Define "blurb"

Al Stevens · May 12, 2012

noun /blərb/
blurbs, plural

A short description of a book, movie, or other product written for promotional purposes and appearing on the cover of a book or in an advertisement

I have seen two usages here that seem to disagree with respect to what ought to be in a blurb.

One usage implies that a blurb contains the description of the book's story on the back cover or dustcover flaps that is intended to hook the browsing reader.

The other usage imples that blurbs are back-cover quotes from other authors or reviewers that praise the book or previous ones by the same author.

It has been said here that an author does not write his or her own blurbs. Yet the writing of blurbs by authors is discussed here.

So blurbers, is it one, the other, or both?

Toothpaste · May 12, 2012

Both

Mr Flibble · May 12, 2012

Warning: Sleep deprived. I may have completely cocked this up

Technically the synopsis on the back cover is 'back cover copy' or 'cover copy' and 'This is the best book ever and I want o have its babies, love, Stephen King' is a blurb.

Informally, writers often say blurb when they mean cover copy or the synop in their query.

A writer may or may not write their own cover copy, depending on publisher. I hope they write their own queries!

If you wrote a (technically correct form of) blurb for your book - you'd just be saying 'I think my book is great'. Unless you sockpuppet your own books lol

Define "blurb"

Al Stevens

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble