Clockwork book blurb sample

A blurb is a short promotional piece accompanying a piece of creative work. The blurb is a promotional description, found on the back of the book. The occult art of the poetry book blurb rachael mead. Both the synopsis and the blurb have the same purpose.

Most run several paragraphs, but some publishers want them shorter or in a special format so be sure to check with your publishers guidelines before you begin work. The person who came up with the word blurb called it a flamboyant advertisement. Did the themes of clockwork remind you at all of faust, frankenstein, or pinocchio. He uses the idea of clockwork as a metafictive device, comparing the interrelated plot elements to the elements of a clocks mechanism. Reviewing our example will help you write your own book cover quote requestbut dont copy this sample letter word for word.

You have one shot at introducing your story to your reader make it count. Like the book cover is one of the biggest selling points for any book, a book blurb helps sell the idea of the book to those who are in search of reading something either new or out of their usually picked genres. Im not saying those potential readers are unusual in any way. Back cover blurbs for books tips for wrting blurbs that. Before you write a letter to an author requesting a quote, endorsement, or blurb for your book, take a look at our sample letter shown below. This means all the focus needs to be on the reader their needs and expectations.

A clockwork orange is anthony burgesss most famous novel, though youll quickly find out that it isnt his favorite. The teenage protagonist, alex, narrates his violent exploits and his experiences with state authorities intent on reforming him. Aug 08, 2009 examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. With the clockwork kit you will get the clockwork quick start guide, that will empower you to have your business up and running on clockwork, today.

The doubleday edition was illustrated by peter bailey and the arthur a. Make sure you supply me with a general synopsis as well. This back cover blurb explains exactly who the book is for, what the reader can expect to get out of it, and why the book is an excellent alternative to similar resources. Publishers mostly prefer to receive just a few sample chapters of your book together with a synopsis. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book. By day, clumsy panda po works faithfully in his familys noodle shop, but by night he dreams of becoming a true master of the martial arts. Try not to mention more than two characters names, and promise your audience a read they wont forget. When you buy a swatch kit, your confirmation email will. Examples of blurbs to share in your primary classroom. Whats the difference between book blurb and synopsis.

This is more than acceptable, and a very easy give for most. How to write the perfect blurb examples, formula, opening. A clockwork orange by anthony burgess blurb books uk. It should introduce your main characters, give an insight on conflict, depict genre and arouse interest. It is set in a nearfuture society that has a youth subculture of extreme violence. Purchase a swatch kit that contains samples of all the different blurb papers with photos and text printed on them. If you want instruction on how to write a professional biography from someone who actually cares. All you have to do is provide me with some information and i will write one undeniably catchy blurb. Oct 16, 2014 writing the blurb for your selfpublished book is one of the privileges of being an indie author. I have been a long time user but they are unable to print photo books true to the original images.

Students will write a blurb for home of the brave, following the guidelines and suggestions offered by the teacher or arising out of class discussions. On back covers of books there is usually a summary which attempts to get the reader interested. Students will consider the themes of the book and integrate at least one in their blurb. A clockwork orange is one of those books that i have been told is an essential read for any teenager and after reading it myself, i found that i completely agree with the general consensus. A clockwork orange and millions of other books are available for instant. Mar 02, 2016 great ideas to write a blurb that works for your book. Murrow and other leading radio personalities blurbed the book, published in 1950 by oxford university press, and siepmann thanked paul lazarsfeld and herta herzog in his acknowledgments. You might find examples from the ancient greeks, shakespeare, thomas. Youve written your book, but now you have to publish it and kdp has a box that you dread. It matters not only what a blurb actually says but who said it and when. A tormented apprentice clockmaker, a deadly mechanical knight in armour and the sinister dr kalmenius, who some say is the devil. If youre using bookwright, there is no default page.

The mystery of the clockwork sparrow is what you get if you mash together nancy drew, the famous five, sherlock holmes and set the action in a glittering london department store at the i was lured towards this book by the delightful, goldembossed cover. Youll also find some useful links to websites with further information. It may be written by the author or publisher or quote praise from others. And when the state undertakes to reform alex to redeem him, the novel asks, at what cost. Notice the calltoaction words in the bullet points. As already noted, writing a back book blurb is a marketing exercise. Clockwork philip pullman, author, leonid gore, illustrator, peter bailey, illustrator arthur a. Keywords are the breadcrumbs you leave that allow readers to find your book, and they play an especially important role in the blurb where you explain what your book is about. Click to the right or left of the sample to turn the page. It appeared, as an example, in author and scholar brander matthews 1906 book, american character, and it was used to described short promotional descriptions printed on the front of a book s dust jacket. Clockwork, or all wound up is an illustrated short childrens book by philip pullman, first. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more blurb blog. Clockwork or all wound up preface and chapter one youtube.

A great book description on amazon will engage readers and sell books. Keep in mind at all times the blurb is what sells the book, so. Nov 15, 2019 blurbs are short descriptions that promote things such as movies, books, or other projects. Copyright page samples you can copy and paste into your book. Writing a short book blurb is not only fun, but great practice for writing promotional copy of any kind. Fox emm shares how to write an effective book blurb for your memoir, or any piece of writing. Find a clockwork orange by anthony burgess at blurb books. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. A clockwork orange is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. How to write your companys blurb practical ecommerce. In sextons blurb, one cant help but hear an additional echo of plaths the blood jet is poetry. Blurbs were originally printed on the back or rear dustjacket of a book, and are now found on web portals and news websites.

I have seen nonfiction blurbs that are more about the author than the content of the book and i have seen fiction blurbs that are a synopsis of the story and even tell the reader the ending. These may be used for an interview, a book jacket, or even an event program in which you are a presenter. Blurb is a basic service useable for basic book printing. He falls to the ground and had this idea of my whole plot or body being like. Need a bookkeeper in south west london and one who works from home using online software so all information can be shared.

Clockwork, or all wound up is an illustrated short childrens book by philip pullman, first published in the united kingdom in 1996 by doubleday, and in the united states by arthur a. Philip pullmans clockwork is a fairy tale set in germany in presumably the 19th century, in a world where clockwork devices can be made so intricately precise that they can, if constructed by a particularly ingenious clockmaker, pass for little boys. Anthony burgesss a clockwork orange also contains this idea, duality is the key to. Its safe to say that a wellwritten blurb is absolutely essential to your poetry books overall success and reputation. Drag and drop the booksmart icon into your applications folder. Book sample by jennifer duff blurb books australia. Paused youre listening to a sample of the audible audio edition. Your blurb will be an important part of your marketing. Here are six rules to be mindful of before you put pen to paper on your back book cover blurb. Writing a book blurb for your back cover, and other promotional uses, is one of the hardest steps for many authors. Jun 01, 2015 the occult art of the poetry book blurb on taking up writing it had not once occurred to me that one of the tasks of being a writer might be to come up with those concise, quippy phrases on the covers of books. Blurbs are short descriptions that promote things such as movies, books, or other projects. Clockwork sounds download clockwork sound effects now. Print copies can be ordered directly from the clockwork books website, and an e book version will be made available in november for all the digital book lovers.

In that article i go stepbystep through the process of writing a good book blurb that speaks to rob oliver says. She has arranged to meet her brother nate at the docks, but met the dark sisters instead. When the state undertakes to reform alex to redeem him, the novel asks, at what cost. Their technical staff is obtuse and they use a biased color profile. Danger and betrayal, love and loss, secrets and enchantment are woven together. How to write good blurbs and back pages for your book by lynn serafinn on july 17th, 20. Park, the international history of communication study page 268 edward r. In the clockwork book, mike details the internal workings of the entire system. Its so tempting to think if everyone is doing x and i. But, if you have caught a potential readers attention, the blurb is what will sell your book and convert readers.

From the first page, readers are in the grip of an almost shakespearean rollercoaster ride with a curse, a betrayal, a death, a secret marriage, a proposal, an impending birth, a longlost relative, magic, and loveboth given and. Bookkeeping is the financial foundation of your business. This should override any older versions of booksmart you may. How to write an irresistible book blurb in 5 easy steps. The book is partially written in a russianinfluenced argot called nadsat, which takes its name from the. Levine books edition was illustrated by leonid gore.

This book has been the basis for some highly iconic scenes in cinema, and its easy to see why its such a famous book. Philip pullmans clockwork is a fairy tale set in germany in presumably the 19th. In journeying to june, the poet dives deeper into her childhood, imagining a world that mightve existing during the moment of her birth in 1982. However, this task typically comes just when youre at your least able. When writing a novel, there are few selling tools as important as a solidly written book blurb. We follow the author has she weaves stories of love and childhood kisses, with. From the master story teller comes a thrilling tale of gothic mystery. Writing a book blurb is harder than you think, and is an excellent way of getting yourself noticed.

Doubleclick the booksmart icon to launch booksmart, and start creating your book. Generally, 150200 words are more than enough for a full blurb. A clockwork orange is a dystopian satirical black comedy novel by english writer anthony. There is one big difference though between a book blurb and a synopsis. A clockwork orange is a dystopian satirical black comedy novel by english writer anthony burgess, published in 1962. How to get incredible endorsements and blurbs for your book. Blurb is a bookmaking platform and creative community that enables individuals to create, publish, share, and sell highquality photo books, trade books.

I didnt know the book but promptly purchased it as a stocking stuffer for myself and my very grown children and barely preteen grandchildren and, this morning, read it in a sitting. Clockwork angel the infernal devices book 1 and millions of other books are available for instant access. Explore the suspenseful book by philip pullman, which takes place on a snowy. Design your business to run itself kindle edition by michalowicz, mike. Fritz, the writer, spins a spinetingling tale to cheer up karl, the apprentice clockmaker. Get clockwork sounds from soundsnap, the leading sound library for unlimited sfx downloads. Blurbs are the second most important selling tool you have for your book, so. Embossing, foil stamping, and other customizations.

Jul 19, 20 the blurb of your book is the second thing a potential reader will look at after the coverso take the time to get it right. This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition and burgesss introduction a clockwork orange resucked. Once your title and cover have drawn the reader in, the blurb is what is going to make the difference between a missed opportunity and a sale. Samples of a long page and a short page are provided so readers can copy and paste them into their own book files, ready for customization. Your book blurb aka online description, like your dating profile, has to be engaging and alluring to attract passersby. An early example, as queer as dicks hatband, appeared in 1796, and was alluded to in 1757. This short video is brought to you by publishnation. We dont offer free books or free paper samples but you can view our paper and book customization options by doing one of the following. Grade 5 lesson on blurbsadapt by using whatever book. This article gives you simple steps to follow to write a book blurb, and gives examples of both fiction and nonfiction back cover blurbs. Sticking with mark dawsons book descriptions as an example, here is part of a blurb from another one of his thrillers.

Many writers find writing book blurbs really difficult. The mystery of the clockwork sparrow by katherine woodfine. This blurb also establishes credibility for the author, a veteran bicycle mechanic. Many times second books in a series fall short of readers expectations. Apr 21, 2017 a book blurb is your way of selling your book. Im working on my second book and wish that i had seen these ideas when. Children to write their own blurb and preface for the book.

Aug 02, 2017 read on to find out how and why antony burgess based a clockwork oranges secret language, nasdat, on russian. A clockwork orange by anthony burgess overdrive rakuten. A magical tale featuring a tormented clockmaker, a. If no book jacket appears in a few seconds, then we dont have an excerpt of this book or. A sample letter for writers requesting a book endorsement. Mar 20, 2014 students will write a blurb for home of the brave, following the guidelines and suggestions offered by the teacher or arising out of class discussions. A book blurb should be a fair representation of the style of the book. The origin of the word blurb may have been german or american.

Clockwork angel book summary awesome book summaries. I love that you gave examples which made me understand how your opinions were formed. The 5 core elements of a book blurb and why you should know. I downloaded this from audible this morning and listened to it while shoveling snow, wishing i had a clockwork automaton to do that for me. To write a good blurb, you have to make it short and exciting, yet relevant. How to write an interesting bio blurb this is a satirical article. Many authors write the book blurb as an afterthought. Kinnells landmark the book of nightmares was published in 1971. Copywriting is a completely different skillset to creating fiction, and im here to help you get that blurb in tiptop shape. Jan 15, 2010 samples of a long page and a short page are provided so readers can copy and paste them into their own book files, ready for customization. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. Clockwork has a kind of lapidary perfection, with an unusual, interwoven structure, built around authorial research and literary invention. We tell you exactly how to construct a great book description of your own.

Get access to exclusive email offers when you join the blurb book making community. After the breakout success of her first book of poems mountain climber, poet june smith returns with an even more enduring tale of love and loss. Grade 5 lesson on blurbsadapt by using whatever book your. To help prevent you from falling into this unfortunate group, weve put together a few tips that should help you write a winning book blurb, whether its for the latest fantasy novel or for a nonfiction selfhelp guide. The synopsis is a key part of enticing a publisher to ask you for your full manuscript. How to write a blurb definition, examples, and more. Most people dont have the time to read your book and carefully consider a blurb, but they dont feel comfortable blurbing something they havent read.

If youd like, you can add a page with information, although it isnt nec. Nadsat the cryptic language of a clockwork orange and. A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Doubleclick the install blurb booksmart icon to launch the installation wizard, and follow the directions. A blurb is the book description you find on the back of a book or online to describe a book s contents.