Cover Your Back:

Writing the Blurb

By Dave Bricker

Book Covers in Traditional Bookstores

• Book covers attract readers

• They inspire the reader to read on and eventually buy the book

Book Covers in e-Bookstores• The majority of today’s books

aren’t in the bookstore

• In e-bookstores, tiny book covers appear in the corner of the screen

• The book description has become even more critical than the cover itself

Cover Blurb’s Purpose

• The cover blurb lets the reader know what to expect

• It determines whether the reader should spend his/her money on the book or move on

What Makes Your Book So

Great?

• This is the golden question that authors should focus on when writing the cover blurb

• Identify the reasons for writing the book

• Be clear about the value proposition, what do you want readers to gain from the book?

“Who, What, When, Where, Why?”

• Authors should also consider these questions when writing a cover blurb

• Dig deeper into these questions by indicating…

Who is the reader?

Who is the writer?

Why is your book better than/different from others?

What is your genre?

Who are similar authors?

When does the story occur?

Where do the events occur?

Additional Tips & Tricks

• The more interesting the blurb is, the more likely it is to be read

• Keep it short and sweet

• Do an online search for important genre codes on Book Industry Group

• Check for spelling and grammar errors

• Identify your target audience

• Make a short list of words and phrases that describe your book

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