Comments on: “Best Book Ever” Says Author’s Mom

By: Cameron Lowe

Cameron Lowe — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:10:04 +0000

I generally don’t pay much attention to the blurbs until I’m either a bit into the novel or have already finished it. Part of the reason I don’t generally like them is the mentioned tendency to take a blurb out of context.

Later, though, it’s interesting to see who is helping pimp out a novel. I just don’t let it influence my initial decision to read something. And I think the potential for humorous blurbs is nearly unlimited. I’d love to write a novel and then have a blurb by “Hobo Frank” or “Chuck E. Cheese.”

By: Steve Buchheit

Steve Buchheit — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:01:05 +0000

It’s like an early form of Amazon’s “if you bought this, you might like this” if you like the author that did the blurb. Steven Brust has had the same damn blurb on every one of the books I’ve bought and he seems to do okay with it.

“This book can stand on the shelf next to any great work of literature.”

By: Mike Toot

Mike Toot — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:47:47 +0000

If it’s an author I’m not familiar with, I will check out the blurbs, but not for the content — I look to see who wrote the blurb. If I recognize the blurb’s author but I don’t like that blurb author’s work, then there is zero chance I’ll buy the book. Call it “guilt by association.”

By: Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 06:20:10 +0000

I like blurbs which compare the book to something in a similar vein. If a big name author says it, it has more validity for me than a couple of comparisons from a publicist who’s yet to read the book. (’Bigger than the Da Vinci Code’ - yeah, right.)

By: Diana Pharaoh Francis

Diana Pharaoh Francis — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 22:16:48 +0000

I know that some people have read my books because of the people who blurbed them. They’ve told me so. ‘oh, wow, if Kristen Britain likes your books, then I want to try them!’ (Thanks Kristen for liking my books.) I’ve had writers read my book and decide not to blurb. Sigh. And I’ve now blurbed a total of two, one of which I thought was fabulous, and the other I didn’t really like, but when I read it, I realized that it fit into a genre I don’t really get and yet I thought people who liked that genre would really dig this book. So I was able to come up with a very honest blurb that I thought would accurately say what the book was, and probably help sell it too. (Here’s where I confess I never liked “There’s Something About Mary” or any of the Austin Powers movies–which is to say, I recognize that much of what I don’t get, other people do).

I’ve also heard writers say that their blurb on a cover of someone else’s book is free advertisement, and so they blurb whatever they can. Might be true. But I’d rather blurb something I like than something I don’t like.

By: David Louis Edelman

David Louis Edelman — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:59:02 +0000

Author blurbs absolutely help me choose whether to buy a book. I’ve picked up many authors before for no other reason than they were blurbed by other favorite authors. But you’re right, it definitely depends on the quality of the blurb.

By: Bran fan

Bran fan — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:27:43 +0000

One more thing: no fair having one of your own pseudonyms blurb the other. Even as a joke. Nuh-uh.

By: Bran fan

Bran fan — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:19:33 +0000

Judicious use of blurbs is okay. I’m not fond of blurb sluts, who blurb everything. One wonders when that person has time to read all that, much less write his/her own stuff.

I also think that writers see right through those blurbs, but your average reader does not. Thus the editorial excitement.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:41:49 +0000

who on earth thinks anything I might say about a book would help sell it?

Those of us who immediately added the Strickland title to our “Keep an Eye Out for …” book list based on nothing more than you’re saying thought it was a great book?