Today I’m exploring the art of writing captivating back cover blurbs for fiction and memoirs. If you missed it, last week I talked about nonfiction blurbs. Fiction is different, and they way we craft the back cover copy, which is also used for the book description, in a different way.
Although you might be tempted to put nothing but endorsement blurbs on your fiction book’s back cover, that isn’t the best tactic for a fiction author who is self-publishing. Yes, you see it with traditionally published books. But those are from well-known authors. You’re establishing an audience, so readers won’t just commit without a description. You need to hook them into reading.
If a blurb doesn't clearly convey what makes the story unique or compelling, readers may overlook the book in favor of others with more enticing descriptions.
Why does it matter? A bad fiction blurb can deter potential readers, leading to decreased sales and diminished visibility in the market. Crafting a compelling, accurate, and engaging blurb is essential for attracting readers and boosting book sales.
I’ll give specific examples of the key pieces that go into a blurb and review examples of before and after.
Plus, for paid subscribers, you’re welcome to put your own back cover blurb into a private chat with me, and we will workshop it together a bit. I’d love to bring other paid subscribers into that conversation.
(Keep scrolling for the post for paid subscribers.)
Listen to this episode with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Indie Author Blueprint to listen to this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
