What is the little snippet in the front of a paperback called?

[bfollowell]

I hope this is something approaching the right forum for this question. I've been wondering about the little teaser snippet you see at the front of most paperback books, especially sci-fi/fantasy novels. It's not like the blurb you get on the back cover but typically a short, high-action piece from somewhere in the novel. Does that page have a name? If so, does anyone know what it's called? I've started calling it the snippet for lack of a better name but I'd like to know its official name if it has one.

Thanks.

- Byron

[crich70]

I think it might be called a 'teaser' myself. That's what really short clips of movie previews are called anyway and I'd think the same term fits as far as books as well.

One definition is (n) "a brief sample of something, such as a performance."

[neilmarr]

Short text on cover other than title and author byline, Byron, is known as a 'strap' or 'strap-line' ... at least it is to long-in-the-tooth old pros like me. Language changes faster than ever these days. And US and UK publishing and print terms often differ, too. For instance, I've not heard anyone outside my own circle for years use the word 'puffs' to define the short, snappy review extract one- or two-liners often used at the foot of back cover text. Maybe it's out of fashion or common to UK publishing. I've never heard it used by US colleagues since I started to work for US publishers in the seventies. Cheers. Neil

[Harper Kingsley]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

Short text on cover other than title and author byline, Byron, is known as a 'strap' or 'strap-line' ...

I think he was talking about the single page of story that's like the first page in a paperback book. You know, cover, teaser/excerpt (?), then title page, copyright, etc.

This ones kind of bothering me. I actually tried to look it up on Google and Wikipedia and now I want to know the answer too...

[ApK]

Originally Posted by crich70

I think it might be called a 'teaser' myself. That's what really short clips of movie previews are called anyway and I'd think the same term fits as far as books as well.

One definition is (n) "a brief sample of something, such as a performance."

That is indeed analogous to the little preview at the beginning of a TV show, especially popular in the 70s and 80s, so I say if it isn't called a teaser, then it should be, and it is as of this moment.

[Just4kix]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

Short text on cover other than title and author byline, Byron, is known as a 'strap' or 'strap-line' ... at least it is to long-in-the-tooth old pros like me. Language changes faster than ever these days. And US and UK publishing and print terms often differ, too. For instance, I've not heard anyone outside my own circle for years use the word 'puffs' to define the short, snappy review extract one- or two-liners often used at the foot of back cover text. Maybe it's out of fashion or common to UK publishing. I've never heard it used by US colleagues since I started to work for US publishers in the seventies. Cheers. Neil

I remember the 'strap line'. I also remember being told that the description/pitch for a short story was called a 'prittle'. Never seen the word since (even in the dictionary). When my friend began work as a secretary to the manager of a bookshop her boss dictated a letter in which he used the word 'blurb'. She thought this was slang and spent a deal of time trying to find a more correct word.

[neilmarr]

Yup, Just4Kix, the word 'blurb' has a fun etymology. Hoots. Neil

[Marseille]

Originally Posted by Harper Kingsley

This ones kind of bothering me. I actually tried to look it up on Google and Wikipedia and now I want to know the answer too...

Ditto. I thought my CMOS 16th would tell me, but if it does I can't find it. Its structure section looks more geared towards nonfiction. Google just takes me back to this thread.

It probably is called an excerpt or teaser, but I'd also like to know if it does have an official name.

[zespectre]

I'm assuming you mean the small excerpt printed at the start, usually a paragraph or two from the "action" part of the book.

I've always heard it called a "hook" or a "strap", similar in function to the "teaser" for a television show.

[Just4kix]

Originally Posted by zespectre

I'm assuming you mean the small excerpt printed at the start, usually a paragraph or two from the "action" part of the book.

I've always heard it called a "hook" or a "strap", similar in function to the "teaser" for a television show.

I was advised that the hook or pitch should contain these elements:

WHO is the story about?
WHAT do they want?
WHY can’t they achieve it?
HOW do they overcome it?

The secret is to get that into no more than a couple of lines.