The pain of writing a book blurb
Writing a book blurb or description for book distribution sites such as Amazon, ibook, Kobo, etc. is a painful process for writers. You might as well ask us to stop writing. The process of distilling our 80K, 90K, 100K+ book into 100-150 words is impossible. Writing a book blurb is a thousand times harder than writing a synopsis because a) it’s shorter b) it’s on public display forever.
The easy way to write a book blurb
Like all writers (or all that I know), I’m on a continual hunt to find the easiest, fastest, less brain disrupting way to do any writing related task. Including writing a book blurb. So, I did a little research (Pinterest is my go-to search engine now). The best book I’ve found so far on writing an effective book blurb is Libbie Hawker’s Gotta Read It!
For an easily affordable 99 cents, you’ll learn the five steps to a perfect pitch:
- A character who
- Wants something, but
- someone or something stands in her way, so she
- struggles against that force and
- something important is at stake
Ms. Hawker goes into more detail, including why you shouldn’t write the blurb as a mini-synopsis; what not to write; what elements you need to flesh out your basic blurb; and how to write a book blurb with more than one protagonist, including romances.
My early attempts at writing a book blurb for my upcoming release, Red Riding Hood and the Lone Wolfe
(New attempts are separated by *****)
Rosewyn loved her family, but love wasn’t enough to give her brothers and grandmother a better live.
*****
As village baker on the edge of the Enchanted Forest, Roseweyn struggled to keep her family afloat.
*****
For Rosewyn, baking for the village on the edge of the Enchanted Forest isn’t enough to give for her brothers and grandmother a better life. So far, her ambition and what little magic she possesses means they barely scrape by.
When the newly crowned King lands at her feet, she sees a clear path ahead. What could be more simple than seducing a King with her charms and a little magic?
Living with the deceit he won’t understand, Rosewyn must face the reality of her decisions. Has she jeopardized their relationship? Is her magic strong enough to stop his change? Or do mysterious forces in the Enchanted Forest control them both?
Final copy
I spent a couple of hours arriving at this, and I bent a rule, but this is what will appear on Amazon, etc
In the second book in The Enchanted Series, Cheryl Sterling once again follows a commoner in pursuit of a better future and a royal fighting for his place.
Rosewyn lives a precarious existence as village baker on the edge of the Enchanted Forest. Any setback—an illness, a fire—threatens her ability to care for her Grandmother. After both strike, her desperation climbs. When the handsome, newly crowned King lands at her feet, she sees a clear path ahead. Using charm and a little magic, she inflames his desire.
Oliver Wolfe has lived with the secret of his werewolf blood for years. When he returns home from the exile his father imposed, he seizes the opportunity to restore the neglected realm and make a difference. While sweet Rosie eases his nights, a missing treasury and his subjects’ unrest hamper his plans. Then his right to the throne is challenged. With his future dependent on an unreliable witness, and his trial set the night of a full moon, can he trust Rosewyn with his secret?
With the fate of the man she loves weighing on her, Rosewyn must test the limits of the power buried within her. Is it strong enough to break his ancient curse, or will she lose everything?
Red Riding Hood and the Lone Wolfe is an adult fantasy loosely based on enchanting fairy tales. Strong heroines and sexy heroes battle outside forces that threaten their love story.
Tell me what you think in the comments.
p.s. Stay tuned in the next day or two to receive news of the official launch of Red Riding Hood and the Lone Wolfe and a special offer.
Blessings,
Cheryl
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