The blurb is one of the most important promotional tools at your disposal. The potential reader is drawn to your attractive, professionally designed book cover, but the blurb will tip the scales on whether they buy/borrow your book.
Why is writing a blurb so challenging? It's difficult finding the right balance between piquing the reader's interest and not spoiling the story. A blurb that contains spoilers is like a move trailer that shows all the best parts. You use the blurb to give readers a decent idea about your story, but just enough for them to want to keep reading. The quality of writing also gives the reader a good idea about the caliber of the rest of the book.
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Last week, my husband got a message from his oldest niece. She and her husband were driving across the country and had a chance to meet up with us. We decided to meet at a mutually convenient location. My, life can be a whirlwind. Luckily, we have a lot of experience with rolling with it. Within a couple of days, we had booked an airbnb (one that allowed pets so we could bring our little dog with us), packed our suitcases, and hit the highway. The kids had a PA day on Friday so we had a three-day weekend ahead of us. I didn't bother bringing my laptop.
Believe it or not, this story is related to blurb writing. And...it's the reason I didn't write a blog post last Friday...
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My publisher sent me an email last Friday morning about the blurb for my soon-to-be-released paranormal romance A Wizard's Choice (available for pre-order now). She wanted me to include more about the romance aspect of the story than I had in the original blurb I sent her.
I used the 'notes' app on my phone to revise my blurb, and I emailed it back. After a couple back-and-forths, I finally 'confessed' that I was out of town. And, in the interest of doing the best job, we agreed I'd take another stab at it when I got home.
Authors, do you have any crazy blurb-writing stories? Readers, do you buy a book based on a clever blurb?
The original:
The wizards of The Circle are guardians of the supernatural world. They serve as protectors and defenders for both magicals and humans.
Wizard apprentice Kurtis Warde is a quiet guy, a bit angry at the world. He doesn’t want to become a full-fledged wizard, but he feels obligated to his grandfather who raised him. Making The Choice, whether to become a wizard or not, doesn’t feel like a choice at all.
There is unrest in the magical world. The more Kurtis learns, the more questions he has. Who were the ancient beings The Anunnaki? What caused the long-time feud between wizards and fairies? What lies in his past that is so key to the future?
If Kurtis knew the whole story, it might make his decision easier. Or not. Will he become a wizard, pursue his crush sexy vampiress Dee, or link with a sweet fairy to re-unite the wizards and fairies?
What will Kurtis choose?
The remake:
The wizards of The Circle are guardians of the supernatural world. They serve as protectors and defenders for both magicals and humans.
Wizard apprentice Kurtis Warde doesn’t want to become a full-fledged wizard, but he feels obligated to his grandfather who raised him. Making The Choice, whether to become a wizard or not, doesn’t feel like a choice at all.
Leaving The Circle would give Kurtis the freedom to follow his dreams and, perhaps, pursue his crush, the sexy vampiress Dee.
But there is unrest in the magical world. Kurtis uncovers his connection to the ancient beings The Anunnakiand the long-time feud between wizards and fairies. Something in Kurtis’ past is the key to a peaceful future.
Will he accept his duty or follow his dreams? What will Kurtis choose?
The winner:
Dreams or duty?
Wizard apprentice Kurtis Warde doesn’t want to become a full-fledged wizard, but he feels obligated to his grandfather who raised him. Making The Choice, whether or not to become a wizard and join The Circle, doesn’t feel like a choice at all. Leaving The Circle would give Kurtis the freedom to follow his own dreams, and to pursue vampiress, Dee, who has always intrigued him. He knows there’s more to Dee than the icy being she portrays, but will she give him a chance to know the real her?
There is unrest in the magical world. Fairies, a magical being thought to be long extinct, still exist. And the long-time feud between wizards and fairies threatens everyone Kurtis cares about, including his life coach, Alina, who has quickly become a close friend. And perhaps more. He discovers his connection to the ancient beings The Annunaki, the ancestors of wizards and fairies, may be key to the future. The more he uncovers, the more questions he has.
Will Kurtis choose to follow his heart or risk sacrificing his own happiness for peace in the magical world?
Pre-order on Amazon
Release date July 17, 2019
Read on Kindle Unlimited
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