The blurb of your story is your elevator pitch to every reader. You don't get the chance to have a personal conversation with every reader who opens your work, so you have to ensure your blurb draws in your target audience and gives them a brief understanding of what's in store when they scroll to the first page. This is your first chance to impress, so make it your best! After all, stories with blurbs that are written are likely get more reads.

NAIL YOUR BLURB ON THE FIRST TRY WITH THESE TIPS:

Say it in 150 words.

When someone reads your work, they are investing their time. It is crucial to give them something worth caring about from the beginning. Let the readers know what they can expect from the story early on, and use the rest of the story to take them on a thrilling ride.

Be distinct 

What is your story's hook? What's the one thing that differs from every other Iko story? Everyone is writing a story that is special and brilliant in its own way. Make yours shine!

Tagline + Logline = great blurb!

We often suggest a tagline and logline: 

Taglines are everywhere. What would the trailers and posters say if your book was a movie or series? If it was a new device, what would the commercial push to its audience?  Here are some taglines for your favorite movies and shows;

Barbie (2023) - “She’s Everything. He’s Just Ken.”

A perfect tagline, and not Barbie’s only one. 

Spiderman - "With great power comes great responsibility." 

A phrase just as popular as the Hero. Obviously, abi? Here’s another one.

Star Wars - "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

The famous tagline that launched countless starships, toys, spinoffs, and rides still endures.

Think about a line in your work that will tease your readers and leave them wanting more, and you have your tagline. 

A logline is a brief yet engaging summary that highlights the key elements of your article, story, essay, or poem. It provides the essential Ws - who, what, where, and why - that will captivate your readers. It covers the basics and lets out a hook for readers. A well-crafted logline offers readers the central conflict of your story and should also offer a compelling emotional hook that draws readers in. To achieve this, keep your loglines concise—a few sentences will do! 

For a simple yet effective logline, consider one of these structures;

● To stop A, character B must do C, but D happens.

● When A happens, character B must take some action (C), but D happens.

● Character B does something, then when A happens, they must do C, but D happens.

With a tagline and logline, your blurb for "Star Wars" should look like this: 

STAR WARS

 "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

Following the discovery of two unusual droids, an adventurous farmboy joins a mysterious hermit to rescue a space princess from the evil Empire before they can unleash their ultimate weapon.

With the tagline and longline as your hook, you can go on with a slight description of the players and moving parts in your story to hook readers in. Remember to be distinct.

Non-fiction, essays, and poems also require a draw for their prospective audiences and the same principles can be applied to ensure the description for your story is appealing, and your story finds its readers.

Other things to consider for your blurb and improving your story include;

Content Warnings:  Stories are nuances, and including clear and concise warnings in the description of your story can prove to be beneficial in both attracting the readers you want and avoiding potentially surprising others in a negative way. This will help to ensure that readers who may be sensitive to certain themes or content are aware of them before beginning to read. By doing so, you can help to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all readers.

Category and Tags: Help us understand more about your story and classify it by genre. By selecting tags, you can help increase discoverability. Tags should be reflective of your story's themes and subgenres. 

See you around on Iko.

Iko Editorial Team,