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The question of the month is: What’s harder, coming up with my book title or with the blurb?
photo by Anne Nygård@Unsplash.com
So this month’s question for IWSG is a very
interesting one, the blurb or the title?
They are both hooks! If you decide to subtitle each chapter, those are hooks.
The last sentence of each chapter should be hooks as well as the very first sentence
of the book! Oh, and the book cover is a hook in case that thought hasn’t
crossed.
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| Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri @Unsplash.com |
I rather enjoy coming up with hooks and blurbs—it’s an excellent opportunity to let your book shine for the passing reader. To hook ‘em! For me, it’s more of a challenge to compose the blurb because a whole lot more thought must go into voice, mood, sentence structure, and audience.
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| Photo by Clay Banks @ Unsplash.com |
I’ve posted a few blurbs below to illustrate what
I mean. Luckily the publishers liked my titles that they allowed me to keep
those! The first one is Sci-Fi, the second is YA Romance, the third is Steampunk
Romance. As for the last, the book isn't published yet!
Resurgence
Keeping his nightmares secret is costing Damarin
his sanity and encountering strange anomalies might damage his reputation. Is
uncovering dark secrets worth the risk?
The Cog Prince
Falling in love, saving the day, and a masque—oh my! The
clock strikes the thirteenth hour and Ivy is sucked into a masquerade ball of
whirling dancers where the Cog Prince has summoned her. Mysterious darkness
seeks their destruction and she alone holds the key. Will Ivy save their
kingdom in time?
Avenger's
Angel
Wizened
bounty hunter, Luana, crosses infamous Orrin Porter Rockwell. The race is on as
she is determined to keep him from stealing her bounties. He isn’t a threat to the
community, only to her pockets!
My Perfect Kiss
Monica Garcia, High school journalist and blogger
extraordinaire, sets out to find the perfect kiss. Having never kissed before
would definitely pose as a problem, that is until she stumbles upon the secret
formula with Jonathan. But will Monica kiss and tell after all?
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| Photo by Meelan Bawjee @ Unsplash.com (I love me some fish 'n chips!) |
For the last one, I came across a formula that I'm using for the entire romance series: who the main character is, what her challenge is, who her love interest is, and a question to tie it in.
If you think my blurbs sound horrible, I never confessed that I’m great at writing blurbs, only that I enjoy writing them!
What about you? Which
do you struggle with if at all? Do you have a secret formula to writing hooks?
Not many enjoy writing them, so glad you do! That is a good formula to follow.
ReplyDeleteHiya Alex! Thank you!
DeleteI dislike writing blurbs and I always have problems with cliffhangers. I never ended any chapter of my novels on a cliffhanger. I always finished a scene by the end of the chapter, so for me, the end of the chapter shouldn't be a hook for the next chapter but a resolution of this one. On the other hand, I didn't have many sales. Maybe that's why.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel! Marketing in itself is a BIG hook! haha. I haven't been super motivated with that and it's changed since 2012 when my first full novel published! Time to relearn!
DeleteNice blurbs. It's a difficult choice, but when pressed the title is the hardest for me. I wish I could come up with something great like - The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Big Sleep or Kiss Me Deadly. I love that you write in different genres. Very cool. Happy IWSG Day!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Those are nice titles! Happy IWSG Day to you!
DeleteI completely agree - titles, blurbs, and cover art are all important hooks. The titles and cover art come easily to me. I'm visually inspired, and ideas just seem to suggest the titles. But blurbs. Ah, now that's where the work come in. Distilling a manuscript into a compelling paragraph or two is an art of its own.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome to steal my formula if you wish. xD
DeleteI really like your blurbs and titles. For me, titles are the hardest.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHi, Elizabeth! I LOVE your website. I will follow it and connect with you online. Hooks! Covers, titles, chapter titles, chapter closures. That's what creating story is all about. We want to entice our readers to pick up our stories and read them to see what happens. Thank you so much for sharing your insight here. All best to you!
ReplyDeleteHi, Victoria! Thank you for following my website!
DeleteFor chapter closures, I make it a point to leave a satisfying end but introduce an interesting turn so as to lure more reading! That's my goal at least. xD
Beautiful blog
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI love that formula. I took notes on it. And no, you're blurbs aren't awful.
ReplyDeleteI hope the formula helps you. Thank you!
DeletePlease read my post
ReplyDelete