Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Would you read this? Vol.2 #OurAuthorGang


Welcome back. See volume 1 of this series here.

I’ve written a lot of short stories in the last few years. Some have been published in a collection while others are simply awaiting their time to shine. As I considered how to organize my collections, I began to wonder if the stories themselves are worth reading on their own. As a collection, these short stories have the benefit of being part of something greater, but I want to know “would you read these stories?” if they were presented on their own. That’s also when I begin to consider that I write blurbs for the books I release, but I don’t write blurbs for individual stories in a collection, a tagline usually does the job.

Well, that’s about to change. In this series, I’ll be sharing unpublished blurbs to stories that may or may not yet be released. These blurbs are not meant to be used to pitch or sell these stories. This is just a practice on the concept of writing a blurb? I just want to know if the blurbs are any good. I may also offer some ideas of what cover designs for these stories may look like. I hope you enjoy this adventure.

For the second post in this series, I thought I’d start with the blurb for the first story I ever won an award for, In the Window. When I first started to dabble in short fiction I was part of an online writer’s group that also helped new writers publish their books. The group and site have since dissolved, one part ending altogether, the other part being incorporated into a new entity that’s still going on today. When I first published In the Window, it was part of a collection entitled, Unexplained. For the purposes of this post, I’ve prepared a new blurb just for this story, as though it was a full-length novel. I’ve also prepared a mock book cover to be compared with the original cover art for the Unexplained collection. Read below and tell me, would you read this? Which book cover do you prefer?

Derek knows this is the job that could clear all slates, but he can’t get over the living dead person in the window, distracting him from the clean-up.

Tobey has stood by Derek’s side for years through thick and thin, but if Derek can’t get his head right and stop talking about dead people in windows, Tobey knows they too may end up in a window. 

Whether it’s a reflection in a window or a silhouette in a mirror, somethings can’t be unseen. For this pair of friends even what’s unseen will haunt them 'til the end of their days. However long or short that may be.

Forms response chart. Question title: Which do you prefer?. Number of responses: 9 responses.
Results as of 11/8/18

Don’t be shy. Your feedback is welcomed, but please be nice. 😌

Find out more about me, my work, and my inspiration at the following links:

Amazon | Goodreads The ToiBox of Words | YouTube | See a list of my other posts here.

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COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Spooky, but definitely got my attention to read the story. You're great with blurbs, Toi :)
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Thank you. I'm working really hard on them.


Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
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Tricia Drammeh

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
It's a very intriguing blurb that makes me want to know more. I would definitely read it!
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Joe Bonadonna

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
To answer your title question, Toi . . . yes! You're a very fine writer and you do great with blurbs. I always do the same: loglines or tag lines for stories in anthologies, and longer blurbs for novels.
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Yes, long blurbs are best for novels. A good tagline goes a long away for a short story.


Joe Bonadonna via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
#OurAuthorGang today features Toinette Thomas sharing some of her writing with us and discusses blurbs for short stories and novels in Part 2 of this series. There's even a section where you can choose which cover for her new book you prefer.
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Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Toi Thomas shares a blurb and cover art on #OurAuthorGang -- stop by and share your thoughts!! (BTW, I think it's great! I'd read that!!)
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Ruth de Jauregui

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
I'd read that!! Keep up the good work!
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P. J. Mann shared this via Google+

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Chris Weigand via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
A blurb and some cover art from Toi
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Chris Weigand

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Loved the blurb, would read the book.
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Lorraine Carey

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Great blurb. It got my attention for sure being I have a passion for spooky things.
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View all 4 replies

+Lorraine Carey Thank you.

+Toi Thomas You are very welcome, Toi.


Cindy Smith shared this via Google+

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Toi Thomas via Google+

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
Today, I offer a blurb and cover art for your consideration. Would you read this? #OurAuthorGang
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Eva Pasco

2 months ago  -  Shared publicly
I think simply using the last paragraph would cut the blurb.
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Yes, the last paragraph is the tagline I usually use to pitch this story to other. It's perfect for a short story.

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