Sandra Harris on Why Blurbs Are Important!

We have author Sandra Harris under the spotlight and she's got a giveaway of her Alien, Mine to one commenter!

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Why Blurbs Are Important

I always had this rather naïve idea that the publisher wrote the blurb for the book. Ah, how wrong I was and it wasn’t until I had to write the blurb for ‘Alien, Mine’ did I realise just how important this promotional paragraph is. It really isn’t something you want to palm off on to someone who isn’t as invested in the book as you. This short enticement is what will hook a potential reader into buying your book – or not.

Yes, that’s it in a nutshell. This is one tool that will help you hear the cha-ching of cash registers or the deafening silence of ‘no sale’.

These few sentences have to carry the power of your book. They have to ring a chord with a reader, lure them into wanting to immerse themselves in your world and come to know and care for your characters, to sympathise with their troubles and cheer them on. 

So, how do you go about it? Well I scrounged around on my bookshelves (virtual and real), picked out my favourite books and read their blurbs. Then I got out my analytical left brain and dissected them into what attracted me.

• Is it the hero who chases the heroine and won’t give up?
• Is it the conflict between them?
• Is it the threat of danger?
• Is it the location?

So when you have to write a blurb:

1. Be grateful you have to write a blurb because that means you’re taking your next step in your writing career.
2. Think long and hard about what makes you buy a book.
3. Research your favourite books’ blurbs and see what structure was used to create them.

 

Covers attract me to pick up a book, but it’s the blurb that decides if I’ll buy it or not.

Alien, Mine

Back Blurb

THE BLUTHEN HAVE ONE CONSUMING PASSION: THEMSELVES.

IN THEIR EXPANSION ACROSS THE GALAXY, THEY WILL GO TO ANY LENGTHS TO DOMINATE SPECIES THEY ENCOUNTER.

Torn from modern day Earth and stranded on the far side of the Galaxy, Sandrea Fairbairn must use every particle of courage she possesses to adjust to her new life and live for tomorrow/a new day.

Eugen Mhartak, a general in the Tri-Race Alliance Army, refuses to bow to the merciless Bluthen. Haunted by the loss of far too many innocent lives he has vowed to drive the ruthless invaders from Alliance space.
The strength and valour of Eugen Mhartak attracts Sandrea as no man ever has, but she struggles to read the enigmatic general’s heart. Determined to help him triumph over the Bluthen she uncovers a diabolical plot against the Alliance.
Drawn by the courage and exotic beauty of Sandrea, Mhartak battles to overcome the barriers of cross-cultural differences that separate them and claim her ardent interest. He must conquer his deepest fears to be the man she needs. When his principles are betrayed by his own government and he is faced with the impossible prospect of taking Sandrea’s life in order to save his home planet, Mhartak desperately searches for a way to keep safe both his world and the magnificent woman who has stolen his heart.

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