A great story can be summarized in a few words or what is called a blurb or pitch. A good blurb is between fifty and a hundred words and does the following:
- Identifies the setting
- Describes the character(s)
- Introduces what they want
- Explains what’s in the way of the character(s) succeeding
- Expresses what is at stake
- Indicates the genre and mood of the novel
Blurb Work for Concealed by the Tide
That is an awful lot of information to get into such a limited format. This is how I do it.
I like writing my blurb before outlining my novel. The blurb can tell me if the characters, stakes, and conflict are strong enough to become a great read.
Here are the stages I went through to develop the current working blurb for Concealed by the Tide.
Step 1
I begin by filing in my Build-a-Blurb brainstorm template.
Step 2
From the ideas I came up with, I selected the most powerful as relates to the main character.
Step 3
I began arranging the ideas in a sequence starting with describing the setting, then the character, then the conflict, and last, the stakes. This is not the only possible order, but it is a commonly used one.
Step 4
This is part I like best. I exchange as many words as possible for more powerful ones. I like to consult Moby Thesaurus and Word Hippo for inspiration.
Step 5
I use contractions and cut out as many unnecessary words as I can.
Step 6
If the blurb will be part of my marketing, I sometimes add a Call-t-Action (CTA), to tell readers the genre and type of book it is.
Working Blurb for Concealed by the Tide
Here is what I have right now as my blurb. It is sure to change many times before it ends up on the back of the novel.
LONG VERSION
A wily bomber… A determined activist… A man with a secret…
Summer Avery, former-marketing fashionista, turned eco-activist. abandons the bustle of New York City and scurries to the tiny coastal village of Tide Harbor, determined to accomplish what a crazy bomber has not—stop the destructive Minas Basin tidal energy project in its tracks and earn the EcoGreen directorship.
Desperate for a safe place to raise his autistic daughter, recently divorced marine biologist Gil Moses. takes a job with the tidal energy company, ostensibly to study lobsters, but actually to capture the bomber. The last thing Gil needs is to be the focus of a rip-roaring protest led by Miss Fancy Boots, the most attractive and enigmatic woman he has ever met.
But there’s a killer on the loose, and Summer must choose—sacrifice her career or risk her life to save her Captain Nemo and the little girl she has come to love. 154 words
SHORT VERSION
Uncompromising eco-activist Summer Avery has one mission—stop the Minas Basin tidal energy project, and snag the EcoGreen directorship, and she won’t let her attraction to the enigmatic marine biologist Gil Moses get in her way. But it doesn’t matter what Summer wants. There’s a killer on the loose, and Summer must choose—sacrifice her career or risk her life to save the man and the little girl she has come to love. 73 words
SHORTER VERSION
Uncompromising eco-activist Summer Avery has one mission—stop the Minas Basin tidal energy project, and snag the EcoGreen directorship, and she won’t let her attraction to the enigmatic marine biologist Gil Moses get in her way. Gil Moses has plans to catch the bomber. But it doesn’t matter what Summer wants or Gil plans. There’s a killer coming for them both.
TAGLINE
Caught between love and hate on the foggy shores of Nova Scotia, an uncompromising environmentalist must choose what is truly worth saving.
CALL-TO-ACTION
If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers where adventurous women and bold men battle against the odds, you’ll love this fast-paced, action-packed romance mystery. Get caught up in the thrilling first book of the Tide Harbor Suspense series
Need help writing your blurbs? Find examples and download my
Build-a-Blurb template here.
Tide Harbor Suspense by Zara West 