“From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it.”
Groucho Marx
“Prolonged, indiscriminate reviewing of books is a quite exceptionally thankless, irritating and exhausting job. It not only involves praising trash but constantly inventing reactions towards books about which one has no spontaneous feeling whatever.”
George Orwell quotes (English Novelist and Essayist, 1903–1950)
“A real page-turner! I couldn’t put the book down…”
How many times have we read that type of book blurb (or a variation on that theme)? But the fact that it’s a well-known or established author giving their thumbs-up makes the book suddenly more appealing. I’m including myself in that statement; I find myself saying something like, “Oh…well I really like this author. So maybe I’ll have to give this new author a go…”
Book blurbs are primarily useful for up-and-coming or unknown authors. And the author giving the blurb is generally at the top of their game. What are they getting out of it? Obviously, they’re getting a little plug for their own book/series in. But I really feel that many authors enjoy giving a helping hand to writers who are just starting out.
Bestselling author Tess Gerritsen says in her blog that her book blurbing is an attempt to “pay it forward.” She also addresses the downside of blurbing: if you blurb for too many books, you’re branded a blurb-slut; readers might blame the endorsing author for a read they purchased but didn’t enjoy; and the time it takes for the author to read the galley (for Gerritsen, five hours of time away from her current project). But she remembers with gratitude the authors who gave her first book an endorsement when she was an unknown writer. And she enjoys returning the favor by helping out other new authors.
Michelle Gagnon’s blog post mentions the importance of finding an author whose books match “your tone and subject matter.” Her concern is that a fan of the blurbing author might be dismayed to realize that instead of a sci-fi fantasy, they’ve got a thriller in their hands, or vice-versa.
A New York Post article on book blurbs references a publicist and best-selling author who garnered enthusiastic reviews…the Post implies….via her many publishing contacts. But the author, Crosley, disputes that the book blurbing business is under-the-table. She comments: “”The clues are generally there all along, ‘lurking’ in plain sight via the acknowledgements page.”
A recent Publishers Weekly article is entitled “Reforming the Book Blurb Bull: This Dehumanizing System Has to Stop.” The article’s author, Courtney Martin, proposes a requirement for big-name writers: “Maybe each author informally agrees to read (at least in part) five new manuscripts a year by unknowns, thinking of it as their dues for succeeding in a difficult industry. Even better, maybe we throw a big party, get some whiskey company to sponsor it and do short readings from new manuscripts. Authors who’ve heard something special can follow up right then and there with their genuine praise. Everyone interacts face to face. Everyone gets a shot at the literary dream of having random readers like my mom find their book on a shelf, flip it over and say, ‘Wow, if Zadie Smith likes this, I’ve definitely got to pick it up.’”
What do you think? Do book blurbs influence your buying habits? What other things pull you to one book over another in a bookstore?
Good info on book blurbs. I am influenced by the blurbs on the back cover, especially if it is by an author I like and respect. I never even tried getting well-known authors to read my book. I found a minister, therapist, and social worker to write blurbs pertinent to the issues in my story. But no matter how good a blurb, if the first few pages don’t grab me, I won’t buy the book!
Karen
http://www.followingthewhispers.blogspot.com
I do respond to positive blurbs – at least the ones that sound like the blurber actually read and enjoyed the book.
When seeking blurbs for Hacksaw, I reached out to authors whose work I admire, but whom I didn’t know personally. I asked them to read the book, and blurb if they enjoyed it. I was thrilled with the response and hope those blurb draw readers to both Hacksaw and the works of William G. Tapply and Austin S. Camacho.
OMG! A blurb slut! Something definitely to shy away from. Met a famous and successful author at a conference one time who confessed his generic blurb “You’ll be up all night” covered all possible scenarios.
Interesting. I see parallels to doing ebook reviews/testimonials – and your post helped me feel a little better about being turned down when I asked a well-known author to review my book!
All success
Dr.Mani
Think, Write & Retirewww.ThinkWriteRetire.com
Interesting topic. I’ve thought about this because I’m supposed to include in my book proposal names of a few authors who have agreed to write a blurb for me. But how can I get someone to promise they’ll like a book I haven’t yet written?
I like one prominent book blurb on a cover. I’m much more likely to read that good one than six on the back cover.
Book blurbs don’t do much for me at all – I don’t care who else liked it.
What will sell me on a book is the excerpt, plain and simple.
Elle Parker
http://elleparkerbooks.blogspot.com/
blurb-slut…still laughing about that.
Blurbs by “well knowns” are nice. If Stephen King asked if he could put a blurb on my book, I doubt I’d turn him down. Ha!
But, in truth, what’s more important to me is the blurb ABOUT the book. That back of the book synopsis. That’s generally what sells me…or not. Then, of course, the price.
Best Regards, Galen
http://www.galenkindley.com
Wow – a blurb slut, huh? Never heard that phrase before, lol.
I like blurbs, reviews, but the true test is reading an excerpt to see if the book is well written in a style that is going to hold my interest.
Very interesting post!
NA Sharpe
http://nasharpe.blogspot.com
I enjoyed your post. I was so proud to see my first blurb on the cover of a book that I think I could live with the label blurb slut! I also ran across this interesting article on the origin of the blurb http://stancarey.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/gelett-burgess-and-the-blurb/.
I like reading blurbs and review snippets, although they aren’t the only thing (generally) that will convince me to buy a book. The blurbs, in particular carry more weight for me if they are fairly specific (as noted, the “you’ll be up all night” can be read any number of ways!).
I pick books to read from the synopsis and never read the blurbs. I think they’re useless as indicators of a good read. They also mess up great cover art when a publisher insists on splashing them across front of the book. Don’t like them. Not at all. Down with blurbs!
Patricia
http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com