Comments | sub_musashi: on summaries

sub_musashi

on summaries

Feb 12, 2007 15:30

The press for my book has sent me a "Marketing Questionnaire" with many detailed questions that they will allegedly use to promote my book (as though any normal people will be buying it). I thought most of it was pretty mundane - until I got to the section where they ask me to write the copy for the back of the book. You know, that paragraph or ( Read more... )

Comments 9

ketsugami February 12 2007, 20:58:24 UTC

Writing blurbs is hard. A lot of the ones on the backs of fiction books are ludicriously bad; as an exercise, try pulling down some novels that you liked at B&N and reading the blurbs, mostly they won't even vaguely resemble the story.

I think rather than being enthusiastic about how good the book is, you should concentrate on giving the audience an idea of what to expect. Someone once told me a blurb should use simple sentences and avoid adjectives...

Good luck!

sub_musashi February 12 2007, 21:45:42 UTC

Good advice - I would have swamped the thing in adjectives. That should help with the authorial perspective problem. I'll post my first attempt here.

weelisa February 12 2007, 21:03:11 UTC

Howza 'bout a little humour to get them to loosen their wallets? IF YOU READ ONLY ONE BOOK THIS YEAR...read this one too...

Soooooooooooooo, am I, like, helping? ;p

sub_musashi February 12 2007, 21:46:16 UTC

As always!

artricia February 12 2007, 22:22:08 UTC

We've got one of those for the BP. As usual, we're turning it into a monstrously large project.

I hadn't thought of going skinny on the adjectives, but that's probably a good idea, as is focusing on content (how nice it is when I read an article or book with a really good intro, conclusion, or thesis statement that I can quote right into my annotated bibliography! I usually do a little dance when that happens.

Can you just edit one of your million other summaries of the book?

sub_musashi February 13 2007, 13:59:54 UTC

That's probably what I'll do. 200 words is really, really short, though.

midcent February 13 2007, 00:32:01 UTC

Remember that sex sells: Things are heating up among certain "members" of the Religious Society of Friends. It's the turn of the century and physics is ready to let its hair down and dive into some kinky wave/particle duality. Sunday morning silence can't cover the sexy science you'll learn about in this racy thriller!

sub_musashi February 13 2007, 14:00:15 UTC

Wow, now I want to read it!

tea_with_ms_fox February 13 2007, 16:33:52 UTC

Bravo! Bravo! Always delightful to see an artisan at work.