Introduction to Subject and Keyword Headings

Introduction to Subject and Keyword Headings (0) When starting to find resources for your next project, smart searching tips (and creating citations ( usually in MLA style  or  APA style) as you research can save you time and effort in the end. Searching online for a research project requires strategy. Typing a complete research question into the search bar could leave you with millions of results that may not match your information needs. There are better, more efficient ways to search online. Using keywords and subject headings can help. Lets watch this short video for a quick overview: The short video above gave us a good overview of what keywords and subject headings are and how they’re beneficial during the research process (also, dont forget to make a works cited page  as you research). Let’s review what we learned in further detail. Keywords: Definition Keywords can be ideas, people, events, issues, general concepts or opinions that relate to the big picture of your search. Remember, keywords are exactly that: words. They can also be short concepts or phrases.  Questions or full sentences are not effective keywords! One way to focus your search is to develop a list of keywords. This is especially useful if you are planning to use popular search engines, which organize results by words found in the code and content of a website, not subject headings or controlled vocabularies. Where To Start: Identify Main Words Phrases If you haven’t already done this in presearch, the first thing we encourage you to do is to make a list of words or phrases that relate to the subject. These words will play a key role in helping you develop your keyword search. For this example, our paper topic is: What are the sleep habits of teenagers? Identify the main words by pulling them out of your question. For example, in the question “What are the sleep habits of teenagers?”, the main words and phrases are: Sleep habits Teenagers Brainstorming Additional Words Synonyms Now think of some synonyms to the identified main words and phrases. For example: Sleep Habits Sleep pattern Sleep customs Slumber Teenagers Teens Teenager Adolescents This is a good start, but check out a thesaurus or talk with your instructor or classmates to find other words you may not have thought of. Related Keywords In addition to the keywords above, you may also find related keywords. These are ideas that relate to your topic, but are not necessarily synonyms. Get as specific as you want and add them to your list. For example Sleep Habits Sleep pattern Sleep customs Slumber Dreams Sleep deprivation Sleep disorders Insomnia Rapid-eye Movement Teenagers Teens Teenager Adolescents Young adults Youths Exploring related keywords can help you get a better idea of what you want to search, and may help discover specific topics you will want to learn more about. Subject Headings: Definition One of the secret gems of library catalogs and databases is the inclusion of subject headings. A subject heading is a specific word or words that librarians use to describe what a source is about. They can also be called controlled vocabularies or descriptors. Whatever they are called, they help efficiently organize books, journals, articles, etc. Subject Heading: How it Works Doing a basic keyword search will bring back some results, but searching with subject  headings will make your results a lot better. When a database collects articles or a librarian adds a book to its collection, the item is cataloged by a number of different criteria. For instance, title, author, date published and so forth. In addition to this data, catalogers include subject headings to organize books into you guessed it different subjects. If you were to catalog the book  Teenage Sleeping Habits: Impact and Ways  to Help Them Improve Them  by subject, you might choose a keyword phrase like Sleep deprivation. A psychologist may choose Parenting teenagers. A doctor may catalog it under Adolescent health. See where we are going with this? By using subject headings (a controlled vocabulary), there is a set, defined list of subjects that are used consistently. This means that when you are looking for sources on a particular subject, you can simply search your target subject heading(s) instead of trying several different keyword phrases. Let’s look at the catalog record for our example book. In this case, the cataloger chose to classify the book under these subject headings: Teenagers Sleep. Teenagers Health and hygiene. Sleep deprivation Health aspects. I can use these subject headings as a way to discover other content that is related to my topic. Basically, if you find a resource that works well with your research, look to see what the subject headings are. Searching for these subject headings can help you find other appropriate sources. Broader Terms Exploring broader subject headings is another way to potentially locate new materials. A subject heading like Sleep is very broad. Think of all the things that may be cataloged under sleep. For example: Sleep deprivation Dreams Sleep apnea Insomnia Narcolepsy Broader terms are useful if you are not sure where you want to go in your research, but because they bring back so many search results, it can also be easy to get overwhelmed.? Narrower Terms Exploring narrower subject headings can help you focus in on what you are looking for quickly, and can eliminate unnecessary results. If you knew you were writing specifically about the sleeping habits of teenagers, you could search for just that subject heading. This would cut out unrelated topics that would have popped up had you just searched for Sleep. Narrower terms are useful if you know how to focus your topic, but they can also limit your results if what you find is not helpful to your assignment, you might want to broaden your search a little more. Apply It: Locate Subject Headings In WorldCat But what if you do not have a book in mind? How would you find subject headings relating to your topic? You can use WorldCat to find a book about your topic, select that book, and scroll down to the Subject Headings section or the Similar Items section. Here, you will find related subjects. Click on a subject that interests you to find more materials. Then, try to find it in your local library. Apply It: Locate Subject Headings In a Catalog You can search your librarys catalog for the general topic and pick a book that seems relevant. Then, look for the subject heading in the items record. You may need to view the full record in order to see this information it could be labeled as Catalog Record or Item Record. Need More Information? Ask your librarian! They are experts on information and have lots of helpful tips and resources for you to use for free. They can also help you cite any information you find, whether that be in MLA format, APA format, or so forth. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember to create citations for the sources you use in your research project. creates your citations in MLA format quickly and easily. You can also create an annotated bibliography with our citation tools. Looking to create citations in APA or another style? Check out EasyBib Plus to cite in over 7,000 citation styles, create a Chicago in text citation, or generate another kind of in text citation.

List of the 12 Seas Surrounding the Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the worlds five oceans. It has a total area of 60.06 million square miles (155.557 million sq km) and it stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and has coastlines along the continents of Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. In addition, some areas of the Pacific Ocean feed into what is called a marginal sea instead of pushing right up against the coastlines of the aforementioned continents. By definition, a marginal sea is an area of water that is a partially enclosed sea adjacent to or widely open to the open ocean. Confusingly a marginal sea is also sometimes referred to as a Mediterranean sea, which shouldnt be confused with the actual sea named the Mediterranean.   Marginal Seas of the Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean shares its borders with 12 different marginal seas. The following is a list of those seas arranged by area.   Philippine Sea Area: 2,000,000 square miles (5,180,000 sq km) Coral Sea Area: 1,850,000 square miles (4,791,500 sq km) The South China Sea Area: 1,350,000 square miles (3,496,500 sq km) Tasman Sea Area: 900,000 square miles (2,331,000 sq km) Bering Sea Area: 878,000 square miles (2,274,020 sq km) The East China Sea Area: 750,000 square miles (1,942,500 sq km) The Sea of Okhotsk Area: 611,000 square miles (1,582,490 sq km) The Sea of Japan Area: 377,600 square miles (977,984 sq km) Yellow Sea Area: 146,000 square miles (378,140 sq km) Celebes Sea Area: 110,000 square miles (284,900 sq km) Sulu Sea Area: 100,000 square miles (259,000 sq km) The Sea of Chiloà © Area: Unknown The Great Barrier Reef The Coral Sea located in the Pacific Ocean is home to one of natures greatest wonders, the Great Barrier Reef. It is the world largest coral reef system which is made up of almost 3,000 individual corals. Off the coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the nations most popular tourist destinations. For the Aboriginal population of Australia, the reef is culturally and spiritually important. The reef is home to 400 types of coral animals and over 2,000 species of fish. Much of the marine life that calls the reef home, like sea turtles and several whale species.   Unfortunately, climate change is killing the Great Barrier Reef. Rising ocean temperatures cause coral to release  the algae that not only live in it but is the main source of food for the coral. Without its algae, the coral is still alive but is slowly starving to death. This release of algae is known as coral bleaching. By 2016 over 90 percent of the Reef had suffered from coral bleaching and 20 percent of the coral had died. As even humans depend upon coral reef ecosystems for food the loss of the world largest coral reef system would have devastating effects on the plant. Scientists  hope they can stem the tide of climate change and preserve natural wonders like coral reefs.

Analysis Of Thoreau s Walden s The Woods - 1153 Words

Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that began in the early nineteenth century in America. One of the major tenets of transcendentalism is that society and social institutions corrupt the purity of an individual. Transcendentalists believe that individuals should believe in themselves and not conform to others’ beliefs. They think that society is a major reason why individuals lack self determination and the ability to possess their own values. Henry David Thoreau, one of the major transcendentalist composed a philosophical autobiography,Walden that captures his life experience in the wood. During his time in the woods, Thoreau finds himself embracing the simplicity of nature and shows distaste in the society that forces†¦show more content†¦He believes that slavery is an immoral action that should banned. He feels disturbed by the government for their involvements in the Mexican-American war and their actions in expanding slavery. Thoreau realizes that the government uses laws and restrictions forcefully to make individuals conform. In this way, individuals are forced to comply to the government actions despite opposing them. Thoreau refuses to pay his poll taxes as a way to protest the Mexican-American war and the expansion of slavery in the South. He believes that individuals should oppose the government by not paying for taxes if they believe that the government is corrupt. Thoreau’s opposition to the go vernment collides with transcendentalism because they believe that society corrupts the intuition of an individual. Transcendentalists encourage individuals to follow their own will and oppose to things they disagree with like the corruption of the government. In addition to the criticism of the government, Thoreau feels disappointed at people conforming to society’s standard. Thoreau prefers his old clothes than new and extravagant ones. â€Å"I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes. If there is not a new man, how can the new clothes be made to fit?†(Thoreau 26). He feels that his old clothes have adapt to fit in his body and it provide the basic need for

The Bridge at Dong Ha Free Essays

The book The Bridge at Dong Ha written by John Miller is a narrative description of the story of how a bridge on Cua Viet river separating north and South Vietnam was destroyed by a brave American marine captain named Ripley in 1972 in US Vietnam war. The destruction delayed the movement of Vietnamese forces from the north to the south by three long years. The book narrates this adventurous event in a gripping and wonderful language. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bridge at Dong Ha or any similar topic only for you Order Now The presentation and the language of the book have made it very attractive to the readers. The Bridge at Dong Ha 3 The Bridge at Dong Ha by John Miller The book The Bridge at Dong Ha written by John Miller is the story of a genuine marine war hero of America’s war history. It also displays the dedication to duty of a person. The backdrop of the story is US Vietnamese war. There was a strong heavy bridge built by the US army several years back on the Cua Viet River in Vietnam. The bridge used to separate North Vietnam from South Vietnam. America was loosing out in the US Vietnam war and a large army of Vietnamese forces were approaching from the north to take over the south. The book The Bridge at Dong Ha has described how an officer from US marine forces named Captain Ripley destroyed this bridge with tremendous courage and aggression on Easter Sunday, 1972. It is to be noted that the destruction of this bridge that delayed the advancement of the Vietnamese army towards the south for three long years. The book has given the detailed description of his courage and it is really fascinating to go through the book. The book is an excellent narration of the events of how a single man, with his tremendous courage and dedication towards his nation destroyed the bridge and stopped the aggression of the enemy force comprising of 30,000 soldiers and 200 tanks. All these are available in the website http://www. amazon. com/Bridge-Dong-Ha-Bluejacket-Books/dp/155750587X. Every action of the event has been described in detail in the book. To quote from the website http://www. amazon. com/Bridge-Dong-Ha-Bluejacket-Books/dp/155750587X, â€Å"Capt Ripley climbs over barbed wire fences, swings across the under girding of the bridge, and fights this battle from street to foxhole around the little The Bridge at Dong Ha 4 town of Dong Ha (just a few miles from the DMZ). The writing is wonderful and gripping, putting you face-to-face with the action as it unfolds hour by hour. † While describing the heroism of Captain Ripley, the author has stated how he hand walked on the beams under the bridge, holding detonators with his teeth and brought back the burning fuses back to shore. He did all the risky jobs by himself and saved the life of his fellow soldiers from sure death. This heroic act earned him a Navy Cross in 1962. All these have been stated in the website http://www. amazon. com/Bridge-Dong-Ha-Bluejacket-Books/dp/155750587X The toughest part of the entire operation is that when Captain Ripley was in the process of detonating the bridge, continuous light machines firing was going on from the northern side of the bridge from the Vietnamese troops. Under such heavy firing, Captain Ripley completed the entire operation, risking his whole life and safeguarding the life of his other comrades. All these have been mentioned in the above mentioned website. The description not only shows his courage, but also displays his level of intelligence as he took the decision of destroying the bridge against the command from his superior officers. To quote from the above mentioned website, http://www. amazon. com/Bridge-Dong-Ha-Bluejacket-Books/dp/155750587X, â€Å"Ripley’s gallant effort was especially courageous since he was acting against a command suggestion to hold the bridge for a counterattack that could not have been mounted, and South Vietnamese troops were in disarray and fleeing to the South all around the The Bridge at Dong Ha 5 Vietnamese unit he advised. Miller’s narration of this small action tends more toward the sensational than the historical. † Though some people say that the book opened in a relatively slow note, but actually the stage was being set for a drama and all the main characters involved were introduced one by one. They include ARVN Major Le Ba Birth; his bodyguard Three Finger Jack, US Army major Jim Smock; and Birth’s advisor, Ripley – the hero of the event and also the book. It has been mentioned in the above named website that Ripley was a product of American marine, Airborne, Ranger and Seal training with some added polish from British Royal Marine. The emotional side of Captain Ripley has also been nicely described by the author in the book. There was a time when he charged into the middle of a mortar fire to save the life of a little young girl. The humanity side is also displayed while narrating the events related to the behavior of the radioman, the commander of South Vietnam unit and the commander’s bodyguard. Dedication of Vietnamese men towards their nation has also been described in the book. This seemed to be a very balanced approach. Another part that needs appreciation is that the author John Miller interviewed in detail Captain Ripley about the entire event while penning down the history. It has been stated in the above mentioned website that many minor incidents of the operation has been so vividly described that many civilians may not understand or feel the reason behind those actions, but only marine people can feel and judge them. Due to these factors, the reading of the book is not only fascinating, but I feel it can be described more of an adventure history type. It seemed as if an historical The Bridge at Dong Ha 6 event is presented and written in the language of adventure. This factor has made the reading of the book attractive to the readers. This can be understood from the comments by a reader in one of the reviews posted in the website http://www. amazon. com/Bridge-Dong-Ha-Bluejacket-Books/dp/155750587X. To quote from that review, â€Å"It is difficult for a reader to appreciate this without almost an engineering drawing of the undersides of the bridge. I would have loved to see drawings showing the design of the bridge, with little arrows and annotations, ‘pulled xx pounds of explosives across this girder’†. Frankly speaking, I do not consider the above quote from the reader a criticism of the book. I feel that the reader has become so involved with the drama that he is expecting a Stallone or Jacky Chan type of Hollywood thriller while reading the book. The writing of the book is so thrilling and gripping. It seemed that he is watching a movie version of the book. A diagrammatic presentation of the event would satisfy that expectation. But obviously that is not done. I have never seen any thriller novel, where the story has been described in the form of a diagram. I really appreciate the initiative taken by the author in penning down the heroic act of Captain Ripley so that the message of his heroism can be known by the future generations. Only a narrative description would have made reading of the book quite boring and history type. His blending of adventure and history has really made the book attractive for reading to the masses. In all the reviews, I found that readers have openly stated that they like the dramatic presentation of this 186 pages book a lot. It seemed that the author really understands the pulse of the readers. The Bridge at Dong Ha 7 Reference List 1) Customer reviews on November 10 2002, December 27 1999, August 12 2006 and also Editorial reviews: Retrieved 12th March, 2009 from http://www. amazon. com/Bridge-Dong-Ha-Bluejacket-Books/dp/155750587X How to cite The Bridge at Dong Ha, Papers

Rhetoric Speech free essay sample

Today I come before you to discuss a topic which has gone unaddressed for far too long: suburban kids that firmly believe they are gangsters. I have been permitted to choose my own words and discuss my own opinions regarding this topic, so here we go. These guys probably have no clue what gangsters do, or how they live. In their minds, being a gangster is seen as cool, or saggy, but the reality of being a gangster has probably never struck them. These kids have nice homes, and someone to give them meals three times a day.Im not quite sure they understand that putting IM in a gang LOL dont mess wit me #swag #turnip in your Instating bio and making your surname does not make you a gang member. It Just further proves your suburban roots. Bad behavior at school also does not count as gang behavior, it Just ruins your reputation and gets you into unneeded trouble. We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetoric Speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Real gangsters gets in gun fights, are responsible for black market trades, and killing people. A normal suburban kid who has had absolutely no exposure to anything of this sort is obviously not part of a gang.Theyre Just a suburban sucker. Their gangsters always leads them to talking crap about things they dont understand, or stubbornly refuse to acknowledge. Also, listening to chains or Outpace and wolf whistling at any female that happens to appear In front of you does not make you a gangster. It Just makes you a pig that listens to rap music. I dont know what they think, but doing that does not make you more attractive. It Just repels females farther. These kids are the housecoat of the predatory felon species in terms of gang activity.Doing stupid stereotypical gangster things does not, does not, goes not, mean you are a straight up thug. It Just means you are on the fast track to Juvenile Detention. I understand that the urban hip hop culture has been glorified for decades, but why? How do we fix this? We cant remove urban culture In Its entirety. I myself do enjoy some rap music. I think they should be sent to some kind of strict school that acts like a correctional facility, gives lessons on how wanting to be Involved In urban culture doesnt necessarily mean you have to sag your pants and act like an Imbecile.This Isnt really a valid solution though, so I think that maybe a ammos person should let them know that urban culture Is not acting Like a Surface, and that If you really want to prove your point you should spend time Involving yourself In actual urban culture, and figuring out what urban culture actually Is. Rather than suburban kids misinterpreting ghetto, they would have an Idea as to what they were referring to. chains or Outpace and wolf whistling at any female that happens to appear in front of repels females farther. These kids are the housecoat of the predatory feline species in for decades, but why?

How does Tennyson create the mood in Marianna Essay Example

How does Tennyson create the mood in Marianna Essay Example How does Tennyson create the mood in Marianna Paper How does Tennyson create the mood in Marianna Paper The mood in Tennyson’s poem is reflective of the state of mind of Mariana. Mariana, taken from Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, is despondently isolated as she waits and waits for her lover, Angelo, to arrive. But he never does, hence the abandoned and derelict tone. In Marianna, Tennyson represents Mariana’s state of mind through using objective correlatives – the surrounding objects around Marianna symbolise Mariana’s internal state – and in particular, by using pathetic fallacy, these surrounding inanimate objects are given human feelings, signifying Mariana’s feelings. In the first stanza, the â€Å"broken sheds look’d sad and strange. † The fact that even these inactive objects are given negative feelings creates a negative mood. A depressing mood is also created in the first stanza as the details are exaggerated. The â€Å"blackest moss† creates a deathly and depressing mood, and the superlative exaggerates this. But also the internal rhyme between â€Å"thickly crusted,† (which describes how the flowerpots were covered with moss) and the â€Å"rusted† nails draws attention to the derelict and desolate landscape. The fact that moss and the rust only emerge after a long period of neglect highlights the severity of the neglect that Mariana has gone through, making the mood even more sorrowful. A sense of tiredness from waiting for her lover is emphasised through the form of the poem. The repetition of a quatrain at the end of each stanza, with only slight variation, where Mariana continually called out and expressed her grief, emphasises the length of time Mariana is secluded in the grange, and indeed the length of time that she has been waiting for Angelo to return. Thus, a sorrowful mood is created. 9 She only said, ‘My life us dreary, He cometh not,’ she said; She said, ‘I am aweary, aweary, 11 I would that I were dead! ’ In the refrain, the elongated words, â€Å"dreary† and â€Å"aweary† symbolise Mariana’s longing and desperation for her lover to arrive. They also slow down the line, as extra weak syllables are added onto the end of the iambs, namely the â€Å"-y† of each word. But also, the lack of hard consonants makes Mariana sound tired as she says these words. Also, the feminine rhyme in the refrain, where weary and dreary rhyme, but the second syllable is a weak vowel, reiterates the tired tone with which Marianna speaks. The stationary and solitary mood is created in Marianna even in the first line of the poem. Mariana is described as â€Å"in the moated grange. † Just as this epigraph lacks any kind of movement, as it lacks even a verb, the rest of the poem lacks any narrative movement as well. Therefore the rest of the poem merely elongates this image of a melancholic loneliness. The helplessness of Mariana’s situation in the poem is signalled in the third stanza. The idea of the â€Å"moated† grange, which is repeated from the epigraph, reinforces the sense of entrapment – Mariana is surrounded by water, and alone. The fact that there is â€Å"a sluice with blacken’d waters† proves this stagnation of the water, and how everything is in a state of slowing, as Marianna is. The caesura before â€Å"without hope of change† emphasises this further, as not only is she physically trapped as she is surrounded, but also that she is trapped in the repetitive nature which her life seems to be leading, and at last, she has given up hope that something will change from this norm. The lack of change in tone with the change in the time of the day emphasises Mariana’s stagnating life. In terms of the plot, nothing actually changes – Marianna is still in the same place at the end as she was at the beginning. In contrast, the changing of time from â€Å"morn to eventide† shows how life continues around her. Marianna is herself not quite living: she is in a dreamlike state, as she is so tired, where â€Å"in sleep she seem’d to walk forlorn. † The word forlorn is very emotive and gives the stanza a melancholy tone, which is emphasised by the long vowel sounds in ‘gray-eyed morn’. The adjective ‘morn’ is also homophonous with ‘mourn’, furthering the idea of Mariana’s severe depression, as if mourning for her life. Tennyson also begins to suggest the reason for her depression in the latter half of the poem, by introducing the symbol of the ‘poplar’ tree. He writes that ‘the shadow of the poplar fell/Upon her bed’, which perhaps symbolises her sexual desire for Angelo, and frustration at his absence, as she waits for him to ‘come’. The enjambment between ‘fell’ and ‘upon’ emphasises Mariana’s desperation in waiting for Angelo to arrive. It is also quite an ominous image, as shadows have connotations with death and darkness, which emphasises the hopelessness of her situation in her reiterated sigh ‘He cometh not’. In the poem, there is a overcast theme of death. â€Å"Dead† is repeated in the last line of every stanza, which emphasises the travesty that Mariana is going through. In the last stanza Tennyson writes ‘†¦; but most she loathed the hour When the thick-moted sunbeam lay Athwart the chambers’. The phrase is emphasised by the caesura directly before it, and the comparatively long time without a break for punctuation. This image of dust in the sunlight, (from thick moted) has connotations of decay and death. In particular, the words ‘thick’ and ‘lay’ make it seem very oppressive and heavy, which emphasises the slowing down of Marianna’s life. This idea is furthered as the image is one of the day drawing to a close; ‘And the day Was sloping toward his western bower’. This suggests that the sun is moving away from Mariana and setting, and moving towards Angelo. In particular, light has connotations of live and vitality – and so the lack of light creates a drained mood – reflective of Mariana’s mood. In the last stanza the refrain is different to the rest of the poem, which changes the tone entirely. Mariana appears to accept her fate, as she says ‘He will not come’, rather than ‘He cometh not’ which means her only sense of purpose, to wait for him, has been destroyed. Rather than ‘I were that I were dead! ’, which is repeated in the rest of the poem, the last line is ‘Oh God, that I were dead! ’ This line has the added impact of the intensifier ‘Oh God’, which creates a mood of desperation far more poignant than in the rest of the poem. It is as though, as the poem draws to a close, Mariana’s life does too.

How to Write a Book Blurb that Sells (with Examples)

How to Write a Book Blurb that Sells (with Examples) How to Write a Book Blurb: A Guide for Novelists Last updated: 09/12/2018Creating a book blurb, while still technically writing, is closer to a science than an art. The blurb that appears on the back cover of your book, and on your Amazon page, will either:Work by convincing readers to take a chance on it, orFail to engage your target readers.In that sense, a good blurb is anything but subjective. In this post, three publishing editors have shared their secret behind writing the best blurb for your novel.What is a blurb?A blurb is a short description of a book that is written for promotional purposes. Traditionally, it would be found on the inside back cover of a hardback. As paperback publishing developed, readers began seeing the blurb appearing on the back cover. Generally, 150-200 words are more than enough for a full blurb.In the modern publishing landscape, where more books are being purchased online than in bricks and mortar stores, you are more likely to encounter blurbs on the product page of Amazon or any other digital re tailer. Sometimes, you will hear them referred to as ‘book descriptions.’ So now that we have our basic definition out of the way, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.How to write a book blurb in 4 stepsâ€Å"The opening of your blurb has to be incredibly precise and dynamic,† says editor Rebecca Heyman. â€Å"For a lot of first-time authors, I think there's an instinct to make sure readers understand everything that happened in the book’s universe before the beginning of the actual story. That's generally a mistake.†So if it shouldn’t set the stage for a reader who’s about to dive into your book, what should your blurb do?Without further ado, here's how to write a blurb in 4 steps. Read this: "How to write a novel's blurb in 4 steps" 1. Introduce your main character(s)At its core, novels are a storytelling medium, and that means your blurb has to be about characters. Consciously or not, readers check out the synopsis to see whether they want to spend time with your main characters. They don’t need to know their entire backstory, though - just enough to understand how they figure into the story’s primary conflict...2. Set the stage for your primary conflictThe primary conflict is what drives your story. It’s Harry Potter doing battle against Voldemort and his minions, FBI Agent Clarice Starling negotiating with Hannibal Lecter, or Captain Ahab’s obsessive vendetta against a whale. Without a real-world conflict, you don’t have a story readers can sink their teeth into. This blurb is a lot shorter than the previous examples. It’s a perfect introduction to the hard-boiled, no-nonsense narration style of the books. The short sentences and sardonic interjections (â€Å"Not much of a welcome† and â€Å"not a chance in hell†) might read like clichà ©s, but they capture a traditional hero in the Bogart mold.Also, the blurb gives us a sense of the setting. There’s no reason the reader should be aware of Margrave, but its repetition and context let us know that this is not a friendly town. Without having to spell it out, we can tell that Jack Reacher is about to encounter some small-minded locals.Of course, there are plenty of books to draw inspiration from. Just reach up on to your bookshelf and pull down your favorite book - see how they go about establishing characters, stakes, and conflict.As you’ve hopefully seen, your blurb is one of your book's biggest sales influencers, and it demands as much, if not more, attent ion than any other part of your marketing plan. The time and effort you put into refining and testing your blurb is money in the bank.What are some of the best book blurbs you’ve seen on an Amazon page or on a back cover? Share them in the comments below and tell us why you like them.