A Guide to Writing the BEST Blurb for your Book!

So you've written your book, you've got the perfect illustrations to accompany it and your front cover screams 'read me!'... are you ready for your blurb?

What is a 'blurb'?

A blurb is the text on the back of your book which describes what your book is about.   The dictionary says;

blurb

 (blɜːb) 

n

1. a promotional description, as found on the jackets of books

Why is it important?

Think of it as your sales pitch - that one chance to describe your story to potential readers and hook them in. A lot of authors write their blurb as an afterthought - something that sums up the end of their project when really, you should be thinking about this before you've even finished writing your story! Your blurb will be the text on which the rest of your book is judged - rush it or half heartedly write it and the customer may think your story will be the same. 

Every word in your blurb should work towards selling your idea, your story, your characters - and make it the reader want to find out more! Why should they buy it? Why this book? Your blurb should be THE BEST blurb you could possibly write for this book, anything less will not do.

What should it contain?

There are no set rules for what your blurb should and shouldn't contain, but in my many years of working with children's books I've read a lot of them - good and bad. Here's some pointers to get you started.

What kind of book have you written? A kids picture book? A horror novel? Make sure it's clear what kind of book your reader can expect!

What words describe your book and fit well with it's theme? Fast? Passionate? Quirky? Awkward? Sad? These are the words you should try to use. Try to only use powerful words and avoid cluttering up sentences with pointless, long descriptions.

Who is reading your book? If your book is aimed at high school girls, then you probably don't want to talk to them in the same way you would a 54 year old mechanic. Use appropriate language for your target audience.

Keep it SHORT!

I can't stress this one enough - you have a very limited window to sell your book here, someone has picked it up and is actually reading the back of it! Don't bore them or scare them away with an essay. keep it short, sweet, to-the-point and make every word an important, powerful word.

Do...
-Introduce your main character
-Explain the situation and main conflict without revealing the ending
-Keep it short, but powerful
-Write, and re-write until your blurb is perfect

-Use powerful words that reflect the theme of your book

-Write in the present tense

-Use a short extract from your book if it is action filled and catchy

Don't...
-Use lots of words to over describe
-Clutter the blurb with too many characters or events
-Mention other books or authors
-Blow your own trumpet - let the reader be the judge of that!

Your blurb should sound nice. (Sound nice?) Yes! A little bit like a poetic verse, your blurb wants to roll of the tongue, be easy to read and flow like a lover serenading. I've  included below some examples of blurbs from popular, famous books that you have most likely read. Let's see if you can guess which book they are from!*

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is 

rescued by a beetle-eyed giant of a man, enrols at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn't know his own strength, and when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him...

When Alice follows the White Rabbit down the rabbit-hole, she finds herself in a wonderland of amazing characters where anything can happen. There is a Mad Hatter, a March Hare and a sleepy Dormouse who hold a never-ending tea-party; a Cheshire-cat who appears and disappears at will; a sad Mock Turtle who enjoys dancing with a Gryphon; a Caterpillar who gives invaluable advice on how to shrink and grow and a Queen of Hearts whose constant command is 'Off with their heads!'

Think about your font...

It may not be the first thing you think of, but the font of your blurb is important too. Overall, it must be readable, but you want the font to relate to the book and accompany the theme. Don't settle for Times New Roman because it was the default font - explore and experiment to see what fits best! 

Print out your blurb at the size it will be read. Does it look good? Can you read it? Does it sit on the back cover nicely? Could it be better?

There are plenty of fonts available on the net and a lot of them are free! Just make sure you are allowed to use them for commercial use.

Should I pay someone to write a good blurb for me?

I've seen several publishers offering a relatively cheap service to write a 'professional' blurb. While I can't say I have ever used this service, I can see why it is appealing. Ask yourself - have you tried writing your own before giving up? Has the person writing your blurb actually read your story? Do they have the same connection you have to your characters and the events that shape their lives?

I'd be interested to hear if you did pay for a blurb and the outcome was successful - please get in touch in the comments below!

I hope that helped you write your blurb, or at least got you thinking about what it should contain. Good luck with your book!

In the meantime, if you have a project you need illustrating, you can email me at izzybean@izzybean.co.uk

You can see my online portfolio on my website at www.izzybean.co.uk 

Izzy Bean

*The answers to the famous blurbs...

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Of Mice and Men

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Did you guess correctly? Let us know in the comments!

Author Interview! Matthew Evans talks about his children's book and why he is donating 25% of his royalties...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Matthew Evans

Matthew Evans, author of 'Lucy's Loo-Loo La-La land' talks about his process and how he started writing for children.

Let’s start with some introductions, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Of course, I am 38 and have been married for 10 years, we have a daughter, 5, and a son, 2. I work in Technical pre sales at a large IT vendor and my role is pan EMEA. Away from the office I enjoy sports, I am keen runner and in the last few years have completed a 100km and a 50km ultra marathon, I am planning on my third later this year. As a family we enjoy travel both in and outside the UK, it’s good to experience different cultures but also experience those things on your doorstep.

How did you get into writing for children?

Unintentionally if I’m being honest. In August of 2011 we lost our first son following a premature birth. Since then I have entered a number of running races and undertaken challenges to help  raise money for a number of charities, Tommys Baby and Daisys Dream to name a couple. To date I think I have raised in the region of £5,500 but there is always that desire to do more and that’s where the idea of a book came in.

What process do you follow when writing?

I have only written the one book so I am not sure how much of a process I followed. I started with the overall storyline and then worked on it page by page, read time and time again and tweaked the words and story until I was happy. I then had my wife read it and then applied a few last edits. If I am honest I don’t think anyone if ever completely happy, if I could make a couple of edits today I think I would.

What gives you inspiration and who are your influences?

My kids. The whole story started out as written down things that my daughter had said to me, so the book is very much through the eyes of a child. As an example, we were on holiday a couple of years ago and visited a town just outside of Pool, I recall the town square was paved with these shiny white tiles and my daughter turned and said “look at the ice” and started skating around on it, that’s when the loose story started to form, it was lovely to see something normal and day to day to an adult mean something completely different to a child. Over the next 12 months I made notes and formed a we ideas around what else would happen. After our son was born I could see these little partners in crime, hence why the story is based on a little girl called Lucy and her brother, Jack.

What problems did you find when releasing your book?

I first published it as an ebook. On reflection this wasn’t particularly problematic but when you’re new to the process it is nice to get a guiding hand, I seem to recall I send you a few emails looking for advice. The formatting of the ebook was a little challenging, again if it’s all new to you. In the end I used a company called ‘Ebook Partnership’ as they were reasonably priced and provided an excellent service.

However, I found I didn’t get much traction with my ebook and that’s when I stumbled across Amazon Create Space. Create Space is a company owned by Amazon that allows you to self-publish as paperback. Again this wasn’t hugely challenging but when you are new to the options and settings it requires a little research. After a few attempts at formatting I decided to use a company called ‘Sleeping Cat Books’. They provided an excellent service and were great value.

What was the best part about releasing your book?

Seeing it live on Amazon and then showing it to my kids for the first time.

What was your favourite childhood book?

I enjoyed many of the traditional Ladybird books, such as the Magic Porridge Pot and the Enormous Turnip. I also have a copy of a book called ‘Podgy and I’ which was released around 1925 by Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd, given the state of my copy it could well be an original. I read this to my children who think it’s quite fun that I am reading them a story that I had at their age.

Who are your favourite designers and/or brands?

The books we get now are very much decided on by the kids, we have quite a few books by Nick Sharratt which we enjoy, as well as a few by Julia Donaldson such as The Gruffalo and Room on a Broom.

Do you prefer ebooks or physical books? Why?

Physical, not sure why, there is just something about holding book compared to holding and eReader.

How much does your book cost?

£1.99 for the eBook and £5.99 for the paperback, 25% of all royalties are being donated to Tommy's  (http://www.tommys.org/)

Where can we find your book / where it is for sale?

Ebook - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucys-Loo-Loo-Land-Matthew-Evans-ebook/dp/B00O96HSYW/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424103135&sr=8-1&keywords=Lucys+Loo+Loo

Paperback - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucys-Loo-Loo-Land-Matthew-Evans/dp/1507747217/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424103135&sr=8-1&keywords=Lucys+Loo+Loo

Is there anything else you want to add?

Due to some guidelines from the Create Space service my book didn’t have enough pages so I added a version of the book with no colour or text which means this is a book and colouring book all rolled into one.

Thankyou for reading, and a huge thank you to Matthew Evans for the interview!

Racing Pigs, Rescue Dogs, Chameleons and so much more! - 'End of the Year' Blog Post by Izzy bean Illustrations!

2014 has come to a close, and what a fantastic year it has been!

I've been lucky enough to work with some incredible people on such fantastic projects - every time I get an email from a potential client I can't wait to see what adventures I might be getting up to next! 2014 did not fail to deliver, so let's see what it brought...

Racing Pigs!

The year started off with a new Fairy Tale Trail book from a long time client Evergreen Creations LLC. Adding to an impressive line of books I've illustrated for this super company, including 'Beauty and the Bees' and 'Ciderella', The 'Three Racing Pigs' was a great way to start the year!

The Fairy Tale Trail is a great series of modern twists on old classics - all in the name of promoting agriculture education! Check out these pictures of children following the stories through corn mazes and farms across the US.

Doesn't it look like fun?!

You can find out more about the Fairy Tale Trail by visiting their website;

http://www.thefairytaletrail.com

And you can purchase the books through Amazon;

www.thefairytaletrail.com/order-now.html

The Three Racing Pigs set the standard for 2014 and the rest of the year whizzed by! 

I couldn't possibly talk about all of them, in fact I couldn't even pick out my favourite as they are all so fun! Here are a few random highlights that I'd like to share with you. 

The Sea Creatures are back!

Do you remember the loveable Sea Creatures battling the tide in Grandma PaintPot's beautiful book? Well they make a second appearance in Book Two - Leonard Limpet Makes A Splash!

Grandma PaintPot doesn't disappoint, this book is packed full of action, adventure and daring acts! 

You can buy this, and the first book in the series, through Amazon

Featuring the letter L...

2014 saw a lot of repeat custom, with Elinor Hamilton bringing me another book from her delightful range of 'speech therapy' sing-a-long nursery rhymes. This one is a favourite I'm sure you will all know, go on, have a little sing!

You can visit the official website here;

www.bookcastle4kids.com

A Promise and A Pledge...

I had heard of '1000 Books Before Kindergarten' before being contacted for this project. However when I started to find out more, I really appreciated just how great it really is.

"The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read a book (any book, including this one) to your newborn, infant, and/or toddler. The goal is to have read 1,000 books (yes you can repeat books) before your precious one starts kindergarten. Does it sound hard? Not really if you think about it. If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think."

You can find out more about the project on their official website, which features articles, advice, reviews and tips!

www.1000booksbeforekindergarten.org

They even have an iTunes app!

Candy Chameleon...

In all my years of illustrating, I get to draw all manner of things. However, I had yet to draw a chameleon. So when Roxanne Dial contacted me about her book, I couldn't wait to get started! 

Candy Chameleon is the story of a lizard who has to find a way of standing out when she naturally blends in. I loved the premise and I loved using all the colours to bring Candy to life. This was a project I really enjoyed! 

You can buy the book right here!

The Missing Cakes

Last, but most definitely not least, is Policeman Paul by Chris Cader. A well written story about missing cakes - with loveable characters and a great plot twist! I'm not giving the game away, you'll have to read it for yourself!

So that's it for 2014. It's been a fun ride, thanks to everybody who shared it with me! My diary for 2015 is already starting to fill up fast, so I'll be sure to share some updates with you very soon!

I'd like to say and extra special thank you to all my clients - thank you for bringing me such fun and interesting projects to illustrate - you're the reason I love my job!

In the meantime, if you have a project you need illustrating, you can email me at izzybean@izzybean.co.uk

I hope you all had a year as good as I did, and I hope you have an even better 2015!

Izzy Bean

Do You Poop?

Do You Poop? and other great stories!

Wow, has it really been almost 5 months since my last post? It seems like 5 minutes! 

I have been working hard and putting all of my time and devotion into some really great new projects. Sometimes I feel so privileged to get such great stories to illustrate! Often I get sent some copies of books once they’ve been printed, so I thought what better way to kick off this blog then with some photos of those great books I mentioned!

Do You Poop?

I loved the premise for this book as soon as Kerri contacted me. It was not only fun to illustrate, but it was great fun to read too! Take a look;

Do You Poop is a great book if you have young kids whether they are potty training or not. Check out Kerri's website for more information, or buy the book on Amazon!

www.kerriwoodthomson.com

Buy on Amazon

The Selfish Shellfish

You might remember I blogged about Grandma Paint Pot and her loveable sea creatures in the past. Well here are some (overdue) pictures of this brilliant book about the cute creatures and their crazy antics. The writing is superb, the characters are fantastic - and it’s set in Cornwall too! So what’s not to love?!

I highly recommend a visit to Grandma Paint Pot's website to find out more information and great pictures of REAL Leonard limpets and Pheobe periwinkles!

www.grandmapaintpot.com

You can buy this book in paperback;

Itunes

Amazon

And stay tuned for book two! I'm not giving anything away, except that it will be worth the wait to see some familiar faces!

TESCO’s GO CREATE colouring pad

I was a little surprised (and a lot pleased) to see my illustrations had made it into Tesco’s colouring books. At only £2.50 for 64 illustrations for your little ones to scribble in - you know that’s a bargain! 

Check out my two nephew’s handiwork too! Not bad, hey? We’ll make an illustrator of him yet!

What else?

Well it’s been a busy summer, and there’s lots of beautiful books and projects I have yet to share with you! Here’s a small selection of some of the latest - and there's more to come soon! 

I’ve even included some sneaky sketches of projects I’m working on right now! Can you guess what they'll turn into?

I actually do a much better job of updating my website then I do my blog! So if you’d like to see my most current work, or ask for a quote for your book, please visit www.izzybean.co.uk or email me at izzybean@izzybean.co.uk

Thanks!