The Art of the Blurb

Stephanie Ayers

Have you ever been told to send a potential agent/publisher/pa a blurb of your story?

The first time I heard this, my fingernail scratched my temple. "Huh? Say what? A blurb?"

I never heard of this before, so off to google I went.

Here's what I learned:

  • most blurbs start with "When."
  • Blurbs are generally one sentence long.
  • Blurbs should give away your story without really giving away the details.
  • A tight written blurb will get more attention than a loose and overly descriptive one.
  • You should blurb for everything you write. Practice makes perfect.

And, as an exercise to perfect the blurb writing, I share mine with you today.

Soul Reapers Book Cover BThe Soul Reapers—

Fourteen soul snatching short stories will keep you on the edge of your seat as one by one, souls are collected, lost, stolen, and crushed, and ultimately claimed by the greatest soul reaper of them all. Can you save your soul or will the Puppet Master claim yours, too?

1,000 Ways to Die–

Brennan makes a pact with a devil of a priest to die 1,000 times in exchange for his wife and newborn daughter’s lives. As he suffers through death after death, he comes face to face with the wiles of the devil and devises a few tricks of his own, but will it be too much for him?

Rolling in the Deep CoverRolling in the Deep—

When nightmares of being pulled into the ocean send Celia home from college, she discovers that an ancient evil plans to obliterate her kind, and she must choose between the world she knows and the world from which she came.

Fairy Tale—

When a miracle worker arrives from a faraway land to end the curse placed on a beautiful princess, even the king questions whether the price is worthy of the task.

Most Unlikely Hero—

When Tribba's human champion Edgar leaves to help his brother conquer an evil tearing through his kingdom, she must finish what she started on her own and a journey of self-discovery, true friendship, and confidence emerges for them both.Will both Tribba and Edgar defeat the evil that tears their land apart?

Weathered—

Blair Weathers wants her own art gallery but someone with a secret wants to stop her. Will her search for independence from her rich, overbearing father bring her success or leave her heartbroken, penniless, and abandoned?

The Unlikely Heroes Book 1: The Coterie of Prophecy—

Once upon a legend, druids separated five relics from their precious gemstones and scattered them among five races. One halfling boy must find and combine them all to stop the evil that is rising from the dead with the help of a very unlikely group of heros.

In Time—Til Death official book cover

When the one magnet that controls time and time travel is stolen, Viola must do whatever it takes to retrieve it, even if it means sacrificing true love. She faces obstacles ranging from a powerful gangster priest to an increasingly agitated father time as she races to gather magnets that will restore order and protect the steam powered time hopping train.

In conclusion, here's the blurb that caught the eye of my publisher, Bannerwing Books, and made Til Death Do Us Part a reality:

When Ian buys Elizabeth a Tiffany engagement ring, he unwittingly sets off a series of events as the ring goes full circle to be reunited with its intended.

Share your blurbs below.