Asking for it book blurb

A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Dont expect someone to write a blurb about an unsold or unfinished manuscript. This is a tentative blurb, though, as ive no doubt it needs improvement. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. A blurb also referred to as a synopsis or a glossary is the summary of the story found on the back cover of a book. Author richard mancuso goes into intimate detail of his personal journey to find relief from a debilitatin. Blurb said that amazon has bought several copies of the book and that is why it is still on amazons site and several other sites. I recently made and ordered a photobook from this site, using 8x10 inch portrait size, hardcover, with premium lustre paper.

Other than the cover, it is the other most important selling feature of a book. Dont expect someone to write a blurb about an unsold or unfinished manuscript unless he knows your prior work well. Most importantly, convince a potential reader to buy the book. We are very happy with the resulting book from our recent experience with blurb. Follow up on your book blurb request via email if you dont hear back from an author that you contact about a book jacketquote request, there are two possibilities. In the uk the blurb is the short synopsis of the books content on the back cover or jacket flap.

May 02, 2017 though im not at the stage yet of asking for blurbs, im going to save your column for future reference. What do publishers mean when they ask you for a summary of. How to ask for a book blurb 1 meet approach let those you admire know you admire them. A workplace romance with a creative spin, i couldnt help getting caught up in the natural chemistry between linc and amy. How to get incredible endorsements and blurbs for your book. Either the author doesnt want to or simply cant blurb your book, or the author didnt get your email. Like the original book by louise oneill, asking for it. The title, the unlikable heroine, her unlikable friends, the goldfish. Browning dives into the strange world of book blurbs. Quality is paramount to blurbgittins claims the color is so good in blurb books that book designers are making them to send to chinese. And finally, asking for blurbs will get easier with each book. Their technical staff is obtuse and they use a biased color profile. Dont pitch your book via direct messaging, or god forbid.

Everything about louise oneills second novel, asking for it, is provocative. They can skim your book and make sure its good enough to recommend, and write something catchy and simple in just 5 minutes. If youve ever bought a book on impulse, it was probably due at least in part to the blurb on the back or the sales copy on the website. Click the publish button at the bottom of the page. Even if they get a lot of blurb requests, saying yes isnt a huge time commitment. A child of hispanic immigrants seeks his own america, 2016 nonfiction, sociology this book won first place for the best politicalcurrent affairs book in the. The best thing you can do when asking for a blurb is to make it as easy as possible for people to give you one. Keep in mind that writers who are now famous were not always famous, and at some point they, too. Having her break a longstanding no blurbs policy to blurb my book put me right over the moon. A blurb from an author whose work i dislike can make me leave the book on the shelf. It astutely poses questions about consent, responsibility and the sexuality of young women. Blurb is a bookmaking platform and creative community that enables individuals to create, publish, share, and sell highquality photo books, trade books.

A blurbs job is to sell your book, so you should never shortchange the process. It is the authors responsibility to seek endorsements for their books and publishers expect you to get them. Author richard mancuso goes into intimate detail of his personal journey to find relief from a debili. Sometimes, those pithy phrases are what it takes to make a sale. Download asking for a friend ebook by richard mancuso. Step 2 book details enter the title of your project and your author name. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. Please remember what it felt like to ask an author and deliver your blurb in a. What americans call a blurb we call a puff or endorsement if you like. My last phrase is usually the best one, and the same might be true for you. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites.

So, why are agentsauthorseditors asking for presale, prepitch blurbs. Each new book you write will need endorsements from fresh authors so its a. Having her do it for a selfpublished ebook was even more thrilling. Jan 12, 2016 it is the authors responsibility to seek endorsements for their books and publishers expect you to get them.

Asking questions is so much more powerful than our automatic response, get the advice monster out and provide a solution. Of all the many books that i have read about rape culture this maybe the most bleak. I no longer want my book sold online through blurb i am going to create space and blurb will not take it off the online sites. Sep 06, 20 read the books you know or want your book to be compared to. How can we write that back cover copy that hooks a passing browser, and turns him or her into a loyal reader. Oct 08, 2012 asking an author to blurb your book takes guts, and for good reason.

Learn more about timelines for updates to published books. Blurbs those short endorsements on the front and back of your novel. Emma is a young woman who finds herself passed out on her own front doorstep. How to ask for a book blurb bittersweet book launch. Jul 19, 20 the blurb of your book is the second thing a potential reader will look at after the coverso take the time to get it right.

Asking for it is one of the most shocking yet completely believable books ive probably ever read. In that vein, ill let you in on a dirty little secret. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. Its important that your letter asking for a book endorsement is truly heartfelt, personal, and written in your own words. Most writers are cut out to be solitary creatures who hunker down alone at desks and kitchen tables in flannel shirts and sweatpants, making up stories or researching nonfiction books. Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i. On the episode today we hash out the meaning of a blurb. Use linkmaker to include amazon links pictures or text in your post.

It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest. If you want to help your employees, or actually anybody you solve challenges with, being more empowered, coming up with better solutions and feeling better at work or in the relationship, this is the book to read. Asking people to blurb your book is a pretty weird and humiliating process. As an author, how can we turn this to our advantage.

May 08, 20 author daphne uviller on asking for blurbs. How to get blurbs for your book from famous authors. If someone sent me a sample wording, i would be very put off indeed. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. How to write a blurb to sell your book writing tips. Here are six rules to be mindful of before you put pen to paper on your back book cover blurb. Asking for a friend by richard mancuso blurb books. Youve chosen this particular author for a reason, right. They are the icing on the cake of months of hard work.

Read the books you know or want your book to be compared to. Once the plugin has been successfully installed, the blurb indesign plugin blurb book creator can be found at the bottom of the indesign file menu. Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book, so. For new authors, and lesser known authors, getting the right blurb for your book can make a difference. Blurb photo book falling part pages detaching help center. So there are 1,000 photos id have to skim through while also looking back at my blog posts to see which photos go to which post. How to score a blurb for your new book alice osborn.

Asking for a blurb for your book premium content premium content. But, whether youre a new writer or a veteran, asking someone for a cover quote may seem intimidating. The blurb describes the problems faced by cager and stasya, then poses the questions i intend to the reader to have in mind as the story plays out. And i just read the first page of your new book on amazon and have to say, it looks remarkable. So im doubly thankful i stopped by writer unboxed today. The most common issues with blurb are around customer service, which is not as good as expected by some customers. Its the beginning of the summer in a small town in ireland. Dec 16, 2019 asking for a friend starts blakelys new boyfriend material series, and now that ive read the first book, the next two have skyrocketed right to the top of my list of most anticipated books of 2020. Jun 01, 2015 the occult art of the poetry book blurb.

As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. Blurbs and asking for endorsements swenson book development. Asking for a friend boyfriend material book 1 kindle. But she asked to maintain her anonymity in the novel.

If youre selfpublishing, say so up front and include a. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile, has to be engaging and alluring to attract passersby. But it is the single most important piece of writing you will do on your book. The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. A workplace romance with a creative spin, i couldnt help getting caught up. Polly is eight years old and she loves to run and play basketball. Asking for it follows emma as she tries to deal with the aftermath of a brutal gang rape, as well as the lack of support and slut shaming she receives from her parents and most of her small town who believe that she was asking for it. Find asking for a friend by richard mancuso at blurb books. Asking for a friend starts blakelys new boyfriend material series, and now that ive read the first book, the next two have skyrocketed right to the top of my list of most anticipated books of 2020. And you obviously didnt want to ask again for a second book, but he gave you. The novel starts off like a typical ya book, friends hanging out, classroom chats, after school chats and online banter. How to get a famous author to endorse your book writers.

How to write a romance blurb blog author rosalind james. Write down what, specifically, you loved about the book, what spoke to you, and, if you know your own project well, how your book and theirs intersect. This means all the focus needs to be on the reader their needs and expectations. Apr 27, 2018 o ne of the more hideous things you have to do when you have a book coming out is suck up to other authors in the hope theyll give you a blurb for your jacket. A blurb is not, in this instance, meant to discuss the flapcover or backcover copy. Sometimes, its even worth writing the blurb, taking the final sentence, copying that onto a new page and starting the blurb over again from there. Six writers tell all about covers and blurbs the awl.

If youre selfpublishing, say so up front and include a sentence or two about how you plan. A simple outline for writing a killer book blurb ink and quills. And its also a good idea to send chocolate with your book copyvery classy. I hope this helps you when you begin writing sales copy for your book. When you ask for a blurb, youre asking another person to shine a little of his or her credibility down on you. Youre asking your target to invest time into reading and commenting on your manuscript. Sep 25, 2016 the only spoilers in that blurb come from the beginning of the book. If you havent already, read our article about how to request a book blurb from a famous author first and then return to this sample letter. As already noted, writing a back book blurb is a marketing exercise. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. Blurb is a basic service useable for basic book printing. Asking an author to blurb your book takes guts, and for good reason. Jul 11, 2017 tips on how to write a good book blurb.

Its perfectly rational to find the prospect more stressful than, say, oral surgery. Book blurbs are one of those things that many selfpublishers dont even realize are a thing because they are so fully integrated into the book reading process that we dont notice them until they arent there blurbs short testimonials of the book and they are featured on the front and back covers of books. Jun 20, 2015 how to blurb someones book by bill ferris is the definitive blurbing guide to blurbing books and, if necessary, to blurbing blurbs, making this blurb the definite blurb of the blurbing guide to blurbing blurbs and books. Asking for a friend ebook by richard mancuso blurb books. Asking for a blurb from a ny times bestselling, very famous person was perhaps the hardest thing ive done on the writing front. This specificity is important, because you wont just be writing a fan letter when you ask for a blurb. My friend came out with her first novel last year, and i blurbed her book, so shed probably blurb mine. Here are some tips on what you can do to boost a books sales with its blurb. I hope these tips will help you when its time to write your blurb. Here are a few of the things i learnt from my experiences in preparing my first photo book using blurbs booksmart software. If youre publishing traditionally, know that sometimes your publisher. Asking for a blurb for your book artshub australia.

Occasionally, yes, but the bulk of the chore belongs to the author. If they decide to take the project on, theyll figure out how to sell it, but they dont want to be sold, convinced, persuaded, etc. Tips on how to write a good book blurb by author tina. I have received books printed upside down, pages missing, dark pictures. So, your book is finished and you need to get the word out. Writers jane rawson and annabel smith share how they get. Jan 14, 2019 the blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book.

Either way, we discuss the value of a blurb and size up the actual role it plays in book sales, and then we dive into. Asking for it is a captivating look at rape culture in the digital age. Having a book blurbaka a book jacket or an endorsementfrom a famous or even semifamous author is a marketing strategy that can have a positive impact on your book sales. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. However, there are a few things i wish i had known before undertaking this project, as it would have saved me some time and effort. I have different ideas on what to write and several versions, but the trick is to hook the reader, tell a little but not too much, convey that the book is not g rated to those who might be shocked, give some sense of time period and place, and to describe briefly the circumstances of the hero and heroine. By definition, youll most often ask writers who are at least for now more wellknown than you are. A social psychologist explains why we should ask for help. A sample letter for writers requesting a book endorsement. May 23, 20 asking questions as a book blurb hook, yuck. The process of asking for blurbs can be a bit uncomfortable for most authors. A blurb from an author i admire might seduce me into buying the book.

Louise oneill, asking for it this is a book that makes you feel. I end the blurb with questions the reader is probably asking themselves and wants to know more and will hopefully buy the book. You are not surprising them by asking for a blurb for a book they havent even seen. I have been a long time user but they are unable to print photo books true to the original images. Kboards is a discussion board for owners of kindles, readers of kindle ebooks, and writers of kindle ebooks. Asking for it was first presented at the everyman theatre in cork as the culmination of. How to blurb someones book by bill ferris is the definitive blurbing guide to blurbing books and, if necessary, to blurbing blurbs, making this blurb the definite blurb of the blurbing guide to blurbing blurbs and books. Blurbs often only a few words or phrase of praise from a high profile author, celebrity, or expert appear on a books cover or dust jacket flaps. Any reader of realistic fiction should not miss this one. Jun 22, 2018 you tell a story in the book about asking someone for a blurb for your first book, and you didnt get a response.