Writing the infamous back cover blurb
When I started writing my first manuscript, which is currently gathering a rather extensive collection of dust bunnies under my bed (and is not, for those of you who are wondering, the first book in my Jack Diamond Mystery series), my deepest fear was that I would never finish. Writing a manuscript from start to finish is a marathon hike up Mt. Everest, an immense challenge that can get derailed at the slightest whisper.
And once you get past the hurdle of the complete first draft, you have to slug through the immense displeasure of the editing stages.
And if you get past that hurdle, you have to edit the book for letter spacing and word spacing and creating a chapter index, and proofing the printed version and making last minute revisions, and second proof, and on and on and on.
But even when all of those items are finished, there is still the most tedious task of writing the blurb for the back cover.
The blurb has to be good enough to hook a potential reader into wanting to read more. To convince the reader into opening up the front cover, to lure them into reading the first few pages, to entice them into turning the page again and again and again, and finally, to convince them to spend an inordinate amount of money for a paperback -- or kindle version -- of your book.
All so that you, the writer, who has slaved over this sucker for three years, can earn mere pennies per copy.
It's a wonder that books ever get printed in the first place.
So here I find myself, at the back blurb cover portion of my tortuous experience, trying desperately to write -- and rewrite -- and write again an enticing, luring sentence or two to hook my potential readers.
sigh
My first draft is fine, but is not good enough. It reads something like this:
Marjorie Governman is married, has a son, and a full-time job.
She disappears for six weeks.
And no one noticed.
I'll let you know when I finally have a sufficient, satisfactory replacement.
Dangle a deadline or two over my head, along with family commitments, taking care of a puppy, and an unexpected international trip coming up in a few weeks and my oh my, do you have yourself a puddle of stress right there, eating up at my belly.
Double sigh.
I'll let you know how it goes.
And once you get past the hurdle of the complete first draft, you have to slug through the immense displeasure of the editing stages.
And if you get past that hurdle, you have to edit the book for letter spacing and word spacing and creating a chapter index, and proofing the printed version and making last minute revisions, and second proof, and on and on and on.
But even when all of those items are finished, there is still the most tedious task of writing the blurb for the back cover.
The blurb has to be good enough to hook a potential reader into wanting to read more. To convince the reader into opening up the front cover, to lure them into reading the first few pages, to entice them into turning the page again and again and again, and finally, to convince them to spend an inordinate amount of money for a paperback -- or kindle version -- of your book.
All so that you, the writer, who has slaved over this sucker for three years, can earn mere pennies per copy.
It's a wonder that books ever get printed in the first place.
So here I find myself, at the back blurb cover portion of my tortuous experience, trying desperately to write -- and rewrite -- and write again an enticing, luring sentence or two to hook my potential readers.
sigh
My first draft is fine, but is not good enough. It reads something like this:
Marjorie Governman is married, has a son, and a full-time job.
She disappears for six weeks.
And no one noticed.
I'll let you know when I finally have a sufficient, satisfactory replacement.
Dangle a deadline or two over my head, along with family commitments, taking care of a puppy, and an unexpected international trip coming up in a few weeks and my oh my, do you have yourself a puddle of stress right there, eating up at my belly.
Double sigh.
I'll let you know how it goes.
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Diamonds for Diamond (the first book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) can be bought by clicking on the picture or the link below.
You can buy my book in both e-book and paperback on Amazon here:
Diamonds for Diamond by Kay Nimitz Smith
No One Noticed (the second book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) will be available shortly!
No One Noticed (the second book in the Jack Diamond Mystery series) will be available shortly!
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