THE BLURB MENU

Yes, I am mentioning food in this post, but I’m afraid none of it is edible. In considering the visual appeal of books, I’ve talked about titles, considered covers, and today, I’m blogging about blurbs. My Oxford Dictionary defines blurb as ‘a description of something praising it, e.g. in advertising matter’. However, I’m sure my efforts at research will soon have me barred me from entering my local bookshops if I don’t stop mauling the goods, and scribbling in my notebook.

Here's what I discovered: 

For the most part, blurbs appear to follow the template set down in ‘Once upon a time, in a land far away lived a prince whose realm was invaded by a dragon.’ In other words blurbs start with setting ( historical fiction will include the period) before introducing the protagonist, and an outline of the circumstances in which he/she finds him/herself.

However the blurb format varies, and a number of clearly definable templates are on the menu.

BREAD

This selection has only the setting, followed by the main character and an outline of the plot. The village of Palermo is buzzing with the arrival of an exotic stranger, Lars Santini. No one recognizes him except Claudia.

Sci-fi and fantasy books have more information on the setting than romance, crime or literary fiction. ‘The space ship ‘Discovery’ is exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy when the ship’s warp drive fails. Major Spencer is forced to land on the nearest habitable planet, and finds himself faced with a deadly threat to humanity.'

OPEN SANDWICH

This option starts with praise for the book, ‘A dazzlingly brilliant read’  before moving on to the descriptive section. 'Another suspenseful thriller with  Detective  Inspector Birthold brought in to solve a series of art thefts baffling Scotland Yard.’

FULL SANDWICH

Here the blurb opens with praise from established novelists, moves on to the summary, and closes with more acclaim from critics, literary journals, newspapers, etc. 'Engrossing storytelling: George B. Morwell. Songbird is a coming of age story with deftly drawn characters that explores how an orphaned girl survives a succession of foster care homes.  Highly recommended: New Shipville Times.'

CAKE

Reserved for the most established authors, this template has nothing but positive comments from other famous authors and/or prestigious publications. ‘Outstanding. If you only read one book this year, read this tragic, yet humorously written, tale of betrayal. M. B. Endersly (Pulitzer Prize Winner).' The blurb is on the flyleaf of the front cover.

Amazon uses the words ‘Book Description’ for hard copy books, but refers to the ‘Product Description’ for ebooks. Nook has Overview, and Smashwords provides a text box under the title for the blurb. Of course, with ebooks, the public writes the reviews. As the definition states, advertising is the blurb’s main function, so as an author, you want to write an enticing and succinct presentation, without revealing any solutions to the dilemmas outlined.

Title, cover art and blurb are three opportunities to tempt readers. Each has a role in offering a glimpse of the world within the covers of your book. Nevertheless, no glorious artwork, title that trips off the tongue, or tantalizingly intriguing blurb will keep a reader’s attention if the story doesn’t live up to its promise.  

Writing Update

I’ve had more title trouble. Why I hadn’t checked if anyone had used An Unstill Life I don’t know. To my dismay, I found several books on Amazon with that title. So now I’ve three new titles to find – the above mentioned one, plus new titles for both the paranormal romance/adventure, and the series, as it appears Blood Tears is also not original. In fact there’s almost every variation on Blood Something or Other that you can imagine. However, early morning free association exercises are giving me ideas to follow, so I’m hoping this situation will change in the near future.

A second disaster occurred when somehow I messed up, and after an initial panic thinking all my third edit changes had been undone, I realized it was just chapters 1-3. Fortunately the paper recycling bin isn’t due for emptying this week, so I found the missing chapters – torn in half. I'll redo them after the edit is finished as I can’t face doing them straightaway.

On the other hand, I did receive some better news last week. A digital imprint I’d submitted An Unstill Life to have offered me a contract for two novels on the strength of the introductory chapters! I think my brain shut down during the conversation, and I was certainly in freefall for a few days before reality kicked in again. Since then there’s been a bit of back and forth, and I’ve been pondering the pros and cons involved. They are reputable, but I’m waiting for answers to a few questions before I make a decision. But no matter what happens, I'm viewing this as a positive validation of my desire to keep writing. 

This week’s haiku

eyes light with knowing

lean forward exchange secrets

friends gossip giggle

Useful Links:

An article which puts blurbs into perspective.

http://business.time.com/2012/12/20/the-blurb-economy-pithy-book-endorsements-are-barely-effective-but-here-to-stay/

This is a great ‘how to’ post:

https://www.standoutbooks.com/five-elements-of-a-book-blurb/

I’d love it if you popped over to Wattpad and read any of my posted stories...just click on the links to the right.

Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a comment. 

 

To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to those of you who write, good writing.

CAN YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER?

Whether we’re talking people or books, the exterior doesn’t reflect the truth of what is inside. Choices like shopping for a pair of shoes, or your opinion of the film you saw last week, have a large element of subjectivity. So when I look at book covers my own preferences naturally come into play. Choosing a cover for my book, The Unforgiveness of Blood, is the next step in my writing journey - and one that makes me excited and nervous as we’ve all been in situations where we have to make a choice, and a lot rides on that decision.

Graphic artists and those who design book covers for a living do a brilliant job of bringing to life an image which captures something of the essence of the story, and matching a writer’s vision can’t be easy – we writers are a fussy lot when it comes to book covers. And there is a great deal more involved than using Photoshop and finding a jazzy font.

                                                                          

However, when I’m choosing a novel, I’ll be honest – and I’m a visual person – the cover has no influence at all. Sure, I’d notice if it was amateurish, but I search first for genre, and if I’m into a particular author and notice one of their books on the shelf, I’ll pick up that one. Next I check out the blurb, but I always read the first page before deciding. 

Yes, I do glance at the cover but that is the packaging not the product, and it’s only since I decided to go the indie publishing route that I’ve given more attention to what is current in terms of design and layout. What I’ve found after several months of cruising the tables and shelves of my local bookshops, is endless variety (and genius) and no one common feature that says this will make your book sell.  

    

                                                                              

                                                                   

In any case, I’d like to share some of the points I’ve picked up in my research. To start with, fonts should be legible - which translates as not too fancy, or squiggly, and not too squished together as you have to factor in the thumbnail appearance. A log line isn't obligatory but can tempt readers. You can are even find fonts which are genre specific!

The cover artwork shouldn’t try to convey every nuance of your protagonist’s journey by cluttering up the space with a dozen images as this takes an artist longer to create – another aspect to consider when deciding your publishing date.  

                                                                                                         

                                                                

One piece of advice I read was, when in doubt, go for a more simple cover. Being something of a minimalist, as you’ve probably guessed by the covers I chose for this post, I love clean clear-cut designs. I’m a fan of Ansel Adams’ photography, and although I’ve not done much black and white photography for a while, I’m still drawn to the simplicity of such stark contrast. As far as book covers go, contrast is good and images with light and darker areas are effective.

There are millions of brilliant cover designs, but most people I know don’t buy a book because they love the cover. Yes, first impressions do count up to a point, and you want your cover to be professional because everything contributes towards attracting  readers, but ultimately it’s the story – what’s inside that cover – that will make people enjoy your book.

Writing Update                          

After a few days of winding down and dawdling through the pre-beta reader tweaks, I sent The Unforgiveness of Blood off to my beta readers. By the end of the week, feeling lost without the routine of working on my WIP, (the spare room still holding no attraction - occasionally I think I’ll hire a skip and just throw everything in) I've picked up and am  continuing with my nano 2012 edit. Now I have something to focus on while I wait for feedback - as well as mulling over my choices of cover design!

Today’s Haiku

QUESTION

how many veils of

deceit linger in mists of

hazy mental dust

Useful Links:

Derek Murphy’s blog is a master class for anyone thinking of going the indie route when it comes to designing covers:

http://www.creativindie.com/category/indie-authors/

This blog has a variety of designs and will open your eyes to the elements of cover design composition.

http://theinspirationblog.net/showcases/empty-space-40-stunning-minimalistic-book-covers/

http://theinspirationblog.net/showcases/40-stunning-black-and-white-book-cover-designs/

I’d love it if you popped over to Wattpad and read any of my posted stories...just click on the links to the right.

Join me on Twitter at: teagankearney@modhaiku  

Thanks for visiting my blog, and please do leave a comment.

To all story lovers out there, good reading, and to those of you who write, good writing.