The book blurb is one of the main selling points of your book. The blurb appears on the back jacket of a printed book or the book page in a digital book store, and the author or publisher can write it.

A blurb provides the reader with a short description of the book, aiming to create curiosity and get them to read your book. 

Creating a precise and dynamic start for your blurb is vital to make your reader eager to read your book. It is NOT a summary of your book or a way to set the stage for the reader. 

But how do you write a blurb that will sell your book?

- Write about the main characters

Since people are social beings, they like to engage with the characters in the book. It is why you need to introduce the characters with your blurb, revealing only enough so that readers would like to spend time with them. 

- Give them a glimpse of the plot and conflict

It will help if you hint at the plot and the conflict driving your story. It needs to be physical conflict readers can relate to since revealing a character's interior journey isn't adequate to grab their attention. 

- Show them what is at stake

The consequences of conflict create drama, making readers interested in finding out the outcome. Just telling your readers that the characters need to rescue a POW won't pull them in. But if you specify the consequences of that failure - that the enemy may force him to reveal information that threatens the American president, it adds a layer of drama that will draw them in.  

- Answer the why

It would be best to tell the reader why they should read your book. Readers have a good idea of what books they are looking for, so the blurb needs to sell the book to the right reader. It would help if you showed them that your book is a better choice than your competitors' books. 

You can do this effectively by including familiar elements that excite readers and imply the similarity of your books to comparable books in your genre. But be careful not to run other books and authors down. It is better to show readers what makes your book unique.

- Optimize for digital book stores

The blurb is even more vital to driving sales with online book stores. The first line can ensure the blurb's success or failure. Since you have limited space before the 'Read More,' it needs to grab your reader's attention instantly. 

You should also include the right keywords to ensure your book shows in the search results, especially concerning the genre of your book. But avoid keyword stuffing since online retailers will penalize you for spamming.

You can't easily change the blurb for a printed book, but you can use these five tips to edit your blurb on your digital product page. And with some experimentation and fine-tuning, your blurb can drive more sales!