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Book blurb builder

Write your blurb one part at a time. See it on a back cover, counted against KDP's limits.

Book type

One line that makes a browser stop. A question, a situation or a promise of the story. It is set in bold at the top.

Who the story is about and where we meet them. Name, one telling detail, their ordinary world.

What they want, what stands in the way, and what they lose if they fail.

The turn that makes it hard. Hint at it; KDP does not allow spoilers.

A final question or line that leaves them wanting the book. Genre and comparisons can go here.

Leave any section empty to skip it.

Words, against KDP's suggested 150

110 / 150

Characters KDP counts, HTML included

627 of 4,000

    One lighthouse. Three keepers. A storm that lasts a hundred years.

    When Nora Vale inherits the lighthouse on Gull Rock, she expects a leaking roof and a lot of paperwork. She does not expect the logbook, written in her own hand, dated 1926.

    Every entry predicts a death on the island, and the next one is hers. If she cannot work out who kept the log, and why, the storm will take her before the week is out.

    But the only person who believes her is the man the island blames for the last drowning.

    A haunting cozy mystery for readers who like their secrets salted and their endings earned.

    Your blurb as a back cover. On Amazon it shows in the description.
    Format it for KDP

    Rather have a pro handle this? Our studio can: book marketing.

    Short answer

    A strong fiction blurb has five parts: a hook, the main character and their situation, the goal and what is at stake, a twist that raises the pressure, and a closing line. KDP suggests about 150 words and allows 4,000 characters, HTML included. Leave out reviews, prices, links and spoilers.

    How to use it

    1. Choose fiction or nonfiction. Each has its own five parts.
    2. Write each part in a sentence or two, following the hint under it. Skip any part you do not need.
    3. Watch the word count against KDP's suggested 150 and the character count against 4,000.
    4. Fix anything the notices flag, such as a price, a review quote or a link.
    5. Select Format it for KDP, or copy the text or KDP-ready HTML.

    How it works

    The builder joins your parts in order, one paragraph each. The hook is set in bold, and nonfiction's "What is inside" lines become a bulleted list. The HTML uses only tags KDP accepts (b, p, ul, li), and your text is escaped so nothing you type can become a stray tag. The parts are our guidance on what makes a blurb work, not KDP rules.

    Words = every word in the plain text, compared with KDP's suggested 150
    Characters KDP counts = every character of the HTML, tags included, compared with 4,000

    Worked example: a three-part blurb of 29 words. As plain text it is 151 characters; as KDP HTML it is 175, because the paragraph and bold tags add 28 characters. The fiction parts are:hook, character and situation, goal and stakes, twist or complication, closing line.

    Questions authors ask

    How long should a book blurb be?

    KDP suggests aiming for about 150 words, in sentences that are easy to scan. The hard limit is 4,000 characters, and KDP counts HTML tags toward it. The builder counts both as you write.

    What should a fiction blurb include?

    A hook that stops a browser, who the story is about and where we meet them, what they want and what they stand to lose, a twist that makes it harder, and a last line that leaves the reader wanting the book. Hint at the twist; do not spoil it.

    What should a nonfiction blurb include?

    The reader's problem in one line, what changes for them by the end, a short list of what is inside, why you are the one to write it (real experience only), and who the book is for.

    What is not allowed in a KDP description?

    KDP does not accept reviews, quotes or testimonials, requests for reviews, prices or availability, time-sensitive details such as tour dates, spoilers, contact details and web addresses, emoji, or keyword lists. The builder flags the ones it can spot in your text.

    How do I get the blurb into KDP?

    Select Format it for KDP to open your blurb in our description formatter, where you can add bold, italics or lists and copy clean HTML. Or copy the KDP HTML here and paste it into the Description box in KDP with the editor in Source mode.

    Is the blurb the same as the back cover copy?

    Often, yes. Many authors use one text for both, then trim the back cover version to fit the space. Check the back cover against your cover template so the text stays clear of the barcode area.

    Is my blurb sent anywhere?

    No. It is built in your browser. The Format it for KDP button hands the HTML to the formatter inside this browser tab only, and the share link holds only the book type.

    Before and after this step

    Related tools

    Sources

    Last verified against KDP's help page on book descriptions. The section guidance is our own. Help pages change, so check the source before you publish.

    KDP