Marriage Unarranged, My Writing Journey

Of Blurbs, And Other Things

Ritu

Did you think that writing a book was the hardest part of publishing?

Well, let me tell you, you’d be wrong there.

Yes, writing a story, in excess of 85,000 words, is a mammoth task to undertake, and can take forever (don’t I know it! 🙄) but once you have written all those words, words that can only come from you, as it’s your tale, there is still quite a lot to do.

Skipping the submissions process, if you decide to find an agent and/or publisher, you have to get to grips with things like cover design, formatting, marketing, blurb writing…

Yes, blurb writing.

The hardest thing EVER!

Honestly.

Condensing your whole story into a measly few words, making it engaging, finding a hook – NOT EASY!

And I have been battling with my blurb for the last few weeks, taking to the book shops and online bookstores to research blurbs.

It’s a vast world out there in Blurbia… You have books with two-sentence blurbs. Then there are ones that go one for 300 words, taking a whole back cover up. Some in-between. Some start with a question. Some end with a question.

So, I spent a long time writing various versions, talking to my editor, beta reader team, and a trusted Facebook group, to get feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Obviously, you end up with some conflicting opinions. Some aren’t familiar with your genre so can’t help as practically as others. But this is when you sometimes have to go with your gut.

A couple of years ago, when I finished the first draft, I came up with a simple blurb. After all the tweaks, and the addition of a couple of sentences, (having added plenty more, then taken them away) I finally have my finished blurb!

Want a read?

Aashi’s life was all set.

Or so she thought.

Like in the Bollywood films, Ravi would woo her, charm her family and they’d get married and live happily ever after.

But then Aashi found the empty condom box…

Putting her ex-fiancé and her innocence behind her, Aashi embarks upon an enlightening journey, to another country, where vibrant memories are created, and unforgettable friendships forged.

Old images erased, new beginnings to explore.

And how can she forget the handsome stranger she meets? A stranger who’s hiding something…

Marriage Unarranged – ritu bhathal

And, I am pleased to announce, that, as you can see in the above graphic, my book finally has a Publication Date!

9th February 2020

Stick it in your diary, Peeps, or even better, if you fancy, you can click the link below, and pre-order your ebook from Amazon RIGHT NOW!

getbook.at/MarriageUnarranged

If you are more of a hard copy reader, then no fear, that will be out on the official publication date too. They don’t allow for pre-orders on paperbacks, unfortunately.

So, there you have it, Peeps.

My journey to becoming a published author is headed in the right direction, and credit where credit is due. You have all been so supportive over the last few years, encouraging me to go for it. Well, I have! So, thank you all!

Bitmoji Image

Please, let me know what you think of the blurb, and if you decide to pre-order, thank you yet again!

Advertisement

Published by Ritu

A writer and blogger who teaches, and is a wife and mother too. Enjoy my ramblings on life, love and literature. 💖

63 thoughts on “Of Blurbs, And Other Things”

  1. Pingback: Of Blurbs, And Other Things | But I Smile Anyway...
  4. Pingback: Of Blurbs, And Other Things | willowdot21

  13. Please not that my opinion comes from one a guy who has done a lot more reading than writing, Ritu. Your blurb hooked me completely—the essence of what a skillful blurb should do.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. I definitely hear you, sis. And I bet so does everyone who already published a book. Writing is mot the hardest part and after the publishing process comes the marketing.. . But each step is an exciting part of the journey. Excited to see your book baby soon, sis💖

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Blurbs are the worst. We should devise an info questionnaire and get a group together to write one another’s blurbs. I find it’s SO much easier writing a blurb for a book I haven’t written.
        And yay! Glad you were able to download the book! 😀

        Liked by 1 person

  20. I loved your first Blurb!! Especially, “But then Aashi found the empty condom box…” Wow! That’s a hook! Congratulations on being able to take the last steps in your journey towards having a fully Birthed Book!! 🎉🎉✨✨
    xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.