In Conversation with Jessie Cunniffe: Book Blurb Magic
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Danikka: Hey there, welcome to the Snailed It podcast with Danikka and Erin, brought to you by Authors Own Publishing.
Erin: Hi everyone, welcome back to the Snailed It podcast with Danikka and Erin. Today we are talking blurbs with the wonderful Jessie from Book Blurb Magic. Welcome Jessie!
Jessie: Hello, I'm very excited to be here.
Danikka: We're so excited to have you. Yeah, because we know Jessie. So like, normally I guess if maybe we had Jessie and we didn't know Jessie, we might get her to do like a formal intro with like, what do you do Jessie and tell us about yourself. But it's like,
Jessie: That's old news.
Danikka: Yeah, that's old news. So I kind of want to tell the funny story of how I met Jessie, because we were talking about it last week when Jessie reached out and was like, hey, so you finally started your podcast. Can I can I come on the podcast? I was like, well, duh.
Erin: Obviously
Danikka: And we were talking about like how we first met and I was like, yeah, I saw your blog page on Instagram and just like audaciously was like, hey, did you want to just like do a feature video on this course that I'm making? Like three years ago and the course is still not out. But meanwhile, Jessie's come to two Lost Plot retreats with us and is doing blurbs for Authors Own and like is now on our podcast. And it's just like,
Erin: Yeah, here we are.
Jessie: I do really love how we met. And I was saying to you in the message the other day, I was like, for me, the business was still pretty new three years ago. And so to get like this unsolicited email that wasn't spam, that wasn't like those weird people who are like, hey, we can grow your account by 20,000 followers tomorrow. Like to get an actual email from a human being who was like, this is an exciting collaboration opportunity. I was like, oh my God, I've made it.
Erin: Yes, please.
Jessie: People are finding out about me because I've been doing so much outreach and I've just been like pouring myself in Instagram and pouring myself into my email list. And like, you know, you just, I mean, you guys know, you're trying to get in front of as many eyeballs as possible. So I have you like, you come to me. I was like, oh my God, that was like, that was a pretty cool moment, actually. And then I remember we had like a little Zoom chat or whatever. I think you were in your car. Like not driving, but you were like sitting. And we were in this chat and I was like, she's really cool. I like this. Like this could go, this could go places. And like, yes, hey, the course isn't out yet, but I mean, it will be. And yeah, it was just, it was good for me, I think actually to record that video because I hadn't been asked to do anything that kind of, I guess like formalized for someone's course. Like I'd done masterclasses and things like that.
But yeah, it's been, it's been so fun. And I've loved the retreat so much as well. My kind of dream was to teach blurbs in person. And to date, those are the only two times I've been able to do it because so many of my clients are overseas. So it was really cool to meet Australian authors. And look, there's a, there's a dream for a US tour in my head. Like it's going to happen eventually. But yeah, it was just so cool to be in the room with people and like seeing the blurbs coming to life. That, that was very special. So I've loved that.
Danikka: Yeah. I love the retreats. They just have like a completely different vibe. Yeah. And like, I feel like it tackles, and this is, we were talking about what, how we wanted to approach talking about blurbs in the podcast, because like you do so much amazing content on like how to write a blurb. And like you give so much away for free. And I just, I really admired that. And that was like probably the reason why I reached out to you to do the webinar in the course. Because you've got your Book Blurb Magic course, which teaches people how to write their own blurb. And then you do blurbs for people as well. And like, I'll just clarify for people, or maybe I'll get you to clarify for people. Because I think sometimes people don't know what a blurb is. Because like, I know, especially if they've been in publishing for a long time, or talk to people who work in trad publishing, they think blurbs is something that is not the kind of blurb that we're talking about. So I'll let you tell us what blurbs are.
Jessie: This is like, I didn't think too hard about this when I named my business, but blurb has like a couple of different meanings. And there's a reason a lot of people are confused about what a blurb is. So in trad publishing, to blurb someone's book is to actually like, get asked to do that little endorsement quote on the front or someone's back as well. So you know, you'll see authors from usually, hopefully like well known authors in that niche being like, I couldn't put this book down when it's questionable whether they even read it. But let's like, not go there. But those endorsement quotes are kind of what if you know, in trad publishing, or if your agent or whatever is like, oh, we've got to get people to blurb your book. They're not talking about what I'm talking about.
So the other meaning of blurb, which seems to be predominantly used in indie publishing, but I've also heard it used by random trad publish people. So like genuinely, there's just a lot of confusion about the meaning of blurb. But the way that I talk about blurbs is as your back cover book description. So it's kind of like the 100 to 200 words that's on the back cover. That's your Amazon description. That's your, wherever you sell online description. That is essentially like reader's kind of first experience of your book. It's where they first encounter your story, you know, hopefully you've got a great cover, and that's kind of got them to click on it. But then this is your opportunity to not tell them the story, give them a taste of the story, and kind of whet their appetite for what it is that's inside the pages. So when we're talking about book blurbs on this podcast, if you're ever talking to me about book blurbs, that's what I mean. That's what book blurb magic means.
Danikka: Yeah, yeah. So now that we have that clarified, when we were talking about what are we going to talk about on the podcast, the retreats came up because it's like, Jessiee, you give away so much free information about blurbs, like how to write blurbs, you know, what you should include in your blog, what you shouldn't include, how long should it be. So it kind of felt like redundant to have this podcast be about that, because it's like, well, if you want to know that, go check out Jessiee's Instagram. Go like just look at any video that she does and that you do, and like you can get that information. So then we were talking about the retreats and how much fun they've been, and like how just how different the vibe is. And then Erin, you were saying how much you get in your head when it comes to like writing your own blurb.
Erin: Oh man, Writing your own blurb. And I think, and it is that thing, you're not too close to it. It's kind of that you're too close to it.
Jessie: Yeah, absolutely.
Erin: But you also, blurbs I feel like are renowned for being tricky.
Jessie: Yeah, very much so. And it's like, like you say, authors do get super in their head about it. And listen, like I haven't written a novel, but I can only imagine what it's like to focus on something for, you know, sometimes people are doing it for like three years. Other people kind of turn them out a bit quicker. But regardless, it's a lot of time. And even if you do it in a short amount of time, it's very intensive work. And I can only kind of imagine what it's like to then step back from that and be like, oh, choose what's most important to sell your book. Know how to sell your book. Know what people are most interested in. And then get that into, and I'm deadly serious about this, it's got to be less than 200 words.
In fact, I'm finding that my blurbs are getting shorter, because that's just what I'm seeing around. And now I'm sort of cutting myself off at 180 words. And a lot of my blurbs have actually been about 150 words in maybe the last year. And they're just, it's funny, it wasn't a totally conscious thing. I was just like, don't need that. Don't need that. Don't need that. And I mean, look, I mean, I'm getting better at my craft as well. But also just looking around at, you know, what Trad Publishing is doing as well. Not that they're like the law, but it is kind of interesting to see where those trends are going. And everything is getting shorter, like our attention span. So, and actually you can say everything you need to say in 150 words. Like you absolutely can. It just takes some practice.
But I think a lot of authors start with that restriction in mind. And if you start, I mean, like when you sit down to write your book, you're not like, well, I mean, I imagine that if you put too many restrictions on yourself, when you start your book, you don't get started. So it's the same deal with the book blurb. It's the same, if you're like, oh, I can only write 150 words. And if I go over that, it's going to be terrible. And I don't know what to fit in. You actually start by cramming yourself into this tiny little box and you're like, well, I don't know how to get out. This is this terrible. Why am I here? Does that sound accurate?
Erin: That and also brevity is not a strength of mine. Like I'm a waffler. As anyone who has listened to this podcast will probably know by now. Um, so the idea of, yeah, getting all of that information into three paragraphs is like daunting, daunting.
Jessie: And I think actually you've sort of given away part of what it is that authors tend to tell themselves. You're like, I have to fit all of that information into three paragraphs. No, you don't.
Erin: And you don't.
Jessie: You don't. You actually fit a fraction of that information into the three paragraphs. Like when I go through, so, you know, I have a custom blurb service as well. So when people give me their synopsis, so I actually get authors to give me like a word vomit synopsis. In fact, the more, like the less formal it is kind of the better, because it feels like I'm sitting down with the author. They're telling me about their book and all those kind of natural biases. And like, you actually know kind of unconsciously where the focus of your story is. It's going to come out when you sit down and tell me all about, I'm like, oh, I'm seeing this theme. And I basically go through and I'm like, yeah, I'll take that. I'll take that. I'll take that. And we're good. That's, that's kind of what the process sort of looks like.
Rather than me looking at all of it and going, right, I have to fit all of this in. I'm actually just looking at the big picture and then being like, okay, cool. This, this, and this will tell that story. You're kind of sculpting like another narrative with the blurb. And I think that's like the other thing as well. Like you spend so much time sculpting the narrative of your book, the beginning, middle and end. The blurb has a beginning, middle and end, but it's not the same as your book. Because obviously if you had the same beginning, middle and end of your book, we'd have all the spoilers in there. And
Erin: that's true.
Jessie: Does not work. And similarly, if you do what lots of people try to do, and I completely understand why, like there's no shade here. But if you do your beginning and middle of your blurb, like the beginning, middle of your book, and then kind of stop, it's really rubbish. Like there's no momentum. There's no momentum. So it's actually kind of about like, I look for themes. I look for, you know, like a standout character trait that you can see the characters kind of learning from or that impacts the journey significantly. And I try to kind of sculpt the whole blurb around that one thing. And that makes it a lot easier. It's just one thing. I pick one thing and everything is kind of woven around it. Simple but not easy, I suppose would be the best way to put it. But 100% mindset is huge when it comes to writing blurbs. And I feel like I get to kind of dodge that because I come to it with fresh eyes, outside perspective, and I can just kind of dive in. I will say it's interesting, aside from mindset, one other thing that can sort of be a bit of a block with writing blurbs is if your book is not well structured, if your book is unwieldy.
And this is why I always say to come write the blurb after, definitely after your developmental edits are done, preferably after, like in the midst of, you know, your final line edits and proofreading kind of thing. Like the book really needs to be totally, totally done. Because if you don't know everything yet, then it's really hard to write the blurb. In fact, it's really hard for me to write the blurb. Like if you come to me and you're like, hey, Jessiee, write my book, a book blurb, you know, I think this is going to happen towards the end. I can't write it. I can't do it because I've got to know everything before I actually go into it. So that's like another thing that can really sort of trip authors up.
And I have actually, like not to terrify anyone, but I have had authors, you know, do my blurb course and come back to me and they're like, oh, I had to rewrite a chunk of my book because I realized in writing the blurb that like, this was totally off because the blurb sort of challenges you. It's like, I don't know whether you got told this at any point in schooling or university, but my university lecturers used to be like, if you can't explain your sentence in your essay in one sentence, you're screwed, basically. Like that your argument is too rambling, it's too all over the place.
So if you can't explain it succinctly, then you're lost already. So make sure you can do that first. It's kind of a similar thing with the blurb. And the only blurbs that I really have trouble with is when a book has perhaps like not been edited. So I'm sort of looking at the synopsis and I'm like, there's like three books in here. There's a lot of different things going on. They're probably the only ones that I would find quite challenging. And that's actually what can make things really hard for authors as well. And especially if you're doing things on a shoestring budget and, you know, you're doing your blurb yourself and everything, which can be fantastic, as you guys know, if you haven't got that sort of help to make sure your story's in shape, then that can also be like a hidden element that makes it harder. So it's those two things. So freaking out about trying to fit all the information in. And it's also just making sure your book is in tip top shape.
Erin: Yeah. I hadn't even thought about that the second bit.
Jessie: Oh, look, I hadn't thought about it either until I had a client.
Erin: It makes sense now that you say it. Yeah.
Jessie: And we both actually really struggled and it sort of ended up with them going, oh, you know what? Like, yeah, this is a problem. I have to go back and rewrite this thing. And then I'll get back to you. Yeah, right. It can happen.
Jessie: It can happen. It doesn't happen often, like two or three people in like four years, but that's happened.
Erin: Well, I think because most people don't like to think about their blurb until literally the last second. So like, I need to give a blurb to my cover designer, so they can put it on the back cover.
Jessie: That's pretty much like when most people realize. And look, hilariously. I haven't written a novel, but I did write, you know, I used to be a music teacher. So I did write a nonfiction book about like running your own piano teaching business back in, I think it was 2020 like everyone else. No, it was 2019. Anyway, close to the COVID period. And I just kind of, I wrote it because like I wanted to share my knowledge, but then I was also curious about the whole KDP publishing thing. I didn't have an editor go through it. Like it was, it's very short. I think it might be 20,000 words. Like it's not, it's not very long at all. Bunged it up there.
And it wasn't until I was literally in the middle of like, you know, setting everything up on KDP that I get to the book description box. And I was like, oh my God, what is this? Like, what do I write? Like, what do I write? And I've since changed the blurb because that book is up on Amazon still. I have since changed the blurb because the first blurb was pretty atrocious. And I have actually recorded my, like that whole process and I will release it at some point. I had some technical issues recording it as well, but it should be savable because I just kind of looked at it and thought it was really interesting. That was technically my first blurb and it was pretty crap. It was pretty crap.
Danikka: I think it's really comforting to people to hear that too, because I think sometimes people look at you when you get to the point where you're so good at something and I think they forget that you weren't always good at that thing. Like, and I think that that's really comforting for people to know as well. Like your first blurb that you write is not going to be good. The first book that you write is not going to be good. Like even when you write your blurbs for your clients, the first draft that you write for that client is not going to be the one that you show the client.
Erin: no exactly
Danikka: Like you're going to be writing a few different versions. Like there might be a few sentences that come out crystal perfect and you're like, yes, that's perfect. That's what I want. But like, not necessarily.
Jessie: That's an interesting thing about my writing process because it's not actually quite accurate. And I think it's partly, I've actually sort of experimented a few different ways and it absolutely like the first iteration of a blurb that I get down, I'll often change some things before I send it to a client. But I write so painfully slowly, sentence by sentence that usually the first, like I don't even want to call it a draft because it's actually like I, this is I think probably my biggest flaw as a writer. I will not put it on the page unless I'm like, yep, I'd send that to someone. So I like, and I mean,
Erin: But does that mean it's kind of percolating for a long time before you put it down?
Danikka: Yeah. I would say the draft happens in your head then though.
Erin: In your head first.
Jessie: Yeah, that's true.
Danikka: Because you get the sentences forming in your head and you're swapping out the words. So like, just because it's not happening on the page.
Jessie: That's true.
Danikka: It's happening in your brain because that's actually another reason once we had our first call, because we both have copywriter backgrounds. So that's also why I probably never finished a novel either is because I do the same thing. I can physically not put it on the page until I'm happy with the word either, which is why I think I enjoy editing more than I enjoy writing because I get to fix things instead of writing them.
Erin: Whereas I do not have a copywriter background. And when I'm halfway through a sentence and can't think of a word, I put in capitals this thing and continue on.
Jessie: I envy that. I really, honestly, like I have the pride. And look, I actually am still experimenting with my writing process as well. Just, you know, you always want to make it more efficient and more like I acknowledge that perhaps writing with that level of, I don't know, literary constipation is not particularly like, I don't know. It doesn't feel like it's not always fun. And it's also funny when you're literally getting most of your work is writing three paragraphs. Like all these authors are like, I did a writing sprint today and I've read 2000 words. I'm like, I agonized over 50. That's what I did today and that felt productive. But what I will say is that it is very, very like satisfying to me to get that one sentence in the perfect order. But I feel funny about blurb drafts as well, though. And this is actually something I don't think has come up on previous podcasts. So I think it's worth talking about.
Once you change one thing in a blurb, you've got to change a lot of other things because it's so short, it affects like everything. And as much as possible, I actually try to avoid redrafting. So I'd much rather write the blurb from scratch completely differently, which I have done. Like if sometimes the first draft that I send to a client doesn't hit and like, actually, I think it needs this and this. And I'm like, OK, cool. We're going to totally rewrite it because the more and this is something that authors will often do. We'll go, I don't know if you've done that with your books, Erin, but like you go through like 50 different drafts and you go over and over and over and over and then you kind of don't know which way is up.
Erin: yeah
Jessie: And depending on what you're changing, sometimes that's not a terrible thing. Like if they're just small tweaks, that's fine. And like I say, I go back and forth with my clients and often like 95, probably more percent of the edits that I make for blurbs for my blurb clients are small. It's like, oh, this word didn't work or this sentence might need to be tweaked. If it's like bigger and more structural and like the focus of the blurb is off, you're better off like put it in the bin, start again.
Otherwise, it's really, really painful to go over and over and over. And I think that's part of the reason I don't write like a crappy first draft, at least on paper. As you say, Danikka, it definitely percolates in my head. Like I read the synopsis, I walk around for a few days and think about it and then come and sit down and write. But I think part of the reason I don't sort of write that crappy first draft is that it's actually unlike a novel where you've got so much more sort of space and just you can't use the same word too many times in a blurb because it's tiny and all of a sudden you're like, I used captivating in two times in two paragraphs and that's terrible. Whereas, you know, if you use it twice in a chapter, that's fine.
Danikka: Yeah.
Erin: That’s true
Jessie: It's very unforgiving in terms of lots and lots of drafts. So I guess what I wanted to say is that if you are kind of on your like 15th, 50th draft of the same blurb and you keep rearranging the paragraphs and you're like, I would challenge you to chuck the whole thing out. Don't actually delete it. Just put it in a folder where you don't look at it. And then try starting from scratch with a fresh idea. Try and often the culprit is that the structure and the focus is wrong, which is why my free blurb cheat sheet, which is on my Instagram, but you can also go to anatomyofabookblurb.com. That actually takes you through the full structure. So you can sort of have that beside you and go, right, I need this section. I need this section. I need this section.
Often that's kind of the culprit when you find yourself cycling through 50 different versions of the blurb. It's actually that the structure is off and therefore the focus is off and therefore it just never feels right. That's why for me, I always start like with this structure, like very clear structure in my head. I'm like, I'm not deviating from this because otherwise the focus is going to be off. And that for me, like that varies from blurb to blurb. I'm not saying that it's the same for everybody, but I always like figure out the structure for that blurb. That's the first thing I do. And then work from there. And then it's kind of like you're putting puzzle pieces into their designated spots rather than throwing stuff at a canvas and hoping it looks okay. That's not my style. I can't do that.
Danikka: And I think that's, again, like the difference between writing a blurb and writing a book is they're two very different styles of writing. And so there's actually something I say to my clients all the time as well when I'm talking to them about writing their blurb. Because a lot of them do attempt writing their blurbs and they'll show it to me and I'll tell them to go talk to Jessie.
Jessie: In the nicest way possible, get help.
Danikka: Because they are two very different styles of writing and it requires a very different type of brain and way of thinking. And I think it's okay that if you're really good at writing books that you're not good at writing blurbs. And I think that that's okay.
Jessie: Absolutely
Danikka: And I don't think that you should be beating yourself up that you can't do both. Because really, even just listening to your process, Jessie, it's so completely different to so much of the advice we give people about writing a book.
Jessie: a hundred percent
Danikka: And you're freaking amazing at what you do. Like you only have to look at all of the results that you get for your clients and how well their books do and how well their blurbs do and sales copywriting and how it's done and the practice that you have to put into it and the science that goes in behind it and the psychology. It's very different to writing a book. It's not as creative. It's definitely there's more of a method to it. And yes, there would be people that would argue there's a method to writing a book. But I think it's very, very different. And it's not a science. It's an art. That's different. Where I would say that blurb writing is science. And yes, there's lots of crossover. And they blend in lots of different ways. But I do think that the approach is very different. And the way that the brains that create those two things work is different. And you can have a brain that can do both. But I think it's okay if you don't have a brain that can do both. And you should be beating yourself up if you.
Jessie: It’s absolutely ok to bow out
Danikka: Yeah. Yes. So like Kate Schumacher, for example, she's always very upfront about the fact that she's like, no, the blurb is Jessie's job.
Jessie: She's like so much. Like, I've worked with her a few times now. And I just feel like by the last one that we did, which I think was maybe the third one we worked on together. She was actually, she did a blurb audit at that time because I'd written her other ones for her from scratch. And she was like, oh, I've actually got like an idea. So let's have a look at this. And it was actually like, look, it was too long, which is common, right? When you're writing your first blurb. So like we worked on cutting it down. I mean, as you know, her book's complex anyway. So her blurbs are always some of the longest that I write.
But like, actually what's really cool to me about this whole kind of business, like I, you know, come from a teaching background. So I didn't want to just be like, I will do this for you and you will never understand how it works. I'm going to gatekeep everything. And it's kind of funny to me at the same time, because you've said a few times that I give away so much for free. Like I do, but also I feel like I don't, because I'm like, there's so much more under the surface. Like what I show you on Instagram is like, and I absolutely love that because then it can help people straight up who just come across my profile. But then I'm like, but if you go into the BBM course, I will go sentence by sentence with you. Like it's so much, like it's just like on a tiny kind of level.
And I love the kind of, you know, depth you can go into with this. But you know, I've got the course, I've got the custom blurbs and I've got the blurb audit. So it's like done with you, done for you, done by yourself, like completely. And I like all those options because you actually, I do agree with you that it is like a different brain, but I do think it's also a skill you can learn. So some authors are just going to be like, don't want to learn this. It's too different from what I do and I don't like it. And that is a-okay. I hate doing my taxes, even though they're actually relatively simple. They go to my accountant because I do not want to think about that. And that is the best money I spend all year. So everyone has something that they don't want to do. And that's absolutely a-okay.
But I did also want to say like, if you are interested in learning about blurbs, it's not kind of a case of, well, you're a long form writer, so you're cursed to never be able to do blurb writing. It's more that it's a skill and a different like headspace you'll have to get yourself into. So it is good to do it when you're, and that's probably the tricky thing is that you're often, you know, your head's in edits or your head's in writing or whatever else. And it's difficult to get that free headspace as a self-publishing author because, you know, you're doing so much yourself. So that can be one of the other sort of tricky things. But if you can carve out that space and sort of flip modes and learn like the skills, it is quite science-y. I will say, I think it's actually, to me, it's 50-50 science and art. I've seen blurbs that have written very like science-y in terms of method and they don't do so well. They're kind of, it's sort of the way like AI sounds soulless.
Erin: I was going ot say dry
Jessie: Yeah, there's something missing. Like they'll have all the keywords you would sort of expect, but then there's not that kind of vibe. And one of the really cool things that you can bring to your blurb as the author is like, you know your book so intimately. Actually learning to harness that skill in the form of blurb writing can actually be really powerful. Like I have several, like so many authors, not several, well, I've got hundreds of authors in the Book Blur Magic course who are writing their own blurbs and like they send me their work and I'm just like, oh my God, like with every blurb you're getting better and better. I've written, I don't know how many now, but it's well over 300 blurbs. So like don't compare your first blurb to someone's 350th or whatever. But like I consistently see authors just getting so good at writing blurbs if it's something they're really interested in investing time in, like some just get right into it. And I know Erin, you're someone who really enjoys writing blurbs. I know you said they freak you out too, but also you are-
Erin: They freak me out, but I do. Yeah, I do, I do. It's because it's so satisfying when you get it. You're like, that's the one. Yeah. That's the one.
Jessie: It just feels like it kind of drops into place and you're just, and I think there's also something satisfying about being able to do that for your own book as well. Like I say, there are people who are like, I'm so glad I don't have to do it for my book. Here you go, Jessiee. I don't want to think about it.
Erin: And I respect that as well. Yeah.
Jessie: So, and I just kind of, that's what I love about BBM is this kind of like space for whatever kind of author you are. If you want to learn, if you don't want to learn, if you want me to like hold your hand, you know, and kind of do all of that. And it can be really fun. I have honestly had clients say like, yeah, I didn't realize, but blurb writing can be fun. So it absolutely can be fun. But I'll be honest with you, blurbs freak me out sometimes too.
I'm just like, like I get in my own head sometimes as well. They're so short. They're so precise. And every story is so unique. I'm some, I sometimes kind of sit down, like, oh my God, like I have my writer's block days as well. What do I, what do I write? What do I say? I've got to go on a long walk. But it's kind of, it really feels like a very satisfying puzzle to crack once it's down on paper.
Danikka: Yeah. And writing your own anything is the hardest thing to do. I feel like, like doing it for someone else is always easier. Like I remember the workshop for the blurbs at the last retreat and what, I can't remember whose blurb we were all workshopping. Was it Emma's?
Jessie: It was Emma's.
Erin: Yeah.
Danikka: Yeah. I've got this cool picture on my phone where it's like Erin and Lauren.
Erin: Where we're all standing behind a computer.
Danikka: All standing and workshopping Emma's blurb. And it was just like the best photo because you're all just like so seriously thinking and all looking at the piece of paper. And it was just, just the best photo. And that's why I love the retreat. So that's why I love workshops. And yeah, it was just, it was just amazing.
Jessie: What was really cool about that I liked is that because everyone had kind of, you know, we'd just done the workshop. So everyone had the same kind of structure in their head and the same, like, you know, received all of the same tips and whatnot. So then that like feedback was so harmonious. Everyone was just like really got it. One of the traps, I don't know if it's a trap, but one of the kind of pitfalls, I guess of like writers groups, especially like Facebook writers groups and things. There are whole like Facebook groups devoted to helping people with their blurbs. And it's just like very well-meaning, awesome bunch of people of all different genres who just post their blurbs and like give me some help. And I like, it stresses me out. It really stresses me out to go and look at them sometimes because there'll be like one person who has amazing advice and then there'll be like 20 others confuse them. Like they're not even outright wrong. It's just like everyone has different priorities.
And the thing is when you get a bunch of authors to all kind of tell you what they think is most important about your story, they're all going to give you different answers. The way that I decide and the way that I teach authors to decide what goes in the blurb is by understanding what it is that's going to sell your book. Not like the bit that you love the most or the bit that you think like will resonate with everyone. Do you know what I mean? Like that's something that and I've had clients like we work on a blurb together, they go away and they come back and they're like, so I've been to my writer's group and I'm like, oh my God. And then like there'll be like a rewritten version. And again, like I don't, I'm not saying this to like complain about them, but I feel really sorry for them because that you can tell that they're like, oh my God, should I be including all of this? Like it ramps up the overthinking so much. I'm just like, I should put this in and this and this. And then this person said it sounded like this genre and this person said it sounded like this genre. I'm like, they're not writing in your genre. It's OK, don't worry. Like it's, it can be really overwhelming.
And I have actually, like I talked about this, I think recently on Instagram and a few people were like, thank you for saying this because I got really freaked out last time I asked a writer's group for blurb advice and just decided it was all too hard. So like PSA, you don't, it's more about quality than quantity. So like get your beta readers to maybe like, and I don't know how many beta readers you might have, but let's say like two or three really good ones who are going to like be able to give you feedback that's like, oh yeah, that captured all the The best bits or yep that makes me want to read it. If you have like a really good writer friend who's writing the same genre as you, like give them the blurb. You can also give it to your editor. I will, like Danikka, I'm sure you'll kind of like back me up on this, but a lot of editors don't have specific blurb experience and they also have quite different priorities. So often the edits I get from editors are often really strange, like as in they make perfect sense in terms of like, oh yeah your focus is on like, I don't know, making it sound like a book, but I like in blurbs we do have sentence fragments and like more casual grammar, for example, especially in first person POV blurbs and like I know that that like sets editors on edge because like, oh no it's not like perfect and I completely get that. There are also some amazing editors who actually do have blurb experience and actually have a really good eye for it, but it's just worth like checking in with your editor as to whether or not they have blurb experience. I always love editors as like a second set of eyes just to see if there's anything glaring, like missing in terms of plot. But again, like I have had authors come back to me like really confused, like my editor said it needed to have this. I'm like, oh it's okay, I promise you. So it's just like it's a funny niche because it's so specialized and so weird and I don't know many people who do it, I'm going to be honest with you.
Danikka: Yeah, you're still like, there's you and then I found a couple of other people, but like it, like and same with what I do, like in terms of like Authors Own and like the self-publishing kind of support, it's more common in non-fiction than in fiction. Like blurb writing and selling your book and reaching your readers, that kind of support is more common in non-fiction and in business. And same for like the self-publishing support and like reaching sales and that kind of thing. And it's less scammy as well. So like when it comes to the fiction side of things, I feel like there's more scams and there's more like taking advantage of the authors and then in a non-fiction space, it's much more business focused.
Jessie: Do you know what I mean? And this is a slightly educated guess, I guess. In non-fiction, like there's two things kind of going on there. One, you usually have clearer metrics. Like I don't know what non-fiction authors just tend to have like better slash more reliable data because their target audiences are usually so defined. And no matter how much you try to define your target audience in fiction, like there's always going to be randoms. Like it's just kind of much like broader. Whereas like in non-fiction, if you're teaching people how to fix your car, you're only going to get people who want to fix their car. Like that kind of thing. And then like the data is just usually so much clearer and less emotional. That's the other thing is like, unless like self-help books, I guess, are a bit of a like a mid ground there or even memoir. But generally speaking, like yeah, those non-fiction, like the books that coaches write and stuff like that are all less emotional. And so therefore people are going for very practical advice. And the second thing is non-fiction clients tend to pay more.
So the people who are serious about, you know, I mean, I kind of disagree in some sense because I write for both non-fiction and fiction authors and I find them both equally awesome and willing to like invest in their author business or whatever. But I know I have heard from some people like, oh, I only go for non-fiction authors because, you know, they're the ones who'll pay me the big bucks. And then they are charging thousands for things. Whether or not it's, I don't, you know, I'm sure it's worth it because again, you're held more accountable because you have those metrics more so in non-fiction. So I completely understand it. I love to do both. I kind of love the nebulousness of fiction in the sense that, you know, it's, I love writing blurbs that, and this is one of the things I suppose that's kind of helpful when it comes to selling a book, especially a book that you're not sure of the target audience for, because I get a lot of authors. I ask people on my forms like, who's your target audience? And I get hilarious, vague answers because no one ever knows their target audience. I like to think like hear what people think their target audience is. So that's kind of like helpful for me as well.
But essentially I like to focus on representing the book accurately. So like if your blurb looks and feels like your book and tells readers kind of where the story's going to go, you're going to get the right people reading your book or more right people than not anyway. It's when you have a misleading blurb that you end up attracting the wrong people, get bad reviews and all the rest of it. Obviously, if your book is not high quality, I can't save you with a great blurb. But that aside, that aside, it is really about kind of them picking up the blurb, you know, reading it and going, oh, this feels like this and then reading the book and having their expectations met and or exceeded. That's something to keep in mind if sales writing freaks you out. You know, you don't have to have a background in copywriting or sales writing to still write a good book blurb, so long as you're able to write one that accurately represents your book. And that goes for the vibe, the vibe you vibe as well, like the language that you use and the expressions you use and that kind of stuff as well is also important to setting that up.
Danikka: Yeah. It's funny because as soon as you said accurately represents, my brain just went straight to fourth wing. It's just like, this is where my brain went. It's like straight away, straight away because like I am both a romance and fantasy reader. Those are my two genres. And I think the fourth wing episode, the original one that we recorded was one of the ones that we lost in our big like losing of the podcast episodes that we originally recorded. And we do have another one that we kind of recorded later, I think, hopefully. But that is one that I think the blurb, I think I remember you saying at the retreat, Jessie, that the blurb you felt like was well written, but it did not accurately represent the book.
Jessie: This is a fourth wing is like, I'm like, I have to just disclaimer here, have not read fourth wing, have not read Iron Flame or whatever the second one's called, probably won't. But I freaking loved the blurb for fourth wing. In fact, I almost read it like that's how good it was. And I'm like, I do read some fantasy. I'm not a huge fantasy reader. I have been like in the past at the moment, I'm sort of more of a Graham Green, John le Carre, girly, whatever. But I read the blurb for fourth wing and I was like, this sounds freaking incredible. Could not fault the blurb. I was like, this is amazing. Love the way it's paced. Love the descriptions. Love the number of characters introduced, how they've introduced them. Feel like I know them. This is awesome. Then I went and looked at reviews and was like, oh, it's like spicy. And I don't have a problem with reading spice at all, but that's not what interested me about the book. I was like, oh, if it's one of those, I'm not really in the mood for that right now. Like I actually just wanted like a cool dragon book. Like that's, that's basically how the blurb sounded to me. Cool dragon book. And I was like, I'm in, I'm in the market for a cool dragon book. I will totally read that. And then saw more reviews and was like, oh, it's more of a romance. Eh, just read one, not interested. Like that, that was kind of, that was, I was at my threshold for that at the time. And then we looked at the Iron Flame blurb at the retreat, didn't we?
Erin: we did
Jessie: I think that one is not as good.
Danikka: That one did not hit
Jessie: But technically they're both terrible because, you know, one of them is just terrible, terrible, but the fourth wing one is just wrong. So like had, you know, had I not read any reviews at all, I would have gone and read this book and Hey, I'm not saying I would have hated it, but it wouldn't have met or exceeded my expectations because I went in like awesome dragon school book. This is totally what I want to focus on. And then they're like, oh, there's a whole bunch of romance. I wasn't in the market for that right now. Even if it's something like, I don't mind reading normally. Readers really don't like to be surprised. Like a twist in a plot is cool, but if they're reading a book that is not the book they thought they were going to be reading, there's just like, doesn't put them in the mood for a five-star review. It really doesn’t.
Danikka: Yeah. Yeah. Cause that's what made me mad. It's like, I like spicy romance and I love fantasy, but I read that blurb and was like, will this be my new Eragon? Like I was ready for a new dragon rider love book. Like I wanted that new nostalgic dragon rider read. And I got like the new, I don't even want to call it the new ACOTAR. Like it wasn't, it wasn't even that, like it was, it was just like, I almost want to compare it more to like, if what was the one that got written after the hunger games, the
Erin: divergent,
Danikka: divergent, that's what it was like. Oh, that's what it read. Like if divergent was spicy, that's like.
Jessie: Yeah. See, I got, I was going through a massive.
Erin: But with dragons.
Jessie: Yeah. I was going through a massive Del Toro quest withdrawal when I found like, and I say withdrawal, I read it when I was like 13 and I was like 20 years ago, but, um, I was like really feeling like I just need some fantasy in my life right now. And then read that blurb, I was like, this is awesome. And then I'm always look, I'm very aware of anything that goes super, super viral. Maybe it's like, I don't know the little indie hit of me somewhere. That's like, but I'm always just like, really, I just
Erin: don't want to conform.
Jessie: I've never liked any book that went super viral like ever I've tried so hard and I've just never. So I was like, you know what? It's no, it doesn't sound like it's in me. I'll probably read it in five years and be like, where's this been all my life? You know?
Danikka: But yeah, if I'd been, if I'd been prepared for Divergent but spicy, I probably would have enjoyed it more.
Jessie: Um, because yeah. Oh, sorry. I was going to say, this is the thing is that like authors get really salty and I completely understand this about readers leaving, you know, three star reviews and below. Cause they're like, Oh, you know, I thought it was this and it wasn't, but that's kind of a valid reaction to a book and it's sort of your fault for not putting out a blurb there that accurately represents it. I mean, my pet peeve with this one was what's her name? Who wrote the Kiss Quotient, Helen?
Erin: Oh, my mind has just gone blank
Jessie: Well she wrote, I read the Kiss Quotient, I read the Bride Test and then her third one, which I forgot the name of cause I hated it.
Erin: The Heart Principle
Jessie: Yeah. I was reading that one actually, when I went to the first Lost Plot Retreat, I was reading on the plane and I was just like, actually it wasn't terrible. And I really like her writing and I really like how she writes characters, but they marketed it and this includes the blurb, like another rom-com-y kind of, you know, rom-com with heart. She writes characters who have autism. So like that's, she comes from that background herself. It's an own voices book. So I was like, I really love the depth that she has their characters. And this one was so depressing. Like it was so depressing and the others were really quite fun. And I was like, you really needed to, I have no problem with her breaking out of like the cheerful kind of rom-com. That's totally fine. And it was still romancing and it's still a happy ending and whatever else, but it's also really, really sad. And I was like, I know, I was just like, when does it get good? When does it get happy again? That was like my experience of reading the book. And I was so tempted to leave like a crappy review for it. And I kind of had to like stop. I think I did post it and I deleted it or something.
So I was just like, it just wasn't what I wanted. But then I was like, that's not entirely fair to the book. And a lot of, a lot of the other reviews complained about the exact same thing. And I was like, if they could have taken the time to market this as, hey, this is a very different experience from her other books. You'll probably still love it, but you'll need to be in a different mood to read it. Then that could have actually been such a different experience for me and a bunch of other people. I mean, hey, I don't read terribly so whatever, it's fine. But anytime I, anytime I criticize blurbs of like mainstream books that have actually done quite well, people tend to get quite cranky with me. They're like, well, I wish my blurb was so bad, but I sold 5,000 books. That's actually probably not why it sold 5,000 books. She has a name. That's why people bought it. So we can still talk about the blurb critically. But yeah, it's, you really, the blurb's job is like, yes, to get people interested in your book and wanting to buy it. But also you have this opportunity to set up their expectations. You have control over how you set the bar and where you set the bar. And that can actually make the reading experience better or worse. And it's something that I think a lot of people don't consider because why would you? You just, nobody talks about this.
Danikka: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. But no, I just feel like it's just really interesting. It's a part of the writing process and the publishing process that people don't tend to think about until the end. And, but it's just, it's still so important and it is a massive, massive part of the reader experience. So yeah, I just, I'm so glad I met you three years ago and I'm so glad that we could have you on the podcast today. But before we let the podcast just keep going on forever, because I feel like we could just keep talking forever, but there's just like so much to cover. Exactly. So I'm going to cut us off.
Erin: Okay. That's good. My microphone just died. I had to plug it into charge. That's why I went quiet for a second there.
Jessie: Amazing.
Danikka: So what I'll do is I'll open the floor cause I know you've got a discount code for our listeners, Jessiee. So I will open the floor for you to tell the listeners about that and where they can find you on social and on your website and then we'll wrap it up.
Jessie: Cool. I hang out on Instagram a lot at bookblurbmagic, so that's an easy find. And the free cheat sheet I talked about earlier is at the link in my bio. But if you want to go straight there, it's anatomyofabookblurb.com kind of regret that mouthful of the URL, but that will take you straight to the free cheat sheet that you can grab. And then the code snail10, cause we're on the Snailed It podcast, will give you 10% off my book blurb magic course. So that covers fiction and nonfiction of all varieties, except for like children's picture books. If you want a children's picture book blurb, email me and we will talk. If you are a spicy romance author, I would recommend you get spicy blurb playbook instead. That's my other course. So they're the two courses BBM for everything else, spicy blurb playbook for romance. And then if you want to actually work with me one-to-one, you can also get 10% off my custom blurb service or my one-to-one blurb audit, which is basically where you write the blurb and then we sit on like an hour zoom call together and make it super awesome. It's one of my most favorite services. It's really fun.
So there's basically things for every kind of like budget and how much you want to be involved in your blurb. You can view them all at bookblurbmagic.com as well. Slide into my DMS, send me an email, Jessie at bookblurbmagic.com. I'm, I'm quite easily available. So just come and ask me if you have any questions and yeah, you sail 10, if you want to grab 10% off any of those things.
Danikka: Cool. Well, thank you so much, Jesse. It's been such a pleasure having you on and I'm sure we'll have you at the next Lost Plot Retreat as well. So when that happens, we will be talking about it on the podcast as well. But yeah, thank you everyone for listening and we'll talk to you on the next episode. Thanks. Bye.
Danikka: Thank you for listening to the Snailed It Podcast with Danikka and Erin, brought to you by Author's Own Publishing, the home of indie publishing. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts and follow us on Instagram at Author's Own Publishing.
Episode Description
This week on the Snailed It podcast, Danikka and Erin are joined by Book Blurb extraordinaire, Jessie Cunniffe of Book Blurb Magic. Having written over 400 blurbs from scratch and edited hundreds more, Jessie has made a name for herself as a go-to for indie authors looking for help with their blurbs. Want to learn more? Check out Book Blurb Magic on the links below.
FREE Blurb Cheatsheet: anatomyofabookblurb.com
Instagram: @bookblurbmagic
Enquiries: hello@bookblurbmagic.com
Website: www.bookblurbmagic.com
Use code SNAIL10 for 10% off Book Blurb Magic, The Spicy Blurb Playbook, Custom Blurb Service & 1:1 Blurb Audits! (Excludes blurb and audit bundles)
Brought to you by: Authors Own Publishing, Danikka Taylor, and Erin Thomson.
Danikka’s Details:
Website: www.authorsownpublishing.com
Instagram: @danikkataylor or @authorsownpublishing
Erin’s Details:
Website: www.erinthomsonauthor.com
Instagram: @authorerinthomson
Intro & Outro Music by Mikel & GameChops. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of Authors Own Publishing. Thanks for Listening!
