Write a back-cover or retailer book blurb for [BOOK TITLE AND GENRE]. Book information: - Premise and main character: [PREMISE AND PROTAGONIST] - Inciting incident, central conflict, and stakes: [CONFLICT AND STAKES] - Tone, comparable reading experience, and audience: [TONE AND AUDIENCE] - Approved details, names, and spoilers to include or avoid: [DETAILS AND SPOILER RULES] - Placement and length: [PLACEMENT AND LENGTH]
Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing. Do not invent scenes, twists, reviews, awards, sales claims, character traits, or quotations. Do not name comparable titles in the final blurb unless I explicitly authorize them. First, identify the genre promise in one sentence for me. Then write three distinct blurbs within the requested length. Each should: 1. Open on the protagonist’s ordinary world, defining desire, or destabilizing event—not worldbuilding history. 2. Name the concrete problem that forces a choice. 3. Raise stakes with specificity while stopping before protected spoilers. 4. End with an unresolved, genre-appropriate pressure point rather than a vague question. Use present tense unless the genre convention I supplied requires otherwise. Favor evocative, precise nouns and verbs over adjective stacks. For nonfiction, replace plot beats with the reader’s problem, the author’s credible angle from my notes, the framework or promise, and the practical result. Before answering, check that each blurb reveals only approved plot information and that it describes this book rather than relying on generic genre phrases. Flag any missing detail that prevents a convincing stakes statement.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [BOOK TITLE AND GENRE] | Provide the title and genre or category, such as contemporary mystery or practical business nonfiction. | The Last Lightkeeper, adult coastal mystery. |
| [PREMISE AND PROTAGONIST] | Describe the lead character or, for nonfiction, the reader problem and the book’s central proposition. | Mara Venn, a marine electrician returning to her Maine island after her father’s death, finds a coded radio message hidden in the lighthouse generator. |
| [CONFLICT AND STAKES] | State the inciting event, central obstacle, and what the protagonist or reader stands to lose or gain. | The message points to a decades-old disappearance and implicates the family that owns the island ferry. Mara must decide whom to trust before the annual storm cuts the island off. |
| [TONE AND AUDIENCE] | Describe the desired emotional tone and the readers the book is written for. | Atmospheric, tense, and character-led for readers who enjoy small-town secrets and a capable adult heroine. |
| [DETAILS AND SPOILER RULES] | List approved names and details plus plot points, twists, or claims that must not appear. | Use Mara, the lighthouse, the ferry family, and the storm. Do not reveal who sent the message, the father’s role, or the ending. |
| [PLACEMENT AND LENGTH] | State where the blurb will appear and its word or character limit. | Amazon product page, 140–165 words. |
How to use
- Paste only the plot details you are willing to reveal to a shopper, then specify a hard word count for the retailer or jacket.
- Compare the opening sentence against other books in your genre; it should establish your book’s specific hook, not merely mood.
- Remove any detail that exposes a twist, resolution, or relationship reveal before publishing.
- For a revision, send: “Combine the premise from version 1 with the stakes from version 3, keep it to 150 words, and make the tone less ominous.”
Variations
Nonfiction description
Use for a practical or idea-driven book where readers need a clear benefit and credible method.
Write three [WORD COUNT]-word retailer descriptions for my nonfiction book, [BOOK TITLE]. Target reader: [TARGET READER]. Their practical problem is [PROBLEM]. The book’s approved framework, evidence, and examples are [BOOK CONTENT]. Tone: [TONE]. Each version must open with a recognizable problem, explain what the reader will learn, name the method without overpromising, and state the practical outcome. Do not invent credentials, research results, endorsements, or guarantees. Avoid a chapter-by-chapter list. Before answering, flag every claim that needs evidence or a more precise qualification.
Query letter pitch
Use when pitching the book to an agent or editor rather than selling directly to readers.
Write a [WORD COUNT]-word fiction query pitch for [TITLE, GENRE, AND WORD COUNT]. Protagonist and setup: [SETUP]. Central conflict and stakes: [STAKES]. Relevant comparable titles: [COMPS]. My author bio facts are [BIO FACTS]. Produce a professional opening paragraph, a spoiler-aware plot paragraph, comp positioning, and a brief bio. Do not invent publication credits, awards, market data, or endings. Keep the plot focused on the protagonist’s choice and consequences. Check that the comps clarify audience and position rather than claim equivalence or superiority.
Series description
Use when the first book must sell its own story while signaling a continuing series.
Write a [WORD COUNT]-word blurb for book one of [SERIES NAME], titled [BOOK TITLE]. Genre and reader expectation: [GENRE AND AUDIENCE]. This book’s standalone premise and stakes: [BOOK ONE STORY]. Series elements that may be signaled: [SERIES THREAD]. Spoilers to avoid: [SPOILERS]. Produce two versions: one for the book’s retailer page and one 35-word series teaser. Make book one feel complete while showing the larger world or recurring tension. Do not promise plot developments not supported by my notes. Check that the series teaser does not reveal the resolution of book one.
Tips
- A blurb is a sales argument, not a synopsis: stop once the reader understands the compelling choice and consequences.
- Use the names and nouns that make the premise memorable, but limit named characters so a reader can follow the setup quickly.
- Genre signals matter most in the opening and final line; mystery needs an investigation or threat, romance needs relational tension, and nonfiction needs a defined reader outcome.
- Do not use AI-generated review quotes, comparative claims, or author credentials unless they are real and approved.
FAQ
How much of the ending should a blurb reveal?
Usually none. Reveal enough of the first act to establish the central conflict, then end before the major reversal or solution.
Should I put comparable books in the blurb?
Usually reserve comparisons for metadata, advertising, or a query letter. A retailer blurb is stronger when it makes the book itself vivid.
Can AI write blurbs from a full manuscript?
It can help, but do not paste unpublished work into a tool unless its data policy is acceptable to you. A concise approved plot brief gives you more control over spoilers.