Book Talk: Full story synopsis or quick attention grabber? Which do you prefer?
Do you prefer a synopsis that tells a little about the MCs, plot, and major theme? Or do you prefer the quick blip about the main point of the story?
I don't have a preference. I think they each have their place and it all comes down to the art of writing. Condensing a 200p+ story into a paragraph is hard work! But it's part of the job.
If the book has a different element to it, especially one that is rare in its genre, then I appreciate a longer synopsis that tells me where the character is coming from and where they're are going. If the book is, say, a generic romance (I know. Nobody likes to think of their book as generic), then I think a quick blip about the main theme is sufficient, but something needs to differentiate the book enough to grab my attention.
The long synopsis... I can't think of a specific example now, but I do recall some books that I've picked up where I was told all of the major plot twists and resolution. The problem -- too much information or it's repetitive and says nothing...which in the first case I don't need to read the book and in the latter case I assume that's how the whole book reads. Neither sells a book.
The vague synopsis...As I said, something has to peak my interest; be it location, theme, experiences, emotional state, etc. A synopsis that basically reads "Girl travels abroad only to find a mysterious stranger awaits her arrival. Will she finally meet her match?" is okay in that I can count on a traveling book. But is she meeting her match from Match.com or Freddy Krueger? I need something that eludes to the type of book it is.
One I really don't like is the whole "he thinks, she thinks" layout.
Meet Kara. She thinks she's going on a cruise to the Bahamas after a drawn out breakup. She tells herself that she's not ready for a relationship. But after she meets a mysterious guy, will she change her mind?
Meet Mike. His business just collapsed and his mother disowned him. He thinks he's done with women, but will meeting a stubborn woman change his mind?
Watch their trials and travels unfold as Kara and Mike go on an adventure that they'll never forget.
Not too bad for my first fake, snarky synopsis, eh? Every time I read one of those I have that typical rom-com movie guy's voice in my head. I can't help it. It's too cliche and cheesy. Give me something more! What is setting this book apart from the other 100 next to it with that same tagline?
I won't say that I dislike all books that do this format since I've picked up plenty of them and read them and liked them. But I'm definitely more likely to pass them over in favor of a book that promises a little more. Now whether that promise is real or not is a whole different issue...hence reviews ;)
What are your raves and rants regarding taglines and book blurbs? Is there wording you read too much of and tend to skip over when picking books? What grabs your attention?
I don't have a preference. I think they each have their place and it all comes down to the art of writing. Condensing a 200p+ story into a paragraph is hard work! But it's part of the job.
If the book has a different element to it, especially one that is rare in its genre, then I appreciate a longer synopsis that tells me where the character is coming from and where they're are going. If the book is, say, a generic romance (I know. Nobody likes to think of their book as generic), then I think a quick blip about the main theme is sufficient, but something needs to differentiate the book enough to grab my attention.
The long synopsis... I can't think of a specific example now, but I do recall some books that I've picked up where I was told all of the major plot twists and resolution. The problem -- too much information or it's repetitive and says nothing...which in the first case I don't need to read the book and in the latter case I assume that's how the whole book reads. Neither sells a book.
The vague synopsis...As I said, something has to peak my interest; be it location, theme, experiences, emotional state, etc. A synopsis that basically reads "Girl travels abroad only to find a mysterious stranger awaits her arrival. Will she finally meet her match?" is okay in that I can count on a traveling book. But is she meeting her match from Match.com or Freddy Krueger? I need something that eludes to the type of book it is.
One I really don't like is the whole "he thinks, she thinks" layout.
Meet Kara. She thinks she's going on a cruise to the Bahamas after a drawn out breakup. She tells herself that she's not ready for a relationship. But after she meets a mysterious guy, will she change her mind?
Meet Mike. His business just collapsed and his mother disowned him. He thinks he's done with women, but will meeting a stubborn woman change his mind?
Watch their trials and travels unfold as Kara and Mike go on an adventure that they'll never forget.
Not too bad for my first fake, snarky synopsis, eh? Every time I read one of those I have that typical rom-com movie guy's voice in my head. I can't help it. It's too cliche and cheesy. Give me something more! What is setting this book apart from the other 100 next to it with that same tagline?
I won't say that I dislike all books that do this format since I've picked up plenty of them and read them and liked them. But I'm definitely more likely to pass them over in favor of a book that promises a little more. Now whether that promise is real or not is a whole different issue...hence reviews ;)
What are your raves and rants regarding taglines and book blurbs? Is there wording you read too much of and tend to skip over when picking books? What grabs your attention?
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