Blurbs Sell Books
A podcast for authors who want to improve their copywriting skills and create better book descriptions. Hosted by author Jim Heskett and copywriting expert Abigail Dunard.BSB 128
Published: Sept. 2, 2021, 2:20 p.m.Duration: 1 hour 5 minutes
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb One:
Time Blink by MJ Mumford
Syd Brixton doesn\\u2019t want to know what happened to her missing twin\\u2026unless a dead man can change her mind.
When Syd Brixton was eleven years old, her identical twin Isla vanished from a park in broad daylight and was never found, splintering her family apart, leaving Syd permanently scarred by guilt.
Fast forward twenty years. Syd has a comfortable home, a satisfying job at The Merryport pub, and a stable, long-term relationship with Coop, a handsome firefighter who wants nothing more than to start a family.
Then it all comes crashing down.
On a blustery night outside the pub, Syd\'s favorite customer, Morley Scott, falls victim to a horrific accident. Moments before he dies, he gives Syd an extraordinary gift: the power to travel back in time. Back to when he was alive. Back to the day Isla vanished.
Will Morley be able to convince Syd to uncover the truth about her sister\'s disappearance? Or will Syd avoid that painful and dangerous truth at all costs to focus on saving Morley\'s life instead?
If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything...her home, her family.\\xa0Her life.
All in the blink of an eye.
Blurb Two:
Our Once Warm Earth by Matthew Rasnake
A deadly storm.
A beacon of hope.
One peaceful night on the mountain may be humanity\'s last...
\\xa0
Restless Army-brat Mel wants nothing more than to settle down to a quiet suburban life. A week after their honeymoon, Mel and her new husband are camping on a northern California mountain with her adoptive father when a deadly storm rises over the mountain. A government signal promises protection from the growing global catastrophe that may yet bring the world to its end. Mel must choose whether to stay put and die together or to drag her family through the storm and across the mountain in search of safety.
\\xa0
With her dream shattered and her family torn apart, Mel lands with other broken, weary survivors under the Army\'s familiar heel. Can she hold on to hope and find the strength to inspire and free them all, or will she finally give into the darkness and let the Earth swallow her up?
\\xa0
Our Once Warm Earth is the first novella from a near-future sci-fi post-apocalypse series. If you like realistic settings; believable, relatable characters; a dash of science-futurism; and a rich vein of hopeful promise, you\'ll love this compelling story of one woman\'s fight to preserve her family and humanity itself.
' -->Listed in: Arts
BSB 127
Published: Aug. 26, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 38 minutes 53 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Shattered Loyalties by Ellen Martin
Revenge may be sweet, but is it worth betrayal, murder, and Shattered Loyalties?
\\xa0
Presidential hopeful Dylan Randle the III is no angel. Journalist Penelope "Pepper Mills" tried to reveal his darkside, but like always he and his reputation slither through the cracks unscathed. Pepper, who once interviewed global heads of state, lost everything and was condemned to writing obituaries in New Orleans.\\xa0
\\xa0
Four years later the ostracized journalist convinces her editor to give her a second chance to redeem herself as a serious reporter. Just as she was getting her life and career back on track, Dylan, now a Presidential candidate, makes a campaign stop in New Orleans.\\xa0
At the end of the New Orleans campaign rally and the crowd dispersing, Pepper will unexpectedly witness Dylan physically intimidate his wife. The inner demons she has carefully kept in check for so long reawaken with a vengeance. Unable and unwilling to control her compulsion to destroy Dylan\'s dreams, this tenacious journalist becomes even more determined to unmask him for the degenerate he actually is.\\xa0
With the help of a cast of characters, "Pepper" will doggedly unravel Dylan\'s twisted past, but not without triggering a tsunami of life altering consequences.\\xa0
' -->Listed in: Arts
BSB 126
Published: Aug. 19, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 55 minutes 4 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Breaker by Amy Campbell
Break or be broken.
Blaise Hawthorne fears all he\\u2019ll ever be is an unwanted outcast, stuck living at home with his parents for the rest of his days. Born a Breaker, his unbridled magic wreaks havoc with a touch. When enemy soldiers storm his town hunting for spellcasters, he escapes and flees the only life he\\u2019s ever known.
Chance encounters with a pegasus and a surly gunslinger set Blaise on the path to a new life where he\\u2019s accepted for who he is. But even an outlaw mage can\\u2019t outrun the past, and his returns with a vengeance. When his chosen family is threatened, can Blaise find the grit to harness his volatile magic into a saving grace, or will his most dangerous challenge be his last?
This gritty, uplifting fantasy is the first book in the\\xa0Tales of the Outlaw Mages\\xa0series, set in an Old West-inspired world. If you enjoy found family, LGBTQ+ representation, baked goods, and a whole lot of heart then look no further. Break away from the beaten fantasy path with\\xa0Breaker\\xa0today.
\\xa0
' -->Listed in: Arts
Whom to Follow BSB 125
Published: Aug. 12, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 45 minutes 45 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Good Vibrations by Patrick J. O\'Connor
A human. An alien. A one-afternoon stand and a fertilized egg. What could possibly go right?
Greg and NaDii are going to find out. They\'re about to become a hybrid family, it turns out. In book one of this series, during the life of their first child, Robby ( or Bobby) Firestone, the two parents discover their children have a hybrid vigor that makes them far more than the sum of their parts. When his unexpected, half-human genius is revealed, Bobby galvanizes the Terran and HaChii races both ways. The admirers, and the ones who want him dead.
Can salvation from the future save Bobby in the present? Can Bobby\'s sister keep a low enough profile to avoid the people\\u2014dangerous ones\\u2014who stalk her brother? Why bother? She\'s\\xa0way\\xa0more dangerous than they are!
Targeted Takeaway:
A good blurb is all about simplicity. It doesn\\u2019t matter if you have written a fantasy epic with ten major characters all working to save the world from evil, a layered and deeply complex literary novel about the triumph of the human spirit, or a clever murder mystery with a ton of twists and a criminal mastermind slipperier than Professor Moriarty. To get the sale, the book description has to boil things down to their most easily digestible state.
To do this, you need to follow one character. No matter how important the others are to your narrative, your blurb needs to zero in on just one. When readers are skimming through Amazon listings, their brains are not in Absorb Complicated Ideas mode. They\\u2019re glancing quickly, trying to determine if what they\\u2019re looking at sounds like it\\u2019s worth gambling their money and time on. And in that mindset, they aren\\u2019t interested in lots of detail or remembering the names of everyone important to the story.
So, pick your \\u201cmost\\u201d main character and focus on them. Follow their emotional journey through the early part of the novel. Make readers care about them, and they\\u2019ll buy.
And if you\\u2019re lucky, they\\u2019ll choose to follow you \\u2026 through every book you write.
' -->Listed in: Arts
Know Your Genre BSB 124
Published: Aug. 5, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 52 minutes 54 seconds Blurb:
The Veil by Benjamin Mahoney
She\'s never been really crazy about him, though she found his persistence charming. Will her feelings change when a hit accident leaves him in a coma?
Lisa is a visionary. Despite her family past riddled with misfortune, Lisa is certain that a better world is possible, and she works tirelessly to improve the lives of others. She is an accomplished fund raiser, and has established a foundation dedicated to helping families cope with disabilities. Inspired by the potential of architectural solutions, Lisa strives to become a professional architect. She dreams of one day building and running resorts that cater to these special needs family.
All of these dreams come to a crashing halt when the doctor discovers a tumor in her brain.
Matthew, a man of some means, sees the fire in Lisa\'s eyes, and he is smitten be her charm and her passion for the cause. Matthew pledges an undisclosed sum of wealth to Lisa\'s foundation.\\xa0
When a hit-and-run accident leaves Matthew in a coma, Lisa find that he has left her his entire estate - a substantial fortune. However, Matthew\'s mother, Maura, is alarmed. Maura files for an injunction to prevent Lisa from seeing her son, citing Lisa as a danger to comatose Mattew because of her vested interest in his fortune.\\xa0
Lisa decides to sign a statutory declaration waiving all her rights to the fortune that Matthew intended to leave her. Will that be enough to convince Maura of Lisa\'s true love for her son?
The Veil is a tale of sweet romance in the modern world, featuring fascinating characters and confounding plot twists.
If you like raw emotions, engaging romance, and tales of the triumph of the human spirit, you\'ll love Benjamin Mahoney\'s powerful novel.
\\xa0
' -->Listed in: Arts
Episode 383 - Subscription Surge, Author Bios, and Keyword Connections
Published: Aug. 4, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 47 minutes 52 seconds
Listed in: Arts
Escape the White Room BSB 123
Published: July 29, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 50 minutes 10 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Liberty 2041 by Carolyn Feder Gold
A fighter, a force of nature seems to describe her best, but in reality, Jesica is anxious, insecure, and self-preoccupied. Her disguise, an inflated ego, is her worst enemy, except, of course, for the nefarious World Chancellor. Will she dare show her vulnerability to get rid of him, saving the world from a morass of toxicity or will she cave in and disappear into anonymity?
Targeted Takeaway:
Longtime listeners know we emphasize character development over plot. Readers identify with characters, not the stories surrounding them, and therefore a blurb needs to focus on that protagonist\\u2019s emotional arc through the early part of the novel. This helps readers identify with their problems and root for them to conquer them.
However, we do need to understand the world in which the person exists. For an emotional conflict to resonate, we must know why it matters to the character. In other words, we need stakes. Something has to be at risk for the MC, or your deep character study won\\u2019t matter. The protag simply exists in a white room \\u2013 blank, featureless, isolated. We need to get them out of the White Room and into the world.
While we will always tell you the plot doesn\\u2019t matter, you have to give us enough of it that we understand the stakes for your protagonist. If readers see what your MC stands to lose, they\\u2019ll want to buy to find out what happens.
And that makes you the winner.
\\xa0
' -->Listed in: Arts
One Conflict to Rule Them All! BSB 122
Published: July 15, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 56 minutes 53 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Of Seekers and Shepherds: Children of the Younger God, Book One by G.H Duval
For more than four centuries, the realm of Avelare has enjoyed peace. The nations of Farkoast, Kirin, and Senechal have learned, by necessity, to settle their disputes through non-violent means as the world\\u2019s super power\\u2014the nation of Coerdom\\u2014forbids war in the name of their pacifist younger god, Hirute.
Siare\\xa0au L\\u2019espri\\xa0is Hirute\\u2019s chosen Spirit Shepherd. A telepath and oracle, she is half of the pair known as the First Stewards. Together with her husband\\u2014a creature of primal power known as the Formynder who exists solely to serve and protect Siare\\u2014they govern the nation of Coerdom. With the threat of Coerdom\\u2019s Shepherds at her back, Siare has enforced Hirute\\u2019s centuries\\u2019 long prohibition on warfare. Serving decades longer than expected, Siare now questions the edicts to which she has been sworn as she grows weary of containing the self-destructive tendencies of the humanity she has worked so long to preserve. At the sunset of her reign with no successor in sight, her Shepherds are seceding and the Great Houses, once firmly under her control, grow insubordinate. Siare\\u2019s successor must soon be found if humanity\\u2019s fragile peace is to hold, for she finds herself increasingly willing to leave humanity to fend for itself.
Spring\\xa0au Terre\\xa0has the questionable luck to come of age at this perilous time. At 16\\u2014the age of majority\\u2014the time has come for Spring to make decisions she barely understands but will be forced to make. Should she heed her mother and marry her aristocratic suitor, embarking on a life of privilege but with little room for her Earth magic? Or should she heed her Master and enlist in service to the First Stewards\\u2014honing her already considerable magic and serving as a Shepherd of Coerdom, but leaving behind her younger sister, Mina, to whom she is deeply attached and whose long illness requires Spring\\u2019s healing touch? Both options leave Spring wanting, and she yearns to create a new path for herself that Coerdom has never seen.
As all three women struggle with a series of revelations that thrust them into new lives\\u2014ones they never could have imagined\\u2014they will find themselves at the very heart of a global struggle. Together, they will have to decide between the safety of the known and the very remaking of their world.
Targeted Takeaway:
Readers love happy endings. Ironically, though, they hate happy middles. They want to have some conflict in their novels. And by \\u201csome conflict\\u201d, we mean, \\u201cLOTS of conflict.\\u201d
So to make sure readers know they will be getting what they want, you\\u2019ve got to have conflict in your blurb. We need to see that MC wrestling with something that could keep them from getting what they want.
BUT, while a blurb needs to feature conflict, it can\\u2019t have a ton of conflicts. Remember that the human mind can only handle two or three new ideas at once. So the more problems you throw at the protagonist, the harder it will be for the reader to keep track of what\\u2019s happening.\\xa0 And if they get confused they\\u2019re going to say, \\u201cNo.\\u201d
So stuff your blurb full of conflict, but make sure you there\\u2019s only one or two of them in total. After all, we don\\u2019t want readers feeling conflicted about whether or not they\\u2019ll enjoy the book!
' -->Listed in: Arts
For Starters, Keep it Short BSB 120
Published: July 1, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 58 minutes
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Mortal Encounter by Luna Breid
A couple holds their human attacker by the neck; a predator once, now a tasty prey. From the street to a plate, is it hunger or lethal justice?
Clara and Thomas long a tasty piece of meat. When a human stabs Clara on their way home, they can\\u2019t believe their luck. Now they need to take him home for a well-deserved dinner without raising suspicions from the passersby. Otherwise, they risk the peace treaty between species, endangering their children and their kin. How can they take their unexpected prey breaking no rules?
This is the first book of the Numbered Stories series and can be read on its own.
Click on Look Inside or download the sample to see if you would enjoy this book.
Caution: This book is not recommended for young readers.
Targeted Takeaway:
\\xa0
In the short-attention-span world of the Twenty-first Century, you only have a precious few seconds to capture a reader\\u2019s interest. So you need to grab them right away. Both your hook and your opening sentence need to be brief.
At Best Page Forward, we keep our hooks to a mere 150 characters or less. That way, they stay punchy and grabby, and they can be used as Amazon Ad copy.
Our opening lines are even shorter. We restrict them to six to ten words and don\\u2019t allow any plot. Emotion only! This way, they land with the force of a devastating right hook, and that gets a reader\\u2019s attention.
When you\\u2019re crafting your blurbs, keep that first sentence super-short. Open a short, impactful sentence of just 6-10 words that lasers in on the protag\\u2019s initial emotional state. Hit your reader hard to get their attention, and then you can give them more detail.
That\\u2019s a surefire way to deliver a sales knockout.
' -->Listed in: Arts
Agency, Please BSB 119
Published: June 24, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 42 minutes 7 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Kate the Kitty Goes Potty by Kristine Hokstad-Myzyri
Is potty training going slow? You are not alone. Make potty training fun!
Includes a\\xa0free\\xa0potty chart, coloring pages, and worksheets.
Kate loves to play outside. But today, playtime is at stake when strange noises in her tummy disturb her. Kate worries when her belly growls like a bear. What is making the sounds? Will she reach the potty in time and complete all the steps, or will she miss playtime?
- Story-driven step-by-step guide to potty training
- Rhyming prompts to make learning fun
- Written by a child care professional
- Beautifully illustrated
A happy, potty-trained toddler in just one easy step. That step is \\u2018Add to Cart\\u2019.
Targeted Takeaway:
Have you ever solved a problem? You know, one of those big problems? The kind that vexes you, that seems like a giant mountain you could never climb? I\\u2019m certain you have. Every one of us has experienced that sense of cutting the Gordian Knot. And it\\u2019s a powerful, satisfying feeling. Accomplishment makes us feel alive, strong, potent.
When we read, we want that same sensation. In literature, we call this agency. Your MC needs to be able to act on the universe, shape it, master it. They need to be in control of their own destiny.
And you have to show this in your book description. Your protagonist should always be the subject of the sentence. To have agency, the protag must perform the action, not have it forced on them. Make them the master of their destiny.
Everyone wants agency \\u2013 in their lives and in their literary heroes. Make sure your protagonist has it and that it shows up in the blurb. Readers will thank you with sales.
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How Revealing BSB 118
Published: June 17, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 47 minutes 10 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Timeblink by M.J. Mumford
Syd Brixton doesn\\u2019t want to know what happened to her missing twin\\u2026unless a dead man can change her mind.
When Syd Brixton was eleven years old, her identical twin Isla vanished from a park in broad daylight and was never found, splintering her family apart, leaving Syd permanently scarred by guilt.
Fast forward twenty years. Syd has a comfortable home, a satisfying job at The Merryport pub, and a stable, long-term relationship with Coop, a handsome firefighter who wants nothing more than to start a family.
Then it all comes crashing down.
On a blustery night outside the pub, Syd\'s favorite customer, Morley Scott, falls victim to a horrific accident. Moments before he dies, he gives Syd an extraordinary gift: the power to travel back in time. Back to when he was alive. Back to the day Isla vanished.
Will Morley be able to convince Syd to uncover the truth about her sister\'s disappearance? Or will Syd avoid that painful and dangerous truth at all costs to focus on saving Morley\'s life instead?
If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything...her home, her family. Her life.
All in the blink of an eye.
Targeted Takeaway:
Focusing on the plot in your blurb fails to make an emotional connection with the reader. You want them rooting for your protagonist, wanting to know if they will succeed. In a blurb, we need to stay focused on the character\\u2019s emotional journey.
And that\\u2019s where the plot can help us. We use the plot to reveal emotion.
Put a plot event in the front half of the sentence, then show the MC\\u2019s reaction to it. We have to have some of the story in the description. But we don\\u2019t want to use it to tell the reader what happens. Make it work for you by using it to reveal your main character\\u2019s inner struggle. That will form the connection that will make them want to know what happens next.
Reveal your characters\\u2019 emotions, and readers will show you the love by clicking that buy button.
' -->Listed in: Arts
Sell It BSB 117
Published: June 10, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 45 minutes 10 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
TERF Wars by Dharma Kelleher
A Fight For Justice Has Become A Battle for Truth
Bounty hunter Jinx Ballou has been hired to apprehend a fugitive who brutally murdered a transgender woman in a public restroom. As a trans woman herself, Jinx is more determined than ever to bring this bigoted killer to justice.
What Jinx didn\\u2019t anticipate was the powerful media machine her fugitive controlled. She finds herself in the middle of a war of media manipulation, disinformation, and deep-faked videos designed to further harm an already vulnerable community.
TERF Wars\\xa0takes readers on an action-packed thrill ride that dives deep into the issues of identity and intersectionality, oppression and accountability. As one of the only openly transgender authors in crime fiction, Dharma Kelleher delivers a heartfelt tale that will leave readers cheering for more.
Targeted Takeaway:
When writing your book description, it\\u2019s important to think about what readers want. That\\u2019s essentially two things: A main character they can root for and identify with and to buy books they enjoy reading.
Your description should let them inside your MC\\u2019s head. As we often say, don\\u2019t tell the reader what happens to your protagonist; show the character\\u2019s reaction to the events of the story. Readers want to walk alongside your MC, feeling what they feel and hoping for them to triumph. Give them that with show instead of tell.
It\\u2019s equally important to sell them your book. Once you\\u2019ve given them a brief taste of the action, you need a selling paragraph that identifies the title, whether or not it in a series, what number book in the series it is, the genre, and the tropes the reader will find inside. This helps them know that this is a book for them \\u2013 one they will enjoy. And then you need a CTA telling them to buy.
A blurb is a sales tool. Its job is to sell the book. And you should not be ashamed to ask someone to buy your work. That\\u2019s what a reader is there to do!
For indie authors, that\\u2019s the ultimate happy ending.
' -->Listed in: Arts
Characters Carry the Story BSB 116
Published: June 3, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 47 minutes 3 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
R.M.Sackville
She\'s running towards her future. He\'s hiding from days gone by.
When their present and past weave together they must learn to trust each other or die at the hands of the greedy.
Three Gems. One Destiny.
One small town is the epicenter of a battle waged between man and God. And man against man. The victor will save mankind. But are we worthy?
Time will tell.
Hawk McBride and Randi Ronin could never have expected their chance encounter would be the beginning of the rest of their lives.
Neither could they have foretold just how connected they both are in a scheme forged by three men with greed on their minds.
However, these men will have a fight on their hands because Randi is no longer a pushover and Hawk is downright determined to protect the one thing he thought he\'d never have again--true love.
Targeted Takeaway:
Have you ever really paid attention to a drug commercial? They all approach convincing you to ask your doctor to prescribe the medicine for you the same way: They make an appeal to your emotions.
Well, all those commercials approach convincing you to beg your doctor for this wonder drug in the same way. All of them appeal to your emotions. They feature people looking happy. They\\u2019re showing up to their kids\\u2019 sports games. They attend weddings. They laugh when something silly happens. They\\u2019re out in nature and the neighborhood, living their lives. This is a powerful message. It strikes deep in the heart and is designed to create an emotional connection with the viewer.
Your blurb works the same way. Telling the reader the details of your plot does not motivate them to buy any more than describing how the drug works would in a pharmaceutical commercial. You need to appeal to their connection to the character in your novel just the way the a drug ad does. The characters have to carry the story. Show us the MC reacting to and emoting as a result of the plot events instead of telling us what happens. It makes a huge difference in your conversion rate.
If you let the characters carry the story, you\\u2019ll discover the side effect is readers getting hooked on you as an author.
' -->Listed in: Arts
Make It Personal BSB 115
Published: May 27, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 49 minutes 35 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Our Once Warm Earth
Matthew Rasnake
One peaceful night on the mountain may be humanity\\u2019s last...
Restless Army-brat Mel wants nothing more than to settle down to a quiet suburban life. A week after her honeymoon, while enjoying a weekend camping with her new husband and her adoptive father on a northern California mountain, they\'re driven from their idyllic getaway by a sudden, deadly storm. An unexpected signal warns of disaster, but the promise of safety propels them across the mountain in a desperate race to survive the end of the world.
Her dream is shattered, her family is gone, and she and those who are left survive at the mercy of their would-be protectors. Can Mel hold on to hope and find the strength to free them all or will she, like so many others, give in to the darkness and let the Earth swallow her up?
Our Once Warm Earth is the first novella from a near-future sci-fi post-apocalypse series. If you like realistic settings; believable, relatable characters; a dash of science-futurism; and a rich vein of hopeful promise, you\'ll love this compelling story of one woman\'s fight to preserve her family and humanity itself.
Buy Our Once Warm Earth today, and help secure humanity\'s future.
Targeted Takeaway:
The start of your story isn\\u2019t really the beginning. The opening scenes are establishing shots, setting things up for \\u2026 the inciting incident! This is an external force operating on the main character, forcing them out of their original place or emotional state and into the action of the narrative. And it\\u2019s where your story really begins.
That\\u2019s why it has to be in your blurb. It creates excitement and gets readers invested in the MC\\u2019s journey and struggle. But just like with the opening of your novel, the inciting incident isn\\u2019t the first line. Take a moment to establish your character\\u2019s initial situation, so that when things change, it\\u2019s that much more dramatic.
As important as it is to recognize that the inciting incident is an external event acting on the character, it\\u2019s equally critical to remember the blurb needs to be about your protagonist, not the story they\\u2019re moving through. Stay zoomed in on the MC\\u2019s perspective rather than telling the reader what is happening to them. In other words, keep it personal. Potential readers are going to gravitate to your character\\u2019s struggle and triumphs, not the things that create that tension.
So make that inciting incident personal. If you do, you see your sales \\u201cbegin\\u201d to rise.
Listed in: Arts
Show Business BSB 114
Published: May 20, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 48 minutes 40 seconds
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Escape from Paradise
D. Richard Ferguson
He thought it was paradise. Was he wrong?
Torn from his family, Adam lands in a world of giants, wild animals, and marauding mountain people. Unable to find his way home, he discovers an alluring paradise\\u2014a golden city where he builds a new life, safe from the terrors outside the walls.
But when the city begins to crumble, a chance encounter with a strange little girl changes everything.
She claims to know why he was brought into this world and the way back to his family, but insists he leave the doomed city and follow her to the high country to join the mountain people.
Is she one of the many spies, sent to lure him into a trap? Or should he risk everything to follow her?
With plenty of action, mystery, and suspense, Escape from Paradise will take you places you\\u2019ve never been and open windows of insight into life in the kingdom of God.
Order your copy today and prepare to be thrilled, inspired, and changed.
\\xa0
Targeted Takeaway:
Ad copy may be a different beast than prose, but to be effective, it has to be evocative. It needs to show rather than tell. We do this by letting the reader see events through the eyes of the main character. We need to be inside the protagonist\\u2019s head, looking out at the world.
A few details that tell us who the MC is and what they\\u2019re dealing with are necessary to get the message through. But we want to see the protagonist reacting to the events, not be told what\\u2019s happening. Show what they\\u2019re feeling/thinking as you reveal each plot twist.
There\\u2019s no business like \\u201cshow\\u201d business. Skip the tell and show us what the MC is feeling, and you\\u2019ll realize everything about is appealing \\u2013 especially your sales.
' -->Listed in: Arts
Complete with Strong Language BSB 113
Published: May 13, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 47 minutes 7 seconds
Today on the show, BPF trainer and writer John Phythyon and copywriting guru Abigail Dunard tackle an author-submitted blurb to dissect it and understand how to write killer sales copy.
To watch video of this episode, view it on Facebook at Best Page Forward.
Here are this episode\\u2019s read-along selections:
Blurb:
Rich and Sexy: An Alpha Male Billionaire Romance Collection
Love Alpha Billionaires? This \\u201cfeel-good\\u201d short story collection gives you an \\u201cinsider look\\u201d at the jet-set lifestyle in glamorous New York City.
Meet Nina Brown, doe-eyed optimist virgin whose beauty and innocence captures the eye of the most coveted Alpha Male Billionaire in Manhattan.
And \\u201csay hello\\u201d to Mandy Lane, spirited, fresh-faced, \\u201cescort\\u201d to Manhattan\\u2019s exclusive international glitterati. Only one of Mandy\\u2019s Alpha Male Billionaire clients knows her secrets \\u2026.
Targeted Takeaway
Your blurb needs to feature strong language. No, not naughty words. Emotive verbs that show what a character is feeling and doing rather than telling the reader. By making choices like \\u201cyearns\\u201d instead of \\u201cwants\\u201d, \\u201chammers\\u201d instead of \\u201chits\\u201d, or \\u201cenvisions\\u201d instead of \\u201csees\\u201d, you\\u2019ll paint a picture that reveals the heart of your characters and the tension of their conflicts.
But it\\u2019s not enough to use strong language to convey those emotions. You have to complete the blurb by giving the readers a good idea of what they can expect. You can\\u2019t simply stop after you\\u2019ve painted a pretty picture. You need to follow through with a selling paragraph that gives readers a motivation to buy. Let them know that your book contains exactly the sorts of tropes they love, so they\\u2019ll want to dive in.
When you craft a description with powerful words that informs the reader that everything they love about your genre can be found between your covers, they reward you with strong sales.\\xa0
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Keep Your Promises BSB 112
Published: May 6, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 40 minutes 7 seconds
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Appetite for Detail BSB 110
Published: April 22, 2021, 1 p.m.Duration: 46 minutes 28 seconds
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Show and Tell | BSB105
Published: March 18, 2021, 7 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 11 seconds
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The Big Announcement! | BSB104
Published: March 11, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 36 minutes 6 seconds
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YA Needs Humor and Heartache | BSB103
Published: March 4, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 41 minutes 11 seconds
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She Said, He Said | BSB102
Published: Feb. 25, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 37 minutes 1 second
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Get to the Meat | BSB101
Published: Feb. 18, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 26 minutes 29 seconds
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BSB Episode 100 Spectacular!
Published: Feb. 11, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 45 minutes 10 seconds
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Lyrical Blurbs | BSB99
Published: Feb. 4, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 31 minutes 37 seconds
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First-Person POV Blurbs | BSB98
Published: Jan. 28, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 19 seconds
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Order of Events | BSB97
Published: Jan. 21, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 34 minutes 40 seconds
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The Agency of "Must" | BSB96
Published: Jan. 14, 2021, 8 a.m.Duration: 34 minutes 57 seconds
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Find the Tone | BSB94
Published: Dec. 31, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 26 minutes 43 seconds
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Wants and Needs | BSB93
Published: Dec. 24, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 36 minutes 18 seconds
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Point of View Points | BSB92
Published: Dec. 17, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 39 seconds
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Blurb Rollercoaster | BSB91
Published: Dec. 10, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 40 seconds
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Last Lines Need Oomph | BSB90
Published: Dec. 3, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 12 seconds
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On the Road | BSB89
Published: Nov. 26, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 26 minutes 17 seconds
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Too Much World Building? | BSB88
Published: Nov. 19, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 32 minutes 11 seconds
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Show Your Expertise | BSB87
Published: Nov. 12, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 30 seconds
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Too many answers | BSB86
Published: Nov. 5, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 11 seconds
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Punny Blurbs | BSB85
Published: Oct. 29, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 26 seconds
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Headlines and Hooks | BSB84
Published: Oct. 22, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 37 seconds
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Infestation of Ands | BSB83
Published: Oct. 15, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 29 minutes 49 seconds
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Crystal Clear Non Fiction | BSB82
Published: Oct. 8, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 42 minutes 22 seconds
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Idea Stuffing | BSB81
Published: Oct. 1, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 13 seconds
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Sales Copy Masterclass Part 3 | BSB80
Published: Sept. 24, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 54 seconds
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Sales Copy Masterclass Part 2 | BSB79
Published: Sept. 17, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 50 seconds
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Sales Copy Masterclass Part 1 | BSB78
Published: Sept. 10, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 13 seconds
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Non-Fiction is Pain (Points) | BSB77
Published: Sept. 3, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 24 minutes 46 seconds
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A Tale of Two Blurbs | BSB76
Published: Aug. 27, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 23 seconds
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The Big Reveal | BSB75
Published: Aug. 20, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 37 minutes 54 seconds
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Find Your Unique | BSB74
Published: Aug. 13, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 22 minutes 12 seconds
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Humor is balance | BSB73
Published: Aug. 6, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 24 minutes 38 seconds
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Picking Character Traits: BSB72
Published: July 29, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 27 minutes 25 seconds
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Chair Dancing Fools: BSB70
Published: July 16, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 25 minutes 13 seconds
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Villain Motivations | BSB069
Published: July 9, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 29 minutes 49 seconds
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Duality of dual POVs | BSB068
Published: July 2, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 52 seconds
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Blurb Copy = Sales Copy: BSB067
Published: June 25, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 36 minutes 28 seconds
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Gripping Hooks: BSB066
Published: June 18, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 58 seconds
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Are Short Blurbs Better? BSB065
Published: June 11, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 35 minutes 12 seconds
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Juggling a Full Cast: BSB064
Published: June 4, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 26 minutes 36 seconds
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Twisting Tropes: BSB063
Published: May 28, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 36 minutes 13 seconds
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Synopsizing vs. Selling: BSB062
Published: May 21, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 14 seconds
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Confusing Words: BSB061
Published: May 14, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 25 minutes 25 seconds
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CTAs Aren't Pushy: BSB060
Published: May 7, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 55 seconds
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Fan-Favorite Elements: BSB059
Published: April 30, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 52 seconds
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Don't Hold Back on the Stakes: BSB058
Published: April 23, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes
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Blurbing a Series: BSB057
Published: April 16, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 50 seconds
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Writing Great Hooks: BSB056
Published: April 9, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 9 seconds
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Conflict vs. Stakes: BSB055
Published: April 2, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 29 minutes 34 seconds
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Get Readers Invested: BSB054
Published: March 26, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 14 seconds
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Show The Reader How: BSB053
Published: March 19, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 32 minutes 37 seconds
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BSB052: Tie the CTA to Your Theme
Published: March 12, 2020, 7 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 34 seconds
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BSB051: Show Us Your Expertise
Published: March 5, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 31 minutes 44 seconds
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BSB050: The Matrix Blurb
Published: Feb. 27, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 4 seconds
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BSB049: Character vs. Setting
Published: Feb. 20, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 27 minutes 1 second
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BSB048: Elements of a Good Blurb
Published: Feb. 13, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 45 minutes 21 seconds
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BSB047: Strategic Sentences
Published: Feb. 6, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 29 minutes 33 seconds
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BSB046: Find Your Niche
Published: Jan. 30, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 28 minutes 43 seconds
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BSB045: Comp Title Commonalities
Published: Jan. 23, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 26 minutes 38 seconds
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BSB044: Exciting Verbs
Published: Jan. 16, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 32 minutes 6 seconds
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BSB043: Alliterative Abnormalities
Published: Jan. 9, 2020, 8 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 42 seconds
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BSB041: Target Those Problems
Published: Dec. 26, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 24 minutes 27 seconds
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BSB040: Blurbs in Boxes
Published: Dec. 19, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 47 seconds
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BSB039: Best Page Forward Show 2.0!
Published: Dec. 12, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 10 seconds
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BPFS038: Separate those Sentences
Published: Dec. 5, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 36 minutes 26 seconds
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BPFS037: Consider The Journey
Published: Nov. 28, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 23 seconds
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BPFS035: Keep It In The Book
Published: Nov. 14, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 16 seconds
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BPFS034: Special Guest Bryan Cohen!
Published: Nov. 7, 2019, 8 a.m.Duration: 43 minutes 21 seconds
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BPFS033: Mind Your Tone
Published: Oct. 31, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 33 minutes 45 seconds
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BPFS032: The Rule of Three
Published: Oct. 24, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 52 seconds
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BPFS031: Emeline's Redemption
Published: Oct. 17, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 29 seconds
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BPFS029: Ellen the Harpist
Published: Oct. 3, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 55 seconds
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BPFS028: The Dead and the Missing
Published: Sept. 26, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 35 minutes 9 seconds
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BPFS027: Loyal Dragon Shifter
Published: Sept. 19, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 29 minutes 54 seconds
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BPFS026: A Match Made in Ireland
Published: Sept. 12, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 30 minutes 6 seconds
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BPFS024: Sweet Tea and Second Chances, Gluten Free World Tour Cookbook
Published: Aug. 29, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 41 minutes 4 seconds
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BPFS023: Hope Saved, You Can't Date The Coach's Daughter
Published: Aug. 22, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 34 minutes 59 seconds
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BPFS022: The Magelands Epic, Luna and Sol
Published: Aug. 15, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 7 seconds
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BPFS021: Killers, Bikers & Freaks, Mermaid's Song
Published: Aug. 8, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 55 minutes 53 seconds
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BPFS020: Steel Line, Setting Up The Billionaire
Published: Aug. 1, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 41 minutes 11 seconds
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BPFS019: Fortune Academy, Hers to Marry
Published: July 25, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 51 minutes 46 seconds
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BPFS018: Study The Bible, The Introvert Writer
Published: July 18, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 46 minutes 32 seconds
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BPFS017: Soul Bound, Hushed
Published: July 11, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 39 minutes 32 seconds
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BPFS016: Don't Dare to Dream, The Charm Runner
Published: July 4, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 53 minutes 54 seconds
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BPFS015: Trial of Stone, The Best of You
Published: June 27, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 48 minutes 29 seconds
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BPFS014: Masquerading Our Love (Deep Dive)
Published: June 20, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 1 hour 7 minutes 52 seconds
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BPFS013: Blood Justice, Sarah's Inheritance
Published: June 13, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 43 minutes 59 seconds
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BPFS012: Hunt, Where the Music Ends
Published: June 6, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 46 minutes 20 seconds
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BPFS011: An Affair With Danger, Bobby's Surrender
Published: May 30, 2019, 7 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 32 seconds
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BPFS010: The Warnings Unheeded, Alabama Rain
Published: May 23, 2019, 5 a.m.Duration: 48 minutes 51 seconds
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BPFS009: The Confessional, Vengeance Lost
Published: May 16, 2019, 5 a.m.Duration: 46 minutes 27 seconds
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BPFS008: The Draxler Program, The Abomination of Yaultan
Published: May 9, 2019, 5 a.m.Duration: 53 minutes 6 seconds
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BPFS007: All Of Nothing, The Trenton Legacy
Published: May 2, 2019, 5:18 a.m.Duration: 40 minutes 33 seconds
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BPFS006: Don't Kill For Me, Absalom's Fate
Published: April 25, 2019, 5 a.m.Duration: 41 minutes 33 seconds
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BPFS005: Saint Heist, The Lunar Deception
Published: April 18, 2019, 6 a.m.Duration: 34 minutes 23 seconds
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BPFS004: Miami Rage, Containment
Published: April 11, 2019, 5:51 p.m.Duration: 46 minutes 27 seconds
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BPFS003: Conspiracy Theory, The Orchard Inn
Published: April 11, 2019, 4:36 p.m.Duration: 37 minutes 44 seconds
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BPFS002: Starship Pegasus, I Never Wore Plaid
Published: April 11, 2019, 10:10 a.m.Duration: 38 minutes 40 seconds
Blurb #1:
Author: Benjamin Douglas
Title: Starship Pegasus (Prophet Wars Book 1)
First Officer Lucas Odin has a secret.
He's terrified of combat.
Ever since he was a kid he wanted to be in the Fleet, and after years of hard work, he climbed the ranks at the academy and now his dream has finally come true.
Then the pirates come.
Now the ship’s been shot up, their weapons stolen, their mission hijacked—oh, and Lucas is in charge.
Starship Pegasus is the first novel in the exciting sci-fi adventure series The Prophet Wars. If you like space pirates, quick-thinking rookies, snarky sidekicks, and mysterious assassins, you’ll love this book. Perfect for fans of Firefly, The Orville, and Star Trek.
Blurb #2:
Author: Joel Grey
Title: I Never Wore Plaid: Insider secrets from a former car salesman: The Complete Car Buying Guide
Do you feel like you are getting ripped off every time you go car shopping?
Do you feel confused, angry and frustrated with the car buying experience? Do you feel a lot of anxiety and get a knot in your stomach when you’re negotiating with a salesperson? If your answer is yes, this is the book for you! Over the last 20 years, I’ve helped hundreds of friends, family members, colleagues, and other acquaintances save money while buying cars. I have saved folks $1,000 or more every time I helped negotiate a better deal buying or leasing a car. I sold new and used cars for years and know all the tricks of the trade and will reveal all of their secrets. Here is my chance to help you! When you go into a car dealership or buy from a private party armed with the information and techniques that I will teach you, you can—and will—save money!
Buy "I Never Wore Plaid" now and never get ripped off at the car dealership again.
Abigail's Tip of the Week:
Put character first in your blurb. Start with your protagonist and give readers a reason to connect.
Ready to learn about time management and mindset for authors? Visit www.thejugglingauthor.com
Want to submit your own blurb? Fill out the form at www.bestpageforward.net/podcast or send an email to bestpageforwardshow@gmail.com
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Listed in: Arts
Welcome to the Best Page Forward Show!
Published: April 11, 2019, 10 a.m.Duration: 6 minutes 46 seconds
Listed in: Arts