Marketing Your Self-Published Book: 25 Writing Tips to Create Compelling Blurbs and Descriptions
So you have self-published your book. Now comes the crucial step in self-publishing book marketing: writing a compelling blurb and description.
Any successful self-published author will tell you that captivating book blurbs and skillful description writing can significantly influence your book sales. The book blurb and description invite readers to explore your work further and persuade them to buy your book. Thus, if they are not written in a way that can attract readers’ attention, they can hinder the potential success of your work.
What is a book blurb?
A book blurb is a brief and engaging summary of a book. It is typically found on the back cover of a printed book or on the book’s product page on online retailers for e-books.
What is a book description?
A book description is the longer version of a book blurb. It is the longer summary of a book’s story, content, or purpose that is written to hook a reader. The book description can be found on the back cover of a physical book or at the top of the book’s product page on online retailers for e-books.
What is the purpose of a book blurb and description?
The primary purpose of a book blurb and description is to pique readers’ interest. This can be achieved by providing a concise overview of the book’s content, characters, or central themes — but without revealing any major spoilers. A book blurb and description are essentially a sales pitch for the book that is meant to capture potential readers’ attention and persuade them to pick up or purchase the book.
How do you write a compelling book blurb and description?
A successful book blurb and description serve as a powerful tool for marketing your self-published book, so they should be engaging but succinct.
Here are 25 writing tips to help you create a captivating blurb and description that will entice readers to purchase your book.
1. Define your target audience
2. Highlight the main conflict
4. Showcase your unique selling point
10. Include keywords
11. Be authentic
13. Highlight awards or accolades
15. Use cliffhangers
16. Avoid spoilers
17. Make it visually appealing
19. Include author credentials
20. Address reader pain points
23. Incorporate storytelling elements
24. Experiment with different versions
25. Get feedback
1. Define your target audience
You should know and understand who your ideal readers are. What are their interests and preferences? How do they consume books? How you see your target audience can make all the difference in your book’s success. You should tailor your blurb and description according to what appeals to them.
2. Highlight the main conflict
The central conflict of your book advances your plot. Therefore, you should clearly communicate this in your blurb and description. This will intrigue readers and make them want to find out more.
3. Start with a hook
Having a powerful opening line is one of the best ways you can grab readers’ attention. You should begin your blurb with an opening line that encourages the reader to further explore your book.
4. Showcase your unique selling point
A unique selling point is what makes your book different from the other books in the same genre. You should identify what sets your book apart and highlight this unique aspect to make your book stand out.
5. Keep it concise
Book blurbs and descriptions should be short and to the point. A book blurb should be around 150–200 words, and a book description can be a little expanded than the blurb. The short word count is one way of maintaining readers’ interest.
6. Use powerful language
Strong and evocative words create an emotional response in the reader. Your blurb and description should be written in a way that resonates with readers’ temperaments, biases, likes, dislikes, and so on.
7. Create intrigue
You should tease the reader with hints of what’s to come, but you should refrain from giving away too much of the plot. This way the reader will be enticed to further read your book.
8. Show; don’t tell
You should not simply summarize the entire story. Instead, you should focus on showing the reader what they can expect to experience when reading your book.
9. Use testimonials
If your book has received positive reviews or endorsements, you can incorporate them into your blurb and description. Through these reviews and testimonials, you build credibility as an author.
10. Include keywords
For e-books, you should research relevant keywords and incorporate them into your blurb and description to improve search engine visibility.
11. Be authentic
Although crafting an intriguing blurb and description is important in marketing your self-published book, you should make sure you stay true to your book’s essence. You should not lose the tone and style of your book.
12. Create a sense of urgency
You should convey a time-sensitive aspect of your book to encourage readers to take immediate action. This can prompt them to buy your book or they might miss out on a riveting story or a special deal.
13. Highlight awards or accolades
If your book has received any awards or recognition, make sure to mention them in your blurb. Awards or accolades can help establish your book’s credibility.
14. Focus on benefits
Instead of simply describing the plot or features of your book, you should highlight what readers will gain from reading your book. It could be through entertainment, education, or personal growth.
15. Use cliffhangers
Your blurb and description should leave readers asking themselves, “What happens next?” Using cliffhangers will make readers eager to discover more by picking up your book.
16. Avoid spoilers
While it’s important to give readers a taste of what your book is about, you should avoid revealing major plot twists or endings or your readers will have nothing to look forward to anymore.
17. Make it visually appealing
Your goal should be to ensure your blurb and description are as inviting as the contents of the book. A well-organized blurb and description will encourage readers to read your book further. You can use bullet points or bolded text to highlight key points. You can also incorporate eye-catching fonts, colors, and layout design.
18. Be genre-specific
Clearly defining the genre of your book in your blurb will enable your potential readers to determine whether your book aligns with their interests. It will also set the right expectations from your potential readers and will reach an audience that is passionate about your book’s theme.
19. Include author credentials
If you have relevant expertise or experience related to the subject matter of your book, you should mention it in your blurb. If potential readers see that you are a knowledgeable author, they will most likely trust you and invest in your book.
20. Address reader pain points
Addressing reader pain points can help in attracting the right audience for your book. Your book should address how it provides solutions to your potential readers’ common challenges, questions, and issues. Remember that readers are drawn to books that understand their needs.
21. Use sensory details
Sensory details can make your book feel real and alive. Incorporating sensory details that evoke emotions paint a vivid picture in readers’ mind. With sensory details, your book will be more relatable and engaging for readers.
22. Create a sense of mystery
By posing intriguing questions or scenarios in your blurb and description, you spark a desire for answers, leaving readers wanting to know more.
23. Incorporate storytelling elements
Using storytelling techniques such as foreshadowing or character descriptions can engage readers. This approach transforms your blurb and description from a marketing tool into a storytelling experience. Readers will be encouraged to seek out the story that is presented in your book.
24. Experiment with different versions
Just as you revise and refine your manuscript, the blurb and description require the same approach. Test different versions of your blurb to see which one generates the most interest and engagement, and focus on the one that captures readers’ attention the most.
25. Get feedback
Getting feedback offers an objective perspective. It allows you to determine which part of your blurb needs revisions, and you can therefore maximize the appeal of your book. You can share your blurb with beta readers or trusted friends to get their input and make improvements before finalizing it.
5 Best Examples of Book Blurbs
Book blurbs and descriptions may be short, but they can sometimes be intimidating to write. It pays to see how best-selling authors do it so you can gain some ideas.
Here are five examples of book blurbs that effectively appeal to their target audience.
1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Fantasy)
Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach — an “outlander” — in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.
Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life and may shatter her heart. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire teaches her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. What begins in compulsion becomes urgent need, and Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives.
In this blurb, the author focuses on the place and times of the story, which are important elements in her book. The blurb successfully conveys the backstory.
2. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand (Nonfiction)
In 1938, a small crooked-legged racehorse received more press coverage than Hitler, Mussolini, Roosevelt or any other news figure. His name was Seabiscuit. He had become a most unlikely darling of the public thanks to an improbable meeting of three men who together created an international sporting icon.
Seabiscuit is an inspiring narrative of betting and winning against the odds, a classic tale of three embattled individuals who overcame the Depression and captivated the world.
This blurb is simple, yet it effectively presents the challenges in the story without conveying too much of the plot.
3. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (Fiction)
Divorced and disillusioned about relationships, Theresa Osborne is jogging when she finds a bottle on the beach. Inside is a letter of love and longing to “Catherine,” signed simply “Garrett.” Challenged by the mystery and pulled by emotions she doesn’t fully understand, Theresa begins a search for this man that will change her life. What happens to her is unexpected, perhaps miraculous — an encounter that embraces all our hopes for finding someone special, for having a love that is timeless and everlasting . . .
Nicholas Sparks exquisitely chronicles the human heart. In his first bestselling novel, The Notebook, he created a testament to romantic love that touched readers around the world. Now in this New York Times bestseller, he renews our faith in destiny, in the ability of lovers to find each other no matter where, no matter when . . .
This blurb presents the inciting incident of the story, painting a scene that a lot of readers can relate to. The blurb also makes use of the author’s credentials, with terms such as bestselling and New York Times bestseller, adding to the credibility of the book.
4. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Mystery)
EVERY DAY THE SAME
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life — as she sees it — is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
UNTIL TODAY
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?
This blurb is effective in using sensory details and posing intriguing questions and scenarios that will leave the reader wanting for more. It is also unique in that it presents a two-part scene showing how the story unfolds but without giving major spoilers.
5. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (Memoir)
The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette’s brilliant and charismatic father captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn’t want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing — a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.
This blurb focuses on the key characters and how they survived the circumstances presented to them. At the same time, the last sentence gives us a glimpse of the fact that despite the family’s chaotic situation, the book is not entirely miserable.
Conclusion
Well-crafted book blurbs and descriptions are essential aspects of successfully promoting your book and reaching a wider audience. They can captivate potential readers and entice them to purchase your book.
Try crafting book blurbs and descriptions with the abovementioned writing tips in mind, and you will be well on your way to capturing your readers’ attention and successfully marketing your self-published book.
