For Starters, Keep it Short BSB 120

Blurbs Sell Books

Today on the show, BPF trainer and writer John Phythyon and copywriting guru Abigail Dunard tackle an author-submitted blurb to dissect it and understand how to write killer sales copy.

To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.

Here are this episode’s read-along selections:

Blurb:

Mortal Encounter by Luna Breid

A couple holds their human attacker by the neck; a predator once, now a tasty prey. From the street to a plate, is it hunger or lethal justice?

Clara and Thomas long a tasty piece of meat. When a human stabs Clara on their way home, they can’t believe their luck. Now they need to take him home for a well-deserved dinner without raising suspicions from the passersby. Otherwise, they risk the peace treaty between species, endangering their children and their kin. How can they take their unexpected prey breaking no rules?

This is the first book of the Numbered Stories series and can be read on its own.

Click on Look Inside or download the sample to see if you would enjoy this book.

Caution: This book is not recommended for young readers.

Targeted Takeaway:

In the short-attention-span world of the Twenty-first Century, you only have a precious few seconds to capture a reader’s interest. So you need to grab them right away. Both your hook and your opening sentence need to be brief.

At Best Page Forward, we keep our hooks to a mere 150 characters or less. That way, they stay punchy and grabby, and they can be used as Amazon Ad copy.

Our opening lines are even shorter. We restrict them to six to ten words and don’t allow any plot. Emotion only! This way, they land with the force of a devastating right hook, and that gets a reader’s attention.

When you’re crafting your blurbs, keep that first sentence super-short. Open a short, impactful sentence of just 6-10 words that lasers in on the protag’s initial emotional state. Hit your reader hard to get their attention, and then you can give them more detail.

That’s a surefire way to deliver a sales knockout.