Making a description for a book, which is normally calls “blurb” requires practice. And any writer never stops improving this skill.
And this is very important, specially for new writers that are striving to stand out. Famous writers like Dan Brown doesn’t actually need a perfect description because they already have a huge following and audience. Their names on a book automatically sell
But for those who are jumping in the writing business, your blurb has to be interesting. It is the first interaction that your reader has with your book. And if it doesn’t sound intriguing, if it doesn’t pique people’s curiosity, they won’t bother to buy the book.
So, let's start highlighting some points that can make your blurbs shine.
Take advantage of any important issue
Something that is currently affecting a large group of people can be a great hook. It just touches on the freshness of the topic that may be in the reader’s mind.
But be careful with this. You don't want to appear sensationalist. There are sensitive topics that you don’t want to treat with respect.
A good example could be this:
"Courageous researcher points out the 5 habits to purge violence worldwide."
This looks absorbing. People would like to know those habits.
If you book is a fiction novel, you can use something like this.
"She found the secret to eliminate all types of violence. "
Who wouldn't like to know what that secret is?
Make it concise and clear
You have only few seconds to convince the readers that your book is the one they want. So you need to hook them up fast until the jump into another book.
By having you blurb short, you’re leaving the readers with the feeling of wanting more. So in order to turn them into YOUR readers, you must capture their attention for the first moment they lay eyes on your description.
Normally, the blurbs are between 100 - 300 words. Eliminate part of subplots and explanation. And don’t give away blatantly who the main character of your book is. Give him or her a prevailing feature. Example:
“The reckless James Bond will face his most arduous challenge.”
This sounds interesting since it is presenting a predominant characteristic. Also, it triggers curiosity because people would die to know what that challenge is.
Avoid passive voice and use strong verbs
As the definition suggests, passive voice emphasizes the action over the actioner. And readers are moved by characters. They want to sympathize and connect with them..
So we turn this: "He is pushed to his limits by insanity."
"Her insanity drives him to his limits."
Also, remember to use mostly words with little syllables.
Arouse emotion in the readers’ heart
Use the categorization of your book to shake a specific feeling. Depending on your genre, there are distinctive sentiments. You can use curiosity for your fiction and nonfiction novels, solidarity and admiration for biographies, and hope and faith for self-help books.
You can also use question in your blurb to compel the readers to think fast on sight.
"James Bond never trusts anyone. But he must do it now. Whom will he trust?"
I hope these tips will help you create compelling blurbs. But as I implied at the beginning, this is an ever learning process. And the more you practice it, the faster you dominate it.