Reflective write as a nonfiction book blurb

If you plan to selfpublish your nonfiction book, the most important thing you will ever write is the cover blurb for your book. As an example, heres a reflective passage from elizabeth gilberts. Print as you go sell one copy at a time and let blurb fulfill the orders or place a large order and sell inperson. Jan 12, 2016 how writers can optimize their books description on amazon jane friedman if youre an author, you may not like thinking about your published books as products, but thats what they are. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. Are you ready to write the book description for your back coveryour blurb for a book of nonfiction but dont know where to start. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book following the article how to write a blurb for your fiction book is writing a blurb for a non fiction book. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. For a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the book s universe before the beginning of the actual story. How to write a nonfiction book synopsis pen and the pad.

For general instructions on how to apply for financial aid, please visit the office of undergraduate financial aid website. In this article, youll find out why blurbs are critical to the success of your book sales and youll learn how to craft the perfect blurb. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed. However, nonfiction only works if the story is based in truth, an accurate retelling of the authors life experiences. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well.

If youve just written a selfhelp book that focuses on time management and ways to be more efficient, youll want to look at similar books. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. If youre looking for great nonfiction book blurb examples, youve come to the right. To help prevent you from falling into this unfortunate group, weve put together a few tips that should help you write a winning book blurb, whether its for the latest fantasy novel or for a non fiction selfhelp guide. Then, write 12 additional sentences that explain the plot of the story in a general way. How to write back cover blurb for your non fiction book publishing your book, resources some people argue that the front covers job is to sell the back cover and the back cover should sell the flap.

The blurb is often referred to as a synopsis or simply book description. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind.

If youd like for me to read the entire book instead of just. Sep 12, 2018 how to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman. If you get these right, and if youre story is any good, you will have to delve with only a small minority of enraged readers. Downeys story, selected from nearly 400 submissions, is a reflection on weeks she spent substitute teaching english in the tense. This is my second time working with authoreva and she has given me another outstanding experience. The truth is, a synopsis for a nonfiction book is as important as one for fiction. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your bookand convert readers. A fiction book blurb, on the other hand, should convey atmosphere, specify its genre, and indicate what kind of book it is massmarket or literary fiction.

Writing the book description is a rather daunting task, which is why many authors would rather avoid it. Downeys story, selected from nearly 400 submissions, is a reflection on weeks she spent substitute teaching english in the tense atmosphere caused by the escape of two dangerous. It can be a daunting task, so heres pins giving you a step by step approach for creating your fiction or nonfiction book blurb. It can be a daunting task, so heres pins giving you a step by step approach for creating your fiction or non fiction book blurb. Being able to write a good blurb for your book is an important skill to have, whether. Do you want to write a nonfiction book but dont know whe. Here, the author is using her own personal journey as a reflection of. If youre looking for great nonfiction book blurb examples, youve come to the right place. If you are looking for someone to write a fresh blurb for your poetry book, you must hire her. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book blurb blog. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book determine your market. That may seem obvious for novels, but what of works of nonfiction.

How writers can optimize their books description on amazon. Have you started writing your blurb and gotten stuck. Are you even sure you know what a back cover blurb is, what its supposed to do for you. In this article you will learn the basic structure of blurbs as done by pros as well as some dos and donts. For all intents and purposes, your publisher has written this. I used this guide this week to write a blurb for a client and it worked a charm.

Apr 15, 2020 write and publish your nonfiction book whether you dream of becoming a fulltime author, writing books to advance your career, or penning your memoir or family history, this fun and informationpacked course will teach you how to plan, research, write, edit, and publish your masterpiece. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and non fiction back cover blurbs. If youre just not sure how to write that important copy, polly letofsky of my word publishing has a nifty little guide for you. Chances are, you will write a better book if you let the blurb guide you. Oct 04, 20 an easytofollow, practical guide to writing the best blurb to sell your selfpublished book, provided by ya author sarah juckes of completelynovel. Overview of creative nonfiction purdue writing lab. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book. How to write a blurb back cover copy marilynn byerly. The hook is the first sentence or two of a book blurb, and it should immediately stand out and grab the readers attention. If youre unclear on how a blurb should read, take a look at the backs of some books produced by traditional publishers. Jan 18, 2014 not having read author trish nicholsons published work, i cant speak for her prowess as an author, but i can say that writing your nonfiction book is a superb collection of everything one needs to know about writing from defining your subject through to marketing the finished product.

A blurb is a short summary of a books contents, usually displayed on the back. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. So here are seven elements you should consider before writing your non fiction blurb. How to write back cover blurb for your nonfiction book. Understanding the differences between the two types of nonfiction prose is crucial to beginning writers. Feb 16, 2017 so you want to write a nonfiction book a few tips for those writers intimidated by the idea of writing something that contains many pages and a spine. A year and a half into my undergraduate studies, my boyfriend matthew committed suicide, which threw a wrench into the straight line id envisioned my college life would follow. How to write a blurb or book description for fiction and. How to write a catchy backcover blurb that sells 2020.

Make it so droolworthy that everybody will want to buy a copy of your book. If youre writing a more straightforward nonfiction book, such as a history or a howto, you also may want to start out with a story or anecdote to draw readers in. But then, your introduction should set up a clear explanation of your objective for writing this book and why readers should care. Oct 16, 2014 writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author. To write a blurb for your book, youll need to know their basic structure. Most good blurbs follow a specific structurethey have three essential elements, and theyre usually in this order.

Once youve taken in all of the above and gotten a feel for the promise you want to make to the reader, use the outlines below to write your book cover blurb. Youre shooting for a nonfiction book thats industry standard size. Fox emm shares how to write an effective book blurb for your memoir, or any piece of writing. There is neither a right nor a wrong way of reflective thinking, there are just questions to explore. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq. How to write a fiction book cover blurb that can make your.

I find it much easier to write my blurb after thinking about it at length, not while still deciding what to say. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. A non fiction book blurb should give a quick indication of the credentials of the author, which readers it is written for and why they need it. How to write a blurb, back cover copy or sales description. In the not too distant past, book blurbs needed to be written specifically for. Print 1 or 1,000 print one portfolio book at a time or print in volume with offset for deeper discounts and a lower per unit cost. This is because writers dont really understand what a blurb is meant to do. How to write a nonfiction book cover blurb that sells.

Most commercial nonfiction books are between 60,00080,000 words. These four points are the most important to keep in mind on how to write a blurb. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents. For a lot of firsttime authors, i think theres an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the books universe before the beginning of the actual story. Yes, its still difficult and yes, its much harder to do for your own work, but it is possible. The back cover of your as yet unwritten book can help you write a better book, and write it faster, too.

So you want to write a nonfiction book the washington post. How to write an effective blurb for a selfpublished book dee van dyk says. Sometimes coming up with the right words for a book blurb can be more stressful. That is a clear linear progression for this book and your journey as an author. But fear not, because theres a secret science to writing the perfect book blurb. Sell your book in the blurb bookstore, through amazon, or in the global retail network of over 38,000 retailers, libraries, and schools. How to write a blurb for your nonfiction book self. Your book blurb must be wellwritten to get a readers attention. While fiction writers are often required by publishers to submit a synopsis of their manuscripts, many nonfiction writers often dont think about writing synopses for their books. I transferred schools before dropping out and then floated around for a while. Here are the top ten tips we believe to be the most essential to crafting a book description that sells. Because of the short length, writing a book blurb can be difficult.

Youre asking your target to invest time into reading and commenting on your manuscript. Heres how to write a non fiction book cover blurb that can really sell your book. How to write a book blurb in 4 steps the opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic, says editor rebecca heyman. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. Your potential reader needs to know with a quick skim what kind of book this is. It includes information on writing memoir, biography, shorter essays and longer works. A reflective essay is a type of essay that requires you to analyze your own ideas, experiences, and insights and then put them together in writing. The back cover copy of your book is your sales pitch to prospective readers and book buyers. To learn more about writing a non fiction blurb, check out our guide to creating the back of a book. If this is your first time writing, books are measured in wordcount because page formats differ. Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure to check with your publishers guidelines before you begin work. A short, practical guide to techniques and styles of blurb writing.

The process for writing a fiction and nonfiction book summaries is. How to write a book blurb stand back and hover above. I struggled with how to start, where to start, and what to write. My 4step process for writing a nonfiction book blurb that. In this post, we tell you how to write a book blurb in five easy steps. She took my poetry samples and current book blurb and wrote something amazing. A reflective essay and a memoir are two pieces of nonfiction writing that can be easily mistaken for each other, if you are not familiar with their differences. The book blurb s main purpose is to lure readers in and captivate them enough to buy the book.

Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. How to write a back cover blurb for nonfiction pages. If youve just written a selfhelp book that focuses on time management. Its important to keep in mind that the blurb must hook the reader, while not giving away any spoilers. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Teaching, writing, and reflecting creative nonfiction. Nov 15, 2019 when you need to write a blurb for a movie, book, or other project, start by writing a clever and catchy hook that introduces some of the characters and setting of the topic. Your blurb is not a plot summary, a vague overview of the themes, or the backstory of how you came to write your book. As i mentioned in the previous article, is that this incredibly important aspect to the book, is often overlooked and left to the last minute. And the description section on your books product page is the most important selling tool you have. Your memoir should be written as if the entire book is a snapshot of.

What exactly will readers take away from your book. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading how to write a blurb or book description for fiction and nonfiction titles. Discover how to write a nonfiction book and suggested practices for success. To each genre their own, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to writing book. How to write a great nonfiction book blurb from polly letofsky of my word publishing. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. Aug 07, 2016 a blurb written in the same tone of the book is a blurb that makes sure perspective readers get what they want. When i purchased the book and according to the description, this book is supposed to show you how to write nonfiction.

How to write a book summary, stepbystep w templates. The only tip on writing the actual book is eating protein shakes, running around the house and writing 24 hours a day. Make your portfolio book with our professionallydesigned portfolio templates or create custom layouts. Writing memoir and writing for therapy creative nonfiction. Writing about nonfiction books tip sheet butte college. If youd rather have someone else write you an amazing blurb then let us know, but if you want to write your own. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. For how to write non fiction, it was obvious that i needed a section on before you write, then one on the actual writing, then publishing and then marketing.

How to write a blurb for your novel peter reys blog. Figure 1 shows that the reflective thinking process starts with. How to write a nonfiction book with pictures wikihow. How to write a blurb or book description for fiction and nonfiction titles kindle edition by alison penn.

The back page of your book is the next thing your buyer will see after picking it up from the shelf, so having a blurb which sells is just as important as having a great book cover design. The pieces can vary greatly in length, just as fiction can. Book cover express advises that on print books, there should only be 250300 words. Write an effective blurb for a nonfiction book proof. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. Writing nonfiction proposals when writing nonfiction, the key is to write a proposal and a sample chapter or two and get a publishing contract before youve finished the manuscript. Reflective essay example on the novel to kill a mockingbird. Writing the perfect introduction for your nonfiction book. Dont expect someone to write a blurb about an unsold or unfinished manuscript unless he knows your prior work well. There is a big difference between writing a cover blurb for a novel and writing a cover blurb for non. Then, and only then, write the manuscript that fulfills the promise.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling. Great blurb examples for nonfiction books cascadia author services. At the end well deconstruct blurb examples for books in seven bestselling nonfiction categories on amazon. How are you supposed to condense an entire novel into a few lines or paragraphs. How to write a blurb, back cover copy or sales description for your book that converts im working through the material for my next course, guerrilla publishing, but this part is. Find out the 4 biggest nonfiction topics to write about, and what else you need to write a bestselling book. Jun 12, 2015 the back cover book blurb can be the hardest part as an author condensing your book into a few, short paragraphs in a way that makes your book impossible to overlook. Writing creative nonfiction by carolyn forche goodreads.

For me, writing a blurb about my latest book s takes me only minutes, but that is after mulling over and thinking about it for hours and even days at times. Now that the reader knows you truly understand their. But im here to make it easier with these simple tips. I have seen nonfiction blurbs that are more about the author than the content of the book and i have seen fiction blurbs that are a synopsis of the story and even tell the reader the ending. Many non fiction descriptions do this by listing the topics covered with bullet points such as the amazon page for the 4hour workweek by timothy ferriss. My 4step process for writing a nonfiction book blurb that sells 1. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb.