Sunday, August 30, 2009

Show Me Your Blurbs




Hey all, I thought it would be fun today to do one of two things:

A)Post the back cover blurb for the book you're reading
B)Post the back cover blurb for the book you're writing

Now, not everyone is a writer here, so this would be a great place to share the sort of books you DO love to read, and why. Those of us who are writers and haven't written a back cover blurb, reading those posted by others will help you craft your own—and when you share, we'll all get a gander at what you've got going on.

For Writers:

If you're just now writing your own back cover blurb (or summary paragraph for a query letter) there's a quick easy trick to help you get the ball rolling:

The 3 C's

Character, Conflict and Conclusion

A grieving Cinderella does her best to embrace her step-mother and sisters, but when she catches the eye of the prince and falls in love, she comes to understand the only family she'll ever have is with him.

Okay, not so hot—but it's great at boiling a story down to it's basic elements and themes, which really helps when working on that blurb.

So okay, let's see your Blurbs! ;)

I'll post one from the book I'm reading:

Others by James Herbert:

"Nicholas Dismas is a Private Investigator, but like no other that has gone before him. He carries a secret about himself to which not even he has the answer... He is hired to find a missing baby. One that was taken away at birth... Or was it? His investigation takes him to a mysteriously located place called Perfect Rest. It is supposed to be a nursing home for the elderly... But is it? Here Dismas will discover the dark secret of the Others. And in an astonishing and spectacular finale he will resolve the enigma of his own existence."

Warmly,
Jenny:)

6 comments:

Martin Bartloff said...

Awesome idea!

"Torn From Normal" by: Me :-)

Torn from his normal life by a double tragedy, Andy Riley finds himself living on the beach with street kids. When a robbery goes wrong, the kids attack him. A blue Porsche races to the rescue—driven by the man his friends tried to rob.



Danny has had many foster brothers over the years and knows his father won’t leave a kid bleeding in an alley all alone. They bring Andy home and discover a boy in the depths of despair. Danny welcomes Andy as a new brother, eager to soothe his own loneliness and offer his help and friendship.



An abusive aunt, eager for the government check to support her nephew, demands custody of Andy. The loss of his new family is more than he can bear. When he disappears, Danny and Marvin hurry to find him, before it’s too late.

http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/

Christy said...

This is from Last Witness by Jilliane Hoffman:
"Cops are dying. Hunted down while on patrol, they are being murdered while trying to protect the citizens of Miami from this very type of crime. Dominick Falconetti, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is charged with heading a task force to investigate. Details at the crime scenes point to a drug connection, and when a highly-placed gang member disappears, it reinforces Dominick's suspicions that these cops were all involved in something unsavory. C. J. Townsend, the state prosecutor he has loved for the past three years-ever since they met on the infamous Cupid investigation-is getting the calls in the middle of the night as well. As the state attorney who put Florida's last serial killer behind bars, she's the logical choice to help stop this one. But before long, C.J. begins to suspect that she knows an even more terrible secret than Dominick does about why these cops are being murdered. A tense, gripping crime drama set against the richly detailed background of the Miami legal system and police department, Last Witness is an extraordinary novel."

Author Guy said...

I spent a year trying to create a query synopsis for my latest MS, called St. Martin's Moon. Couldn't do it. I may have better luck with back cover or jacket copy, but I doubt it. Some books just don't synopsize. However, I have these two synopses for my two short stories, being released as part of the Echelon Shorts line:

'Chasing His Own Tale'

His Muse is on strike...
His Hero hates his lines...
His Villain has sworn revenge...
The Editors are in revolt...
What's an Author to do!

'Boys Will Be Boys'

In the town of Stones-Throw, the biggest outdoor sport was watching the shipwreck races. The biggest indoor sports were drinking, brawling, and jacking. Longshanks McGonigle wanted a drink. The denizens of the Port & Swill wanted a fight. And the ladies on the second floor wanted his...password?

April said...

I LOVE the cover of this book!!

tom said...
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tom said...
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