If you've ever browsed a bookstore to find a new great novel to read, you automatically know the importance of a book blurb. Although it is only around 200 words, the book blurb will be one of the most important drivers for marketing and selling your work as an author. So, if there were a few hundred words you should definitely spend a lot of time and energy on—these are those words!
Between 100 and 200 words and usually found on the back cover of a novel, the book blurb serves several purposes. First, it helps readers know if your book is a story they will be interested in reading. If they are a genre enthusiast, it will let them know that this particular novel falls within that genre. As they read it, they will search for keywords to clue them in on what kind of story it is and whether it's worth their time as a reader.
Second, websites such as Amazon and other online retailers will use the blurb to describe what the book is about on the product page. Since more people are buying their books online than ever before, it's safe to say that your blurb can mean the difference between success or failure as an author and promoter of your work.
What to include in your book blurb
The easiest way to make sure you include everything that should be included in a book blurb is to answer the 4 Ws: Who, what, when and where. Essentially, the blurb should introduce your main character and setting, show a reader what the book's primary conflict is, and entice fans by establishing the genre and a few highlighted plot points.
For example, consider the following blurb from bestselling author James Patterson's newest novel, The Inn.
The Inn at Gloucester stands alone on the rocky shoreline. Its seclusion suits former Boston police detective Bill Robinson, novice owner and innkeeper. As long as the dozen residents pay their rent, Robinson doesn't ask any questions. Neither does Sheriff Clayton Spears, who lives on the second floor.
Then Mitchell Cline arrives, with a deadly new way of doing business. His crew of local killers break laws, deal drugs, and bring violence to the doors of the Inn. That's when Robinson realizes, with the help of journalist Susan Solie, that leaving the city is no escape from the reality of evil -- or the responsibility for action.
Teaming up with Sheriff Spears and two fearless residents -- Army veteran Nick Jones and groundskeeper Effie Johnson -- Robinson begins a risky defense. The solitary inhabitants of the Inn will have to learn, before time runs out, that their only choice is between standing together -- or dying alone.
Who
Since a book's characters are the focus of a story, you should tell potential readers who your story is about within the first few lines of your blurb. You'll notice that for Patterson's novel, we learn who the main character will be on the second line of the blurb. We also learn the name(s) of the antagonists, along with a few secondary characters. The reader isn't given a lot of backstory but there are some elements of it included in the blurb in order to show points of conflict in the story (for example, we know the main character is a former Boston police detective who now enjoys seclusion). Also, keep in mind that you'll want to avoid explaining the entire character arc of the main character, since this spoils the opportunity for your reader to discover that arc on their own.
Where
The setting of a novel is also a primary driver for potential readers to determine if they want to read a story. For example, someone living in New England might be attracted to novels set there, so relating the book's setting in the blurb is as important as relating information about the main character(s). For Patterson's book, the blurb informs the reader of the setting in the first sentence.
What (happens)
Think of this portion of your blurb as explaining to a potential reader what happens in the story. Obviously, you don't want to give away significant plot twists or offer a summary of the entire plot, but you at least need to be able to establish what the primary point of conflict will be and how the story will evolve. This "what happens" portion of the blurb will likely be the hardest part to compose and several drafts might be needed before you finally get it right.
When
This is the part of the blurb when you tell your potential reader—whether subtly or overtly—whether the story is set in the present, a historical period, or the future. As with setting, it can be an important selling point if a potential reader enjoys reading stories set in that time period or point in history.
Let's look at another example on the New York Times Bestseller list, Old Bones by Douglas Preston.
Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a once-in-a-lifetime proposal: to lead a team in search of the so-called "Lost Camp" of the tragic Donner Party. This was a group of pioneers who earned a terrible place in American history when they became snow-bound in the California mountains in 1847, their fate unknown until the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out of the wilderness, raving about starvation, murder-and cannibalism.
Benton tells Kelly he has stumbled upon an amazing find: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, which has an enigmatic description of the Lost Camp. Nora agrees to lead an expedition to locate and excavate it-to reveal its long-buried secrets.
Once in the mountains, however, they learn that discovering the camp is only the first step in a mounting journey of fear. For as they uncover old bones, they expose the real truth of what happened, one that is far more shocking and bizarre than mere cannibalism. And when those ancient horrors lead to present-day violence on a grand scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the case...only to find that her first investigation might very well be her last.
From this blurb, our four W questions are answered (who, what, when, where) in the first paragraph, then additional plot points are offered in the following two paragraphs. Combined with appealing language such as "bizarre," "ancient horrors," and "real truth," the blurb presents an appealing glance at the elements the story contains and what readers can expect while reading it.
Creating drafts for feedback
One of the best ways to ensure that you've written a successful and engaging book blurb is to test it out on readers. To do this, you should first create several different drafts or potential book blurbs. Tweak the language and description slightly in each draft, but be sure that each contains the necessary elements of who, what, when and where.
After you have written three or four potential book blurbs, share them with your friends and family to find out which one is the most engaging for them. If you're a member of a writing forum or author collective, test your blurbs on fellow writers to gauge which one is the strongest. In doing this, you're likely to discover the perfect formula for a blurb that works in your favor for successful marketing strategy. You're also likely to receive feedback on why a particular draft works better than another.
Wordcloud it
Another tip to consider before getting started on your book blurb is to write a 300 to 500-word summary of your story then create a wordcloud out of that summary. In case you're not familiar with what a wordcloud is, it is a visual collection of keywords that are used often within a chunk of text. Creating a wordcloud based on your novel's summary will pull out the keywords that are repeated or used often, showing you keywords that should definitely make it into the final draft of your book blurb.
Think like a salesperson
Ultimately, your book's blurb should be an elevator pitch to your potential readers. Just as a sales professional would fine-tune and hone his or her sales pitch, you'll need to put the same time and energy into making sure your book's blurb is the best it can possibly be. When it comes time to market your book, you'll be thankful you did.