wrote. I know it has to be short and catchybetween 100 and 150 words excluding a 1or 2sentence author bio. This entry was posted in back cover blurbs, cover art and tagged branding, cover art, marketing. Entwined by heather dixon wallwork, the near witch by victoria schwab, the iron daughter by julie kagawa, eve by anna care. People read the back of the book to decide whether to buy a book.
Oct 16, 2014 the last words that you write for your book will be the first that your audience reads. Search for crossword clues found in the daily celebrity, ny times, daily mirror. As an author, how can we turn this to our advantage. If thats the case for you, i highly recommend the crossword dictionaries below. The next thing you do is read the back blurb, or if you are online, you read the first excerpt which is usually the same thing. One of my claims to fame is that i wrote a book cover blurb that appears next to one written by mlb network sportscaster bob costas. You pick up a book because the cover or title looks interesting. Remember this is just a starter layout, you can customize your covers, or any area of your book to your liking using the wealth of bookwrights editing tools. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. Its one of the hardest parts of creating a back cover. Even if you cant judge a book by its cover, the cover can definitely make a great first impression. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. The back of a book cover is called different things, but the back matter on the cover is really important no matter what you call it. Answers for cover design with male bird, put back for book crossword clue.
Not only will it appear on the book itself, but youll probably use it as your amazon description. Dec 17, 2015 malcolm gladwell hands out book blurbs like santa does presents. I asked her if i could use the back cover copy she drafted for her novel, blood and water, as an example for the spreadsheet and she agreed. The book blurb is a minor literary form every bit as exacting and. Book blurbs are a tangled mass of friendships, rivalries, favors traded and debts. The final step in completing this starter template is to create your front and back covers. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. Get a professionally written book blurb that will sell. However, many self published authors treat it like the hellstrip in front of their house between the sidewalk and a busy street. Aug, 2015 after the book title and front cover, the back cover is the next thing readers look at when deciding whether to make a purchase. Weve arranged the synonyms in length order so that they are easier to find. Blurbs are a brief description of a book typically found on the back of a book or within the book sleeve of a hardcover book. Examples of spiralbound books include teachers manuals and puzzle books crosswords, sudoku. The back cover copy also functions as the primary ad for your book.
If you have 2030 blurbs, they dont all need to go on or in your book. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your book and convert readers. Blurb is a crossword puzzle answer that we have spotted over 20 times. Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure to check with your publishers guidelines before you begin work. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a summary of the book from the publisher known as a blurb or critical. A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically. After the book title and front cover, the back cover is the next thing readers look at when deciding whether to make a purchase. This information usually falls into one of three parts. We hope that the following list of synonyms for the word blurb will help you to finish your crossword today. The space on the back cover of a book for blurbs, which are brief promotional paragraphs, is one of the more valuable spots for book promotion. Book cover crossword answers, clues, definition, synonyms. Typographyfront and back cover book covers front and back yahoo image search results alice in wonderland i like how this book cover continues a story from the front cover to the back cover. And if no less a luminary than george orwell way back in 1936 credited the.
Its not writing the book but writing the back cover text. Are you writing a back cover blurb for a nonfiction book. I feel like we have to promote ourselves, he said of endorsing. Seek out blurb contributors that are relevant to your books genre and category.
This time we are looking on the crossword clue for. Its bbc world affairs editor john simpson on the cover of thubrons to a. Today is your lucky day because our staff has just finished posting all todays crossword champ pro answers. This article has helpful approaches to writing back cover blurbs. To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. How back cover blurbs for novels are similar to back cover copy for compilations. Some people prefer to have a solid book in their hands to look things up rather.
Choosing a back cover blurb for my travel memoircan you help. Please let me know which of these rough drafts you like bestand why. For firsttime authors, i recommend anywhere from three to six blurbs on your back cover, obviously pared down in length if you have six or more. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. The description on the back cover of a book is called different things. Chose from several free tools or use adobe indesign or adobe lightroom. It makes sense to look at blurbs that you know have successfully sold a book. So, back to the matter at handthe back cover blurb the basic description of the book. Youve just put your feet up when you get a reminder from the designer that they still need text for the back cover.
It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Click the link below for a good website with detailed howto. Once youve taken in all of the above and gotten a feel for the promise you want to make to the reader, use the outlines below to write your book cover blurb. The deeper i go in this topic, the more im intrigued by it. Try not to mention more than two characters names, and promise your audience a read they wont forget. What is a good blurb for the book outsiders answers. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs.
The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the. How can we write that back cover copy that hooks a passing browser, and turns him or her into a loyal reader. Considering theres no rulebook to follow, writers are often confused about how to request and obtain blurbs. Backcover book blurbs crossword clue daily word answers. The back cover of your book is prime real estate for promoting your book. Book cover book cover is a 9 letter phrase starting with b and ending with r synonyms, crossword answers and other related words for book cover.
The more i understand the freeing power of knowing my target reader, the more it influences my story lines, the types of characters i write about, the settings in each book, my book covers, back cover blurbs, types of advertising, you name it. A blurb is the back cover teaser that lures a reader or an agenteditor into wanting to buyread your book. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. Blurbs are what sell your book when your front cover has attracted prospective readers enough to click on the novel from a huge list of options. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work.
You read the blurb on the back of a book to figure out if you want to shell out the. Polgarus provided me with terrific blurbs on a tightdeadline. A book blurb also called a back cover blurb or a book description is a short description of the book s 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. How to design your books back cover ny book editors. To help prevent you from falling into this unfortunate group, weve put together a few tips that should help you write a winning book blurb, whether its for the latest fantasy novel or for a nonfiction selfhelp guide. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that.
Avoid using only blurbs on your back cover, unless those. Choosing a back cover blurb for my travel memoircan you. If youve ever bought a book on impulse, it was probably due at least in part to the blurb on the back or the sales copy on the website. After writing and polishing an entire book, many authors are surprised when they become stuck when trying to write blurbs.
A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. A good blurb provides a short summary or praise of a creative work, but it. Use language that reflects the toneemotion of your novel. How to build the back of a book cover with template. Why not learn lessons from this centurys great authors.
How to sell books with 5 back cover tips book launchers. Oct 26, 2018 nobody ever sees the back cover of a book online. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. Jul 19, 20 writing a book blurb is a little like online dating, i suppose. This is one of the most important pieces of copy youll write, since it has a lot of work to do representing your book and showing people whats unique, interesting, or especially valuable about what you. Youve finished writing your book, its edited, designed and is just about ready to go to press. The art of writing back cover copy sweetgrass books. How to write a fiction book cover blurb that can make your. Backcover book blurbs crossword clue answer crossword heaven. They assure readers that someone is vouching for the quality of the book, even if only in the form of a snappy oneliner on its cover. Learn how to write a back book cover blurb that not only intrigues readers but gets them to buy. In ebook and selfpublishing, a book blurb is whats used on the main online sales page.
Blurb definition, a brief advertisement or announcement, especially a laudatory one. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020. Oct 15, 1999 how to get a blurb from thomas pynchon. Create a short introductory question to grab the reader. Even the patron saint of teenage girls, judy blume, is featured on the back cover with a blurb for the book. Sometimes its called book jacket copy or back cover copy. Backcover book blurbs crossword clue answers, solutions for the popular game crossword champ pro. Of course if the book author is an international bestseller. I have decided to look at book designs, and how they have designed them.
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