Book Blurbs

Instead of writing, jeez don’t roll your eyes at me, I was taking a break scrolling through Facebook. You know, to give my brain a break.

Well, anyway an ad was playing a video that caught my attention. I didn’t turn on the sound but read the subtitles on how this person did this one thing that had the reviews flowing in. The one thing was to change the book description.

I moved on from social media to research. Another essential part of an author’s day. No, really it is. I looked up the author’s book and read the description or blurb. Instead of the traditional blah de blah, this book is about, there was something similar to this written in the main character’s point of view:

The House on Moss Swamp Road

My friend woke me up crying every night for weeks. No one believes that I can hear Charlotte from the vacant house across the street. Well, no one believes Charlotte is real. That doesn’t stop me from trying to make her feel better. She says she needs me to give her a certain message, at a certain time, on a certain day. I promised I would.

Mom says I don’t know what’s real or imaginary, anymore. Dad collected signatures on a petition asking the city to tear down the empty eyesore. A girl who walks on sunbeams told me No trespassing, keep out.

I don’t care what anyone says, Charlotte is real, she’s in trouble, and I’m going to help her. No matter what.

Instead of this:

Baltimore City, 1960. Jane Harty suffers from bouts of klutziness that leads to a brain tumor diagnosis at the age of ten. Pulled out of school early, Jane is feeling discouraged and lonely. In the first hours of the morning, she is awakened by sobs of grief and anger that mirror her emotions. Peering from her second-story window, she is astonished to find an incredible transformation of the boarded-up house across the street; it is now a beautiful Victorian mansion, surrounded by well-maintained gardens. Is it real? Jane vows to help a kindred spirit.

What do you think? Would either one make you more inclined to consider the book further?