The blurb of a novel is a powerful tool for an author, especially when they want to grab the attention of the audience and increase sales. While most authors give their utmost attention to the cover to make their book stand out, they more or less ignore the blurb. From boring to vague, many authors are unable to write a blurb that sells their novels.

Here are some tips that will help you with writing a great blurb.

Be Careful of Your Word Choice

You need to be careful of your word choice as it should be according to the genre and the overall atmosphere of your novel. Meeting the expectations of your readers should be your utmost priority so being cautious in your approach and word choice is very important. Some words can be keywords that will lure your reader in. For example, words such as “infiltrate,” “murder,” and “spy” can be great for a blurb that has similar situations in the book and belongs to the suspense, mystery or thriller genre.

Set Your Setting

Set the tone and the setting of your novel by mentioning it in the blurb. Simply giving an introduction of the story and characters will not be enough. For example, if you are writing historical fiction, you must give the reader a time period. If you are writing about Vikings or knights, then you need to say so and if your novel is dystopian then it needs to be mentioned in the blurb as well.

Don’t Make it Too Long

Try to contain the length of your blurb. Many authors believe that it should be between 100 to 150 words, but it isn’t possible at times. While this is the ideal length, you can keep it as short as possible to maintain the interest of the readers without giving out potential spoilers. Since many major ebook sites don’t give the authors enough space for blurbs, it is best to keep it short rather than make the reader click on “read more.”

Exaggeration is Good At Times

Trying to add too much in the blurb can be a little off-putting for the reader, which is the reason why it is often recommended to keep the blurb short. So, to keep the material fresh and interesting, you can always use hyperboles. You can always exaggerate a situation, make it suspenseful and interesting by using adjectives and verbs that call to readers and spark their curiosity.

Don’t Make it Complex

Try not to use complex sentence structures or make your sentences vague. Shorter sentences are easier to understand and digest, which makes them perfect for leaving an impact. Since the majority of readers will be skimming most of the text, you need to make it easier for them to find things that interest them. Longer sentences might not entice the reader, not get their attention or make the impact that you need with your blurb. Simpler sentences that speak directly to readers have better results.