Booking Through Thursday question suggested by Jennysbooks: Something I’ve been thinking about lately: “What words/phrases in a blurb make a book irresistible? What words/phrases will make you put the book back down immediately?”
"Sensual" I like, "erotic" I don't.
"Dark and brooding" I like, "horrific and evil" I don't.
"Conflicted" I like, "controversial" I don't.
"Fluffy" I like, "political" I don't.
"Funny" I like, "irreverent" I don't.
"Suspenseful" I like, "thriller" I don't.
"Couldn't put it down" always catches my eye. Other words I like "unique," "intriguing," "must read," .... I don't know. There's a lot of good blurb words, and not very many bad ones, really.
What I absolutely can't stand is when a blurb gives away the plot/story. So, I rarely read the whole big blurb on book backs. They scare me. For instance, why why why do they give away Edward's identity on the back of Twilight? So crazy, because part of the fun of the book is Bella figuring that out, and if you read the book knowing nothing, then you get to be a part of that! But if you read the back, then bam, there you go. You know it all already.
It's also cool when very famous authors blurb books because for some reason, we tend to believe them. Very credible blurbers I guess.
I think blurbing would be a fun job though. Good word practice!
I haven't really thought about the blurbs too much. But I'm right with you on not liking it when they give the whole story away on the back. I like to find out what happens as I read, not from the back. I think blurbing would be fun too. Someone will ask what you do for a living and you can say, I write, but I blurb on the side.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind plot line. Especially on books where I'm ambivalent. Here is mine
ReplyDeleteI would probably take political over fluffy if it came down to a choice. My post is here.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when books give away plots too. That the main reason I don't read them.
ReplyDeleteI tend to avoid blurbs. And I definitely do not like when they give a large chunk of the plot away on the back. Are they trying to stop people from reading it? I never got that.
ReplyDeleteI prefer Synopsis!
ReplyDeleteBooking through Blurbs