Write your own blurb

I’ve just finished reading a novella written by one of my favourite authors. Patrick Gale lives in Cornwall, though most of his novels are set elsewhere.

Ease is an early work. Somewhat fanciful and self-indulgent, I found myself wondering if it would have got published had it been submitted by a debut author. My paperback copy has five bits of blurb on the cover, only one of which is applicable to Ease:

A remarkable insight into the vagaries of the human heart.’ Independent

The other four are general comments about him as an author:

A huge treat…He is one of my favourite writers.’ Daily Mail

Gale is a master of character, and he slips under the skins of his women protagonists with such wit that it’s often hard to believe he’s a man.’ Elle

Patrick Gale is among the great, unsung English novelists. Think Austen, Hardy or Murdoch. Remarkable.’ The Independent

Gale is a master at getting under the skins of his characters and revealing the undercurrents that drive apparently normal lives.’ Mail on Sunday

I dislike it when publishers do this, but there are no regulations to prevent them from doing so.

Blurb has a long and chequered history:

Blurb – Wikipedia

The term ‘blurb’ can include a condensed description of the plot. If you haven’t yet written such a précis, it’s a useful exercise, as it forces you to focus on what your story is about. When querying literary agents, you’ll need a blurb to sell your story.

How to write a book blurb for a query letter to a literary agent

If you self-publish, a blurb should tempt potential readers into wanting to buy your book. Formatting the cover of an eBook, there’s only so much space to use for a blurb.

Here’s the blurb for my third Cornish Detective novel, An Elegant Murder:

Two bodies are found a few miles apart on Bodmin Moor. One, a pensioner wearing a ball gown drowned in a flooded quarry, the other a farmer mummified in his kitchen chair. Are the deaths foul play, and are the deceased connected? A beast stalks the moorland, a patient killer who chooses when and where its victims will die. Who will be next?​

And here’s an imaginary blurb of praise for my book from two noted reviewers:

The author captures the menace hidden beneath the beauty of Cornwall. Evil forces stalk in paradise on two legs and four.’ Richard & Judy Book Club

What’s the blurb for one of your books?

How will it be praised by reviewers? (Let yourself go!) :p

 

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