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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.
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co-hosts
Kim Lajevardi | Victoria Marie Lees | Joylene Nowell Butler | Erika Beebe | Lee Lowery
OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:
What’s harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?
Book titles and book blurbs are all about marketing. Their purpose is to catch your perfect reader’s eye and encourage them to begin to read.
Book Titles:
I find these the simplest—mostly—because when I started, I went with a traditional indie publisher and I knew they would change my title if any of them sucked.
Some examples of my titles: Symbiotic Slip, Minor Error, White Light, Mexmur, the huntress + Dragon Eye (same world), Season Change, Time Piece, Witchery, Edge of Mine, Who’s the Monster?, Standing Up, Rags to Bitches…
I only have one rule, and that is to do an internet search on the title before committing to it.
Book Blurbs
I’ve heard there are recipes for the perfect blurb.
That might work for some, but I prefer to answer The Query Shark’s question: why do I care?
I think about my perfect reader and write two paragraphs—of no more than 
150 words—they imply the genre, age of audience. But my real focus is on who their perfect hero is and who is getting in their way. What are the consequences if they fail and the cost if they succeed.
My goal is to make the reader care or curious enough to read my first line…
My Question to You
Do you have a magic recipe for your title or blurb? Tell me. I’d love to hear it.
elements of emaginette 
Yes, definitely do a search for the title. Search Amazon, too. You don’t want a bunch of other books with the same name. Simple does work best.
Brilliant. I never thought of Amazon. 🙂
Brilliant!
I’d love a magic recipe for writing a title. I do search on Goodreads and Amazon to be sure it’s not too similar to other books.
Best titles are unique, that’s why I tend to Google them.
Hemingway and Fitzgerald struggled with getting the “right” titles for their books, so I guess we are in good company! I try for something that resonates with the theme of my book.
Nice. I don’t know what inspires me, but knowing I have a safety net really helps me dive in.
Hi,
No, I do not have a perfect recipe for writing a blurb. I wish I did have one. It would save me an enormous amount of time.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Yeah, that’s my biggest beef about it too. 🙂
Blurbs are more difficult for me. I’ve got a sort-of recipe on my blog today as well. Query Shark is brilliant – she sees right to the core of things!
She does. I’ll be sure to check out your recipe and take notes. hehehe
I wish I had magic recipes for lots of things. 🙂
The Query Shark blog and Janet Reid’s blog are excellent resources.
When I decide to submit, I hit her blog first. 🙂
Titles have always come easier for me. I’ve not yet found the perfect blurb combo. I’ve attended free classes, read books, gotten help, and still blurbs are a struggle for me. Hopefully one day I’ll reach a level of “I got this” when doing them.
They say practice makes perfect. I’m sure you’ll get there. 🙂
I don’t have a magic recipe, but I did a webinar on blurbs and came away with a good template to follow that has made writing them a little easier.
Excellent. 🙂
Good point about caring. If you or your reader doesn’t care, then why bother reading? Thank for reminding me about Query Shark, too. I’d forgotten that site, and it was so helpful in the past.
She’s a little something I keep close. hehehe
I’m a commitaphobe when it comes to titles. Blurbs are written and rewritten…and rewritten. If there’s a magic recipe I’d sure like to hear it!
I promise to share if I find one. I especially want one that is magical. So there’s that. hehehe
You know, I hadn’t thought about searching the titles before deciding on them. Then again, my big books are all made-up words, so there’s less chance of that there. My current WIP, however… Even if I did find another book with the same title, I don’t think I’d change it.
I hear that. 🙂
I don’t blame you! That’s a great question 🙂 Happy IWSG day 🙂
Thanks. 🙂
Sounds like you’ve figured out this blurb thing. Yay, Anna. I’m still struggling.
I’d still call it a work in progress. hehehe
For me, a title is much easier than a blurb. But you’re right. They are both about marketing.
🙂
I don’t have a lot of practice at writing blurbs, so I don’t have a recipe. But I have been reading lots of post about how others do them. It remains to be seen if I can duplicate their success.
Yeah, the recipe is one thing. Putting it together to make something irresistible is another. 😉
I usually end up brainstorming titles with the help of my writer friends. Many brains make light work?
They sure do. Great idea. 🙂
I have no magic recipes, Anna! If only! For sure, it’s the first hook for a potential reader. I like how succinct your titles are. Thanks for the advice to check the internet before you commit to a title. Happy writing in November!
Happy November. 🙂
Rags to Bitches:) Love that title:)
One of my faves. hehehe
I also check out other books with the titles I’m considering. It’s tough to find a unique title! I like your approach to writing blurbs.
Query Shark has some great tips to hook a reader. 🙂
I’ve done the title searches, too. You think you have something clever and unique, only to find 10 other books with the same title. 😆 I have some blurb formulas in my data base from different writing sources. They’re similar in terms of content, and not, in my opinion, very original.
Good to know. I’ll still check them out. Thanks.
I had never heard before that there is a recipe for the perfect blurb. That was really helpful. Thanks, Anna!
You’re welcome. I’m glad it helps. 🙂
Blurbs are such a struggle for me. If only there was a magic recipe. Somewhere once I read a kind of formula that contained fill in the blanks to make it easier to complete. I still struggled, wondering if I didn’t know my story well enough…
I think it’s one thing we all struggle with. 🙂
I never thought of a blurb using a recipe. I use Debra Dixon’s GMC (goal, motivation, & conflict) when I write the blurb. Very similar to yours.
Sure glad there are several ways to write a blurb. Means each of us can adapt it to suit our style. 🙂
I met Query Shark at a writing conference years back. She’s a really smart lady. “Why do I care?” is a good standard to follow. I read a lot of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and a lot of the book blurbs for those books are all about lore and world-building. Don’t get me wrong, I love good world-building, but when I read a book blurb that says “such-and-such empire is at war,” my reaction is usually, “why should I care?”
Yep. That’s also my outlook. On the other hand, my son loves a great big, wondrous world to check out, but mostly in games. hehehe
I didn’t even have the forethought to do a google search of the title when I first started. I do prefer a shorter blurb, as a reader. I want you to grab me quickly. I don’t have a lot of time to waste picking a book.
Good to know. 🙂
Ooo…the Query Shark…she knows. And her, “Why do I care?” is spot on. I actually submitted several stories to her Friday Writing Contests and she favorably responded to three. I almost fell off my office chair.
Yeah, I think she’s pretty awesome. All that extra work to help us find our way. 🙂
Anna — I always search titles, too! Congrats to Lee on the new book.
It saves the heartbreak of being one of way too many. 🙂
Absolutely wonderful magic recipe to writing blurbs, Anna. I’m going to tuck that one in my notebook for sure! Thanks so much for sharing your insight with IWSG followers. Have a beautiful weekend!
I’ll try. You too. 🙂
Very smart to google that proposed title first, before you get attached to it. Sometimes your title could already be associated with something wildly different than your project! @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Your titles sound great! And yeah, the Why Do I Care question is a great one to keep in mind when writing any kind of marketing copy, That and knowing your audience, which I struggle with. Um… people who read books? 🙂
While I love to write and be creative, I find blurbs incredibly hard. Titles too (I overthink those and like double meanings). I guess this means I’m not a marketer. (I’m not.) 🙂
I shared a formula for blurb-writing for a YA sweet series over on my site. I’m not sure if it would work with other genres. I can try it and see how it pans out. Haha!
♥.•*¨Elizabeth Mueller¨*•.♥
Happy IWSG Day, Anna! I hope that you had a good November and are looking forward to a lovely holiday season! Take care!
Magic recipes? I’d welcome these for quite a few areas in my writing journey. LOL
Blurbs? There are some who are so good at it. Not sure I’m one of those individuals. Sounds like you have the blurb-thinggie more-or-less figured out.