Tip
3 Is it scannable?
Is your back cover blurb
scannable?
Sophie
Masson gives some good advice:
•Short and succinct–around
150 words is ideal, to give enough information without overloading the reader
•Snappily and enticingly
written with no confusing bits
•Written in third person,
even if book is in first-person voice
•Attractive to look
at—well-designed in terms of text on the page, what’s around it, color
background, etc.—
And finally, starting with a
tag line, in italics, works well: maybe setting time and place—e.g., Moscow, June 1937—or introducing a main
character, e.g., Meet Septimus Drake, master magician—or an intriguing line of
text from the book, usually from very early on, e.g., It was supposed to be a
foolproof plan…
As I looked back on the back covers of my books, I
realized that I need to rewrite all of them. The above description describes a
well written, easily scannable blurb.
Where the Crawdads
Sing
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted
Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when
handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark,
the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and
intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home,
finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when
she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued
by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable
happens.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite
ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising
tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the
children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent
secrets that nature keeps.
I may have left out
the highlighted red. The word count is good. Seems very clear. Written in the
third person, and as I cannot find a back cover image I can’t comment on the
background. I think it needs a tag line!
The Silent Patient
If you don’t already know the
premise of this book, a
well-known artist accused of killing her
husband, and immediately goes silent.
No communication of any kind. Not even to defend herself – because did she
really kill the husband that she adored and doted on? Most of the story is told
by the new doctor who believes he can cure the artist and make her speak. (Messiah complex, anyone?) Pretty simple
premise, really. But the execution is interesting and there were still enough
little surprises that I didn’t mind knowing the ending. If you haven’t read it
already and you are a thriller fan, then what are you waiting for?
I would have deleted
the part highlighted in red and added the blue. May have given the main
character’s name instead of just “she.”
Where the Forest Meets
the Stars
In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches
two strangers how to love and trust again. After the loss of her mother
and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate
research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her
recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from
dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a
mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises. The
girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to
witness five miracles. With concerns about the child's home situation, Jo
reluctantly agrees to let her stay--just until she learns more about Ursa's
past. Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the
mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more
questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand
Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren't
Jo and Gabe checking the missing children's website anymore? Though the three
have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As
the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her
dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their
painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to
the stars.I enjoy a good
Long, but I think it
has me hooked, I enjoy a good science fiction now and then.
Tip 4 A new back
cover. Next Week
#Writing #BookTips #Hubert'sBlog #WritingTips
