The Blurb: A Work In Frustration

This is one of those Other Musings entries. Today's topic is writing a blurb for your book. This isn't a "How To" kind of entry, but an observation of the process and the frustrations I've encountered.

   I started writing the first draft of my soon to be published first novel The Curse in 2010. Since then, it's undergone several rewrites and even an overhaul. I even wrote all but one of the stories in The Acts of 1 while working on the first draft of The Curse. Today, the final draft the novel is in my ideal reader's hands. If it passes muster, I can finally publish it. In the meantime, I've been working on the blurb.

  The blurb. This is the teaser on the back of the book or on the webpage you hope will entice readers to buy your books. So far, I've had an easier time with the overhaul. It's a work in frustration. What do you include? You don't want to tell the story, but you also don't want to mislead the reader with too few details. What should you put and how long should it be?

   I began my journey by reading blurbs from the books at home to get an idea of what to do. Then I went online and read a bunch of blurbs from books available on Amazon. They varied in size and detail. Some were enticing stories unto themselves and others were a few sentences that proved less was more.

   I went to multiple websites that featured entries about how to write blurbs. In some cases, I've had more informational sales meetings featuring ice chests. Make it eye-popping, they say. Use it to sell your product, they say (well, duh!). There are other useless generalizations, but we won't go into them.

  I finally found a couple of blog entries that do a good job with how to write blurbs. One is 5 Tips for Writing a Compelling Book Blurb by Amy Wilkins. Another good one is by Joanna Penn. She gives examples in her blog entry on blurbs called  How To Write Back Blurb For Your Book. In both cases, their examples come from actual blurbs.

   So I begin writing my blurb...then made a second attempt...and then a third. It's now several pages of attempts and none of them work. They all leave out some enticing part of the story. So why not write a combination of the best entries? Been there, done that. Same result. None of them work.

   Okay, hire a professional. It's a good point. Authors can be their own worst blurb writers, at last that's what they say. However, if I could afford to hire a professional, that would have been one of the first things I'd have done. Once the sales numbers enable me to afford professionals, that's exactly what will happen. But until then...

   My plan for this blurb is to do a "less is more" type of entry. An advantage I have is that the fictional university where the story takes place is also featured in the short story The Immortals in The Acts of 1. There is a lot to the novel, but the blurb shouldn't give everything away. Hence, my quandary.

   So what should I do? The novel will be ready soon. At least the cover is further along than the blurb. As easy as it is to get frustrated about writing the blurb and stay there, the answer is to relax and keep trying. Sooner or later, I'll write that magical entry that will be the blurb for The Curse. The last two attempts, though not acceptable, are the best so far. If you're having the same problems, outside of hiring a professional, there is no magic pill or bullet. Just keep trying and sooner or later, hopefully you'll write that terrific blurb for your book.

Good luck and have a great day!!!