You never judge a book by its cover, but we are all guilty of that. Anyone who picks up a book will always look at the cover first and judge it. However, what actually makes or breaks a book is the blurb. The blurb or the synopsis of your book is the real deal-breaker here. If your book passes the “cover test,” your book will have to nail the “blurb test” so that it can go home with the reader. The majority of authors are more focused on getting the cover right and leaving the blurb as an afterthought. Your blurb is the single most important part of your book, especially when you consider the fact that the reader will be deciding if he or she will buy the book, depending upon how you pitch your novel with your blurb.

To help you with writing a superb blurb for your novel, here are some tips that will make it easier for you to capture the attention of your reader long enough for them to buy it.

Do Your Research!

Before you start, you need to look at some samples and do your research. Look for novels in a similar genre and see what other authors are doing. You can always go to any online stores such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Kobo and check similar genre books there. Check their structure, their word choice and length as this will give you an idea of what you should and shouldn’t do.

What to Write?

Usually, when you look at blurbs of books, you will notice that there is always a situation, a problem, a twist and a call to action. These are some things that you can incorporate in your blurb as they have a good reaction from readers. Adding questions about your character or your story will build up the hype and will prompt your readers to pick up your book.

Make Your First Sentence Impactful

Most of the times, the reader will not go beyond the first sentence and will either take or leave the book back on the shelf. This is the reason why the first sentence of your blurb has to be strong, impactful and almost like a pick-up line. It should entice the reader, make them want to engage and have them feel a connection with the reader from the get-go.

Bring Your Main Characters in Focus

To make your reader interested and invested, they don’t just need to know about the story but also your characters. Try to introduce your characters in an interesting way, put a light on them where they shine the brightest and then have the reader make their judgment. Put the focus on them and their trials in the story so that the reader can get a good glimpse of what they will be reading about.

Keep Your Readers Guessing

You want to make your readers curious and have them wanting more. Using a cliffhanger in the blurb will make it work for you. Adding a direct question, adding a hint about what more is to come and how it can impact the characters is a great way to grab the attention of the reader.