Writing Blurbs and Self-Review #2

As much of a slog as it is, it's vital to read one's manuscript more than once. I didn't find many mistakes the second time, but I found a few. And I changed a few words because of repetitiveness. Other than one sentence requiring clarification, that was it. I wouldn't be surprised to find more issues if I read it again, but there needs to be a point at which one stops.

Now I'm immersed in writing my blurb, and it's not going well. I stand by my assertion that a blurb absolutely should not be wordy. People get bored ~ I get bored ~ by reading a book description that goes on and on. For me, that has the exact opposite effect of what the author is trying to achieve, which is sales. If I'm bored by the blurb, why wouldn't I be bored reading your story? My approach to blurb writing:

• Main character's name and her circumstance (Did she just leave her job? Did she, as in my story, just buy a rundown motel?)
• Establish the problem (or inciting incident).
• Add the stakes.

That doesn't require a thousand words. Ideally, and a requirement for some promo sites, a blurb should hover around fifty words.

Use action verbs and keep the whole thing concise.

Depending on the genre, certain words or themes are expected. It just so happens that in my story, the MC falling in love plays a big role, but even if it didn't, I would probably include a line referencing it. Readers want to know what they're in store for, and a lot of women, even if the genre isn't romance, want some kind of emotional angle.

With this story, the last thing I want to do is mislead a potential reader, so I obviously need to play up the "mysterious stalker" context. The book isn't just about MC's problems with renovating her property. Besides, how dull would that be?

Writing a blurb is like solving a puzzle. I know I'll get it; I just haven't yet. I've tried about four iterations so far and I'm still not satisfied. (Tip: Don't delete the attempts you've ruled out. You can scavenge words from those for your newer version.) My newest includes the word, "things", which I dislike. One should always strive for specificity. But I haven't found a better way to say "things go downhill fast". It's an idiom everyone uses. Who knows? I may scrap that line completely if I find a better replacement. 

My best previous blurb was also my shortest. I skipped over bullet point number one and went right to the inciting incident. 

I know I could begin the formatting process, but while the blurb continues to eat at me, I'm not ready to move on. One can be tempted or frustrated enough to simply accept an "okay" blurb, but it's so important for sales that doing so would be akin to accepting an "okay" book cover. Remember, nobody knows what's in your book. All they have is a cover and a description from which to make a purchasing decision. So, I toil on.

When I finally manage to hit on just the right combination of words, I'll post it here.