What are 'Blurbs?'
A deep dive into the art of the blurb.
What is a blurb?
It’s a fun word. Blurb. It sounds like something a baby might say, when he or she is learning to speak. Or maybe it’s the kind of thing that comes out when you’re stumbling over your syllables after talking too fast.
Blurb.
Where does the word come from? And what does it mean?
According to PaperTrue, ‘a blurb is a brief, compelling book description designed to arouse the curiosity of potential readers.’
In other words, a blurb refers to those few paragraphs on the back of a book, or under the title of a movie.
The common assumption seems to be that a blurb is simply a summary of the work itself—which is not the case. Yes, it’s a description of the book or movie. But it’s also designed to make you want to read/watch the story.
A blurb is, in actuality, a very clever piece of advertising.
The history of the word ‘blurb’ is actually very interesting. It supposedly first emerged thanks to humourist and illustrator Gelett Burgess, as the surname of a fictional girl that he put onto his book cover as an act of satire back in 1907.
For more, you can have a look here at Wordfoolery.
I highly recommend that you have a read through the post I’ve linked, since it’s a fascinating story, and leads me to consider the complexities of human nature… but maybe I’ll write about that another time.
Let’s have a look at an example of a blurb. For today, I’ll be using the newly published book A Study of Shattered Spells by Josiah DeGraaf as my example.
Here’s the blurb currently available on Goodreads:
Only teachers know what really happens at a magic school...
Chintor Academy is celebrated as the place where the best music mages are forged. But beneath the surface, bullies rule with cruelty, teachers scheme against each other, and the student destined to save their nation is far from ready.
Kalina didn’t know what she was getting into when she agreed to teach at Chintor. Now, as a first-year teacher, she’s tasked with finishing the training of this prophesied violinist. Their nation’s sworn enemies are nearing victory, and she has mere months to prepare him before their country collapses.
When Kalina uncovers the abuse of a vulnerable student, she’s thrust into a dangerous dilemma. Exposing the school’s underbelly means she’ll be fired and unable to prepare their hero. Keeping quiet means her students will suffer.
The fate of the nation—and her soul—hangs in the balance.
A Study of Shattered Spells is a dark academia novel that will be perfect for fans of A Deadly Education, Dead Poet’s Society, and Magic for Liars. With stunning interior illustrations, this book will transport you into the hidden world of magic schools, where only teachers know the truth.
This blurb opens with a catchy line, promising something behind the scenes, something exclusive: Only teachers know what really happens at a magic school.
The promise of a shared secret—what really happens—draws people in. The rest of the sentence provides context, just enough to be intriguing. Just from that first line, a potential reader can tell that the book is in the fantasy genre, and involves not only a magic school, but the teachers at said school.
This is what’s called the hook. Not unlike a fishing hook, it’s meant to catch people’s attention the way a fishhook catches fish.
The hook is then expanded on, providing more context, but still keeping everything vague and mysterious. No specifics, and no spoilers. Intrigue the readers, but don’t give them so much information that they don’t see the point of reading the book themselves.
In the third paragraph, we start getting specifics.
We meet the main character—Kalina—and are introduced to her dilemma. In this case, she’s a new teacher at a magic school, thrust into a world she doesn’t understand. Even more than that, we know she has a lot of pressure on her shoulders, since she is tasked with training up the ‘prophesied violinist’ so that he can be ready to win victory against their enemies.
Added conflict in the fourth paragraph. Kalina uncovers a secret, and now she must decide how she will respond.
Then there’s a single line highlighting the stakes; what will be lost if she does not succeed. The extra white space keeps the reader’s attention, while the stakes give them something to root for, or against, even without reading the book.
The very last paragraph steps outside the book to give examples of what kinds of audiences might like this book—in this case, people who liked A Deadly Education, Dead Poet’s Society, and/or Magic for Liars. It also provides a few more incentives to read the book: beautiful illustrations, escapism into a magical world, and secrets yet to be revealed.
As a fantasy reader, I would say that this is a blurb well done.
I know for sure that I am interested, if not invested, in this story. I have been given enough information to compare it with other stories that I have enjoyed, and know that if the blurb is accurate, I will probably like this story too.
Now, blurbs do have their downfalls as well. For example, when a book does not live up to the expectations that the blurb sets. Or when it doesn’t give enough information to intrigue the intended audience.
This blurb, however, is one of the better executed blurbs that I’ve seen.
Thanks for reading!
What are some of the better blurbs you’ve read? Some of the worse ones? Have you ever had to write a blurb? How much does the blurb influence your reading habits? Comment and let me know!
Also, if anyone is interested in the book I’ve used as an example here, A Study of Shattered Spells is newly published, and available on most major online bookstores, as well as quite a few in-person bookstores too. For more, you can visit Josiah DeGraaf’s website. And if you scroll down far enough on the page dedicated to the book, you can sample the first five chapters!
May every story be incredible—
Emily B.