simulacrum's picture
simulacrum from Las Vegas is reading shit May 8, 2015 - 2:31am

This is more intimidating than writing the goddamn novella it will apear on the back cover of. This is the one step holding me back from finally hiring an artist to design the covers and spine. I'm not sure I should post an extensive synopsis of my story as well as the draft of the blurb on this thread, maybe because I'm fearful of judgment. If anyone is experienced with this kind of stuff and is willing to be of some assistance, please PM me. 

Thuggish's picture
Thuggish from Vegas is reading Day of the Jackal May 9, 2015 - 9:47am

For what it's worth, I hate spoilers and I hate when anything is given away on the back of a book. A novella is super short anyway, I'd make it a really intriguing hook that doesn't give anything away beyond the first chapter.

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like May 9, 2015 - 10:06am

I agree with Thggsh. Sum up the high concept, unless there isn't one, in which case just describe what the book does or deals with.

I have a blurb in a query I prepared for a shorter work of mine. The story is very much rooted in the narrator's persepctive, so in the blurb I describe the main character, mention his path of entry into the main story, and very generally hint at what that main story entails.

I won't try to convince you I'm a qualified blurb critic, but if you want to run something by me in a direct message, feel free.

L.W. Flouisa's picture
L.W. Flouisa from Tennessee is reading More Murakami May 10, 2015 - 12:08pm

If it helps, you could use mine as an example. I had to think about how to do it without revealing to much, which is definitely a bit difficult:

A human coming to face their own mortality, becomes a cyborg in search of lost memory amiss the fragility of youth, meeting a drug-dealer and his girlfriend, as well as two strange lovers from the rival Barbershop faction.

Not a novella of total surveillance, but its total lack among certain groups of people that don't officially exist.

Thus I've found that summaries suit the purpose better. I'm not even sure if I'm doing correctly, but as above, so below I'll say that I also have difficulty.

Hope that helps.