I have been struggling with making a catchy blurb. Tell me, do you hate it or like it? Does it make you want to read it? No, 1, 2 or 3, neither or a mix?
Blurb 1: A confident, sassy consultant, happily married and successful is mystified when an inexplicable, overnight transformation in her husband’s behavior while overseas, forces her to abandon her previous life in an attempt to solve the situation. Taking her across countries and cultures, encountering medical men and monks, she is forced to take an inner and outer journey to analyse her previous life and relationships in a new light.
Blurb 2: A coming of age novel and love-story, this novel will appeal to readers interested in diverse cultures and countries, science and spirituality and human behavior in crisis. It will appeal to people interested in India and travel, in spirituality-the patient, the carer, the guru and the disciple alike. This novel is an uplifting and motivating story that takes an honest look at how a tender marriage bears the unexpected burden of severe illness when the vows taken in every marriage are life-long and ‘to be together always in sickness and in health.’ It deals unflinchingly with the testing of all ties at times of crisis.
Blurb 3: A confident, sassy consultant sets out on a voyage of self-discovery in her bid to save her husband who displays an inexplicable overnight transformation in behavior and character while travelling. The young wife’s effort to resurrect their life together takes her on a journey through different countries and cultures. She receives support from unexpected quarters while perceptions about what brings value to her life are dramatically altered.
This is why genre's only a rough guide. I'd say chick-lit is contemporary adult fiction for women, but since I don't habitually read it I don't really know.
I did try part of a Katie Price novel once but the headhopping made me dizzy ;)
I think blurb 3 is the best. As Charley says, it sells your novel more. Writing blurbs is hard. What I did (and I think it does help a bit!) is to read the blurb of books you've really enjoyed or current novels in your genre. It helps to give you more of a feel of how published authors/publishing houses sell their plots and what a good hook is.
Hope this is of some help and good luck!
Jonathan, David what is your definition of 'chic-lit' and why does my blurb make you think my novel fits that category?
Here is my genre classification so far: Genre: Adult fiction: Contemporary, Inspirational, Human potential, Spiritual, Romance, Relationships, Family drama, Mental illness, Multicultural