What is a blurb?
In simple terms, a blurb is the short yet descriptive account of the book that goes on the back cover. The blurb should include any information that represents the book best and intrigues the readers. For instance, in an academic book, the highlights of a study’s findings would appeal to new researchers. An extract that reveals an interesting detail of the story and leaves the readers wanting for more would work best for a thriller.
Often, a big name does the work of a good blurb. Just like in advertising, where a celebrity endorsing a product increases the sales of the product, a famous name on the cover makes a book popular. Imagine if you had Malcolm Gladwell’s quote on your book’s cover saying, “I haven’t read something like this before!”—the book will find enough readers in Gladwell’s fans.
However, if the celebrity’s endorsement is too ambiguous or does not really talk about the book, then it will not help in promoting your book. An example would be the vague endorsement by Nelson DeMille for the famed The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: “Dan Brown has to be one of the best, smartest, and most accomplished writers in the country. The Da Vinci Code is many notches above the intelligent thriller; this is pure genius.”