As I said in class, I use my formula every single time I write a cover copy (some call it a blurb).
Writing Cover
Copies
In 10 easy(ish)
steps
By Amber Argyle
Step 1-The goal of
a Cover Copy
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Evoke emotion!
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If you can evoke
the right emotional response, they will buy your book.
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Which means you
need to know the key emotion your book evokes.
u Genre is a hint.
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Inform—you must be
honest!
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If you promise X
in the CC and deliver Y, you’ll get bad reviews
u IE: In WB, I wanted to put in that the
world was at stake, but it wasn’t.
u If you find yourself exaggerating to
make a CC more interesting, maybe it’s time to rewrite.
Step 2-Audience
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Who is your
audience? Sci fi reader? Young adult? Suspense?
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What does your
audience want to know?
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Thriller: will you
keep me on the edge of my seat?
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SciFi/Fantasy:
Will you arouse my sense of wonder?
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Myster: Will I be
guessing who done it till the very end?
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Romance: Will I
fall in love along with your protag?
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For steampunk,
historical, fantasy, the setting is part of the sizzle. For action thrillers it
might be the gritty ex-forces hero. For crime procedural it’s the puzzle.
Step 3-Tone/Voice
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Each word needs to
evoke the emotion beats of your genre.
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Be aware of
connotations
u Passionate
u Uplifting
u Dark
u Gritty
u Minions
u Each of these words has a vastly
different connotation and give the reader an idea of the emotions your story
will evoke.
Step 4-Hook
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One liner that
catches the reader’s attention.
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Notice that these
steps mimic those for plotting a novel.
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*A
novelette*
A ship burns, sinking into the dark sea. (Witch Rising)
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Cinder, a gifted
mechanic, is a cyborg. (Cinder)
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Note the use of
irony in both of these examples.
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A gorgeous,
witchy, romantic fantasy by a debut author! Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore
and the Beautiful Creatures series! (Born Wicked)
Step 5-Establish
Normal
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Establish
normal—What’s normal for your character/world?
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There is only one
survivor—a child hunted for the power of her song. Hidden away on an isolated
island, Lilette buries her power deep, convinced it caused the deaths of those
she loves. (Witch Rising)
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She’s a
second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and
blamed for her stepsister’s illness. (Cinder)
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Everybody thinks
Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far
too educated for their own good. (Born Wicked)
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“When we find our
protag, they are_____.”
Step 6-Break it
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That moment when
the world changes forever for the protag. *Notice they all begin with “but”*
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But she can’t run
from who she is. And when her secret is revealed, (Witch Rising)
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But when her life
becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, (Cinder)
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But the truth is
even worse: they're witches. Then Cate finds her mother's diary, and uncovers a
secret that could spell her family's destruction. (Born Wicked)
Step
7-Twist/Villan
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The protag’s
“normal” is broken by a twist/villan. It’s the second half of the “But . . .”
sentence.
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, the only thing
that can save her is her song. (Witch Rising)
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, she suddenly
finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden
attraction. (Cinder)
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And if their
secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum,
a prison ship--or an early grave. (Born Wicked)
Step 8-Risk and
Rewards
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List the risks and
rewards if the protag fails/succeeds.
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It’s time to rise
up and become what she was always meant to be: the most powerful witch ever
born. (Witch Rising)
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Caught between
duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past
in order to protect her world’s future. (Cinder)
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Desperate to find
alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning
rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage
proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn
Belastra. But if what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't
safe--not even from each other. (Born Wicked)
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As is show above,
some CC add a “Plan”, in which the details are brought up.
Step 9-Checks and
balances
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Read outloud. Does
it flow well w/o jarring or stops/starts.
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Always read aloud
in a sexy Hollywood voice.
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Alpha readers
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Crowd Source: Find
them on FB writer sites. Post your blurb, ask for help. The ones who are good
at it, ask them to help you more.
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Beta readers
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Check for
grammar/spelling issues
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Copyeditor
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10-Checklist
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The Seven Ps.
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People Problem
Plan Power Prize Peril POV
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Triangle in
Journalism
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Most important
information up top
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Details below
u This is the purpose of a Hook
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Sci fi and fantasy
needs the world set up before the characters.
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The best CCs end
like they began, with a hook that’s a mirror opposite of the opening hook.
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The Formula
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Hook (One liner
that grabs readers attention).
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Establish Normal
(Paint picture of protag + setting).
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Break (often using
the word “but”)
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*often broken by
Twist/Villian*.
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The Plan can be
included or omitted depending on voice and complexity.
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Risks and Rewards
if protag succeeds or fails.
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More Examples
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Once a century,
one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses.
The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever
will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome
and worldly king--a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to
be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark
magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she
could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has
ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart
that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is
fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die
young. Most of the chosen do.
Sources:
http://marilynnbyerly.com/blurb.html#SFANDFANTASY
