I'm in the process of soliciting blurbs for a debut author.
I'm tickled pink we've gotten some VERY nice comments from authors whose books I love!
So, do you notice blurbs?
Does it make a difference in whether you look further (first page, flap copy, author website?)
Do you notice if the blurber has the same publisher as the author they are blurbing?
Let me know your thoughts in the comment column.
45 comments:
Honestly, I don't pay attention to blurbs. They're just noise, just like on movie posters. Of course they say something good, otherwise they wouldn't put it on there. It's always "riveting" or "a masterpiece", which means nothing since they're all the same. The only time I notice is if it's a new author to me and I'm debating trying it out, if the blurb is by an author I really like, then I'll feel a bit more confident that the genre or style of the potential book is more likely to be a fit for me. But even then, it's just the author name that matters, not what they said.
I always read the back 'blurb' first (always thought that was the blurb). The one that gives a brief synopsis of the book itself. If it sounds interesting, then I might look at the recs but if it doesn't, the recs don't matter to me. Then again, I've been known to buy a book because of the back synopsis and the feel of the paper because I'm really tactile when it comes to my books so...
If I am debating on whether to read a new (to me) author, I will look to see who has given a blurb for the book. To Steve Fort's point, of course they are all positive reviews. I am interested to see a comment from an author I enjoy, which raises my confidence that I will enjoy the book. If there's more than two or three, I tend to get annoyed (okay, maybe jealous). I'd say, "less is more", but in this case "fewer is more."
No, no, and no.
I don't read blurbs. I read the first page instead. The first page is the determining factor for me.
I always read blurbs. The authors who write them have taken time from their busy schedules to read someone else's book and comment on it. And blurbs are hard to write no matter how much you like the book. It's difficult to distill what you like to a sentence or two.
>>So, do you notice blurbs?
Yes, but more than 3 is annoying and/or "trying too hard" and makes me suspicious.
>>Does it make a difference in whether you look further (first page, flap copy, author website?)
Sometimes, but more usually it helps me fall off the fence on one side or the other. If I like the blurbing author's books, I'll fall off on one side and if I don't like the blurbing author's books, I'll fall off on the other side.
>>Do you notice if the blurber has the same publisher as the author they are blurbing?
I never look into it that far. So no, I don't notice.
I notice blurbs for sure - but only read them if they're from an author I like (trust?). A blurb from a favorite author will get me to pick up the book, no questions asked. I definitely don't notice if the blurb is from an author at the same publisher, though.
I rarely pay attention to authors' blurbs, but once recently I bought a book (The Plot) from an unknown to me author because Stephen King raved about it. Usually I read the brief synopsis and the first page to decide.
When you, Janet, rave about a book I'll usually consider buying it. :-)
To be honest, I pay more attention to reader reviews (Amazon, The Reef, etc.) and reviews from people I know. I'd even say I might be more influenced by a comp than a blurb. For example, if you told me, "Patrick Lee loved this book," I might think "Okay, that's interesting." But if you told me, "This book is a must for people who loved THE BREACH," then it's more likely to end up on my TBR.
That's just me, though. And my 20c (dang this inflation...).
If I'm looking at a physical book in a bookstore, I scan the blurbs quickly, but rarely note who wrote them. I'm mostly looking for a sense of the author's style, because the blurbs are always "New! Improved! Whiter Teeth!" in a different form.
I pay more attention to random reviews for e-books. Yes, they're random in all ways, including the cohort that actually posts reviews, and the way it skews somewhat towards the disgruntled. Still, they often contain real info on the book's style.
But most of all, I read a few pages. I loved old SF paperbacks that had an excerpt on the inside cover or ahead of the title page. The public library site (an Overdrive incarnation) lets me read a few pages. That's a thousand times more important to me than a blurb, which is crafted to sell the book and thus no more dispositive than the logline.
I used to look at blurbs, but the world has changed. Now, when I buy a book I look at reviews and see if I can connect with said book.
More than buying books I have been borrowing them with an APP. When I do that I go past the blurbs as quickly as possible to see if the book itself has some connection to my current frame of mind.
Publishing is trying to stay up with tech changes, but it is hard when some published books take years to get printed. I think blurbs are from one of those earlier eras.
If I'm looking through a bookstore or library and notice a blurb on the front cover by an author I love, I'm usually going to at least pick it up and start reading it. If I get a couple of pages in and I'm still interested, that book is coming home with me. I've ended up becoming a fan of a few authors solely because an author I like has a quote on one of their the covers.
If it's online, I tend to scroll from the description straight to the reviews.
It's never even occurred to me to look up anything about a publisher. The blurbs get me through impulse buys/borrows.
I would say I notice the blurbs, but they don't sway me on their own. For me, it's more about a combination of things - first few pages, reviews from those with similar tastes, etc.
Do I notice: Yes, but I don't pay much attention to them. I don't read books based on blurbs. If it's a cover and premise I really like, I'll scan the blurbs on the front cover largely just because they are there, but I don't tend to notice or care to which author wrote them.
I don't think having the same publisher would matter much to readers because I don't know that the majority of readers actually notice or track which publishing companies publish which authors.
There is a thing as too many blurbs, in my opinion. Ten people all saying the same thing (largely) about a new novel feels like reaching. Blurbs, reviews, or mentions from journalism sources or contests carry more weight for me than the opinions of *Famous Author*.
If the front flap synopsis interests me, I look to see if any of the blurbs were written by authors I like. Those may add some weight to my decision if I'm waffling. I've never gone as far as checking the publisher of the blurber.
An interesting sidebar on publishers...
My youngest (who is 18... *sigh*) had read Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series and loved it, so she picked up her novel HEARTLESS, which, if I recall, is a backstory novel about the Queen of Hearts from ALICE IN WONDERLAND. She's enjoying the novel, but she was particularly taken with the cover design, especially the actual hardcover, not the jacket. She made a comment to me about what a good job Feiwel and Friends did with this. My daughter is not a big reader, and doesn't know or care a lot about how publishing works, so this comment caught me by surprise. She actually took the time to look at who published a book from one of her favorite authors that she thought was well designed. Might she look for other books from that same publisher? I don't know, but next time she's book shopping I'm sure she will note other Feiwel and Friends books.
So, yes, when publishers do a good job, readers take note.
Only the blurb from known and well liked (by me) authors catch my attention, and even those only about 5% of the time.
I don't pay any attention to blurbs, much less reviews, author bios or pics. Sometimes I feel guilt for not caring about these things, because I know work went into producing them. But for me, the only thing that matters is whether or not I like the way the author writes.
For new to me authors, I skim the description of the book's storyline then open the book to random page and read a page or two. If I like what I read, I buy it.
If it's a favorite author of a favorite series, I skip even that and just buy it. :0)
The only time I go to an author website (beyond research for updating my own) is if I'm trying to make sure I'm caught up on a series.
I read the title, note the author, look at the cover art, read the synopsis on the back, and read the first page or two. Blurbs do not register with me unless they're particularly funny.
I do read blurbs and, if they're by someone whose writing I like, they do make me more likely to buy a book. But I couldn't care less whether the blurber is from the same imprint or publisher as the book, and I actually work in publishing!
I tend to be skeptical about marketing. I don’t usually read author blurbs in the intended way. As in: before I bring the book home. I do find them helpful, though, if I like the book. I look to the blurbs for “fans of A and B will enjoy this book” and go check out A and B.
I don't normally look at the blurbs much, because by the time I have a physical copy of the book I've usually already decided whether or not I'm reading it.
However, when an author I like posts about someone else's book they blurbed, that can get it on my radar.
I may glance at blurbs, but they don't influence me. If I'm wandering around a bookstore, covers and titles catch my eye. Then I read jacket copy and the first couple pages. If I see a new title from an author I love, I buy.
Years ago, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt sent me an ARC of book they were releasing - about horses - requesting a blurb. There was so much bad information in the story, I simply couldn't align myself with the book. And I declined.
I've blurbed 6 other titles for other authors. They can be difficult to write, even when you love the story.
Like many of the others, I might be drawn to a book if an author I like blurbs it, but I never notice publishers.
Used to be a fan of blurbs, but no longer pay any attention.
Maybe I've turned more skeptical because I understand a little bit about how they work, which has rendered them meaningless for me.
I've noticed blurbs being from the same publisher and also from the same agency.
I read the flap and / or the first page and make a decision if I'm seeing something new.
But usually, I know before that point because I've heard the book review on NPR or I've gotten a recommendation from someone I trust. You, for example. (Reading ThejGATEKEEPER right now.)
I do notice. I get annoyed by more than 3. I notice if the author is same genre, same publisher. I always wonder if they are genuine. Pay more attention to Goodreads reviews and word of mouth. But I do notice the blurbs. Especially if they are from an author I really like.
Like others, if I'm intrigued by a book's premise, I usually go straight to reader reviews and scan a few each positive and negative as well as the book's first page. It will catch my eye if a familiar or favorite author comments, but then it's a matter of substance. If it sounds like they actually read the book it may influence me, but those stock, not-really-saying-anything exclamations are actually a turnoff.
I do notice blurbs! I also used to be in charge of soliciting them as part of my job so I might be an outlier. If a blurb is particularly evocative or if it's by an author I particularly like, that will probably inspire me to at least open the book. I don't normally pay attention to whether the authors have the same publisher, but based on my experience in publishing, I generally assume that there is some kind of personal and/or professional relationship behind the scenes.
The only time I really notice blurbs is if they occupy all the space on the back cover, leaving no room for a teaser summary about the book (I'm talking generally about paperbacks), and then I read them to see if I can get an idea of what the book is about (usually not). I might notice a blurb if it's from an author I really like but my favorite authors rarely do (or are asked for) blurbs so, on the whole, blurbs are, like Steve Forti said, noise.
It is awesome you are soliciting blurbs for your author. I have always been told to get them for myself, and that is soul destroying. That being said, I sometimes look at them because I know how much work it takes for the blurb author to do, but I also know people will only blurb for you if a) they like the book; 2) you are going to return the favor; or c) they think it will help them get book sales. Is that cynical? oops! I actually love being asked to blurb though! I put a lot of thought into it.
If I pick up a book I'm already intrigued by the title, cover art, or subject. I read the back cover, and then I read randomly in the middle, because of course the beginning has been made as good as it can get. In the random middle you see how the author writes when no-one is looking.
I glance at the blurbs to see if any are from someone whose opinion I respect, but even then I'm mindful that everyone has cousins and aunties and old friends. The few blurbs I have paid attention to tend to be from organizations (eg NYT, The Guardian) rather than personal recommendations.
I look at the publisher for non-fiction, because some houses just put out a lot of books I like, and if I'm undecided I'll buy it if it's from one of them. I don't look at fiction publishers.
My process of elimination goes: cover, back copy, first pages. I'll only pay attention to a blurb if I see one from a favourite author. But if one of those precious diamonds has fallen to earth, it will definitely sway me.
I would have no clue if the author and blurb writer shared a publisher, nor would it make any difference to me if they did.
Staff pick cards are probably the biggest factor for me when choosing books. After that, the cover (I'm a sucker for a good cover) and the plot summary. I do read blurbs -- but with a healthy dose of suspicion. The ones that sway me are from authors I trust or those that feel genuine, like this one from a recent purchase: "...I found it so transporting that 48 hours after completing it, I was still resentful to be back home." Now, that's a journey I want to take!
I'm more likely to read blurbs than jacket copy, but honestly, when I'm running my eye down a page of blurbs, I'm looking at the author names. Nowadays, I sometimes see people I know! ("knowing" of course being a sliding scale in these twitter days) And, if I do know them, that's the point at which I think "oh, do they have a book with these guys?" or "that's interesting, they don't have a book with these guys."
But, the vagaries of my book choosing are very odd, and I'm well aware of that. I notoriously don't read summaries/jacket copy, because often they either give something away that I would've preferred to learn narratively, they're factually incorrect, or mystery door number 3. I also tend not to like covers, I tend to be wildly jealous of the amazing titles people hang on their works, and I have so many talented acquaintances who also have similar tastes to mine that if I was so organized to consider myself having a TBR it would be overwhelming.
It might peak my interest a little but I'm such a weird and picky reader I often dont like what's considered great literature. It might explain why I'm not published. Yikes!
It really depends. Is the blurb short? Possibly entertaining? By an author I know and respect?
Then it might push me over the line from hesitancy to purchase. But I'd have to be interested in the book first.
Yes, I read blurbs. Always. I look at who wrote them, to see whether or not I've heard of that author or publication. It might not make a difference if I haven't heard of them. But if I have, and it's an author I read and admire, that makes a big difference to me. Same with the publication. If I haven't heard of it, I may very well still pick up the book. But if it's the NYTimes or at that level, and I think the book sounds good, I'll definitely pick it up!
I'm sure most readers don't notice, but I almost always notice if the quoted author is at the same publishing house. I understand why that's convenient. Plus it's like, yay team! I get that. But also, it makes the blurb slightly less believable to me.
Honestly, I don't read the blurbs--but I do scan for words I that imply I may dislike the story ("romp", "rolicking", "irreverent") and for blurbs written by authors I adore. If Jasmine Guillory recs something, I'm reading it.
Couldn't tell you who blurbed The Gatekeeper. But I can tell you who it was dedicated to, QOTKU, and I can tell you I devoured it in a day while my children ran feral. I'm counting down to James Byrne's next book. I went looking for his newsletter and signed up for it. Which convinced me to get a newsletter going when my time comes.
Years ago I believed the blurbs. But in my experience only about 10% align with what I will think about a book. I no longer even read them.
My order of judging a book:
1) cover first (intriguing or beautiful)
2) title
3) flap copy
4) first sentence
If all those check out I will start the book.
One more thing - there seems to be 2 views in these comments on what a 'blurb' is. I think on this blog it refers to a brief comment about that book by ANOTHER author. (In a few other places I have seen 'blurb' refer to the flap cover.)
I don't pay attention to them. I think it's wonderfully kind and generous that authors spend their time reading and blurbing books, but to me it's akin to asking people in a workplace to sign a birthday card...or having your school peers sign your yearbook. A decent human will look for something nice to write in these situations, even if their true opinion of the person they're writing about is less than favorable.
No, I don't read blurbs, but I'll read the flap copy. Still that isn't the deciding factor if I'll buy a book. It's the first page that determines whether the book comes home with me or not.
If the blurb is from an author I love, I definitely notice. I will pick the book up and look at it on the basis of that blurb no matter what else is on the cover.
It's never occurred to me to notice whether the person who wrote the blurb has the same publisher as the book.
I skim through blurbs to see who's written them, and I'll read ones written by names that impress me; but the rest I skip because I can't put them into any sort of context or evaluate the source.
I do check Amazon reviews, with my BS-detector set to High Alert because so often there's a large strain of asshattery to be discarded (blaming the author for a damaged copy/small print/non-delivery/whatever). But those one- and two star reviews still unfairly bring the overall rating down, so I want to know which negativity to ignore and how much to take on board. Once the sewage is sifted out I can learn the genuine reasons why people didn't like a book, and see if it would deter me too. What bugs others isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for me.
So... blurbs... not so much. Reader reviews yes, but with a big red Government Health Warning.
For me, blurbs are a neutral until they're a negative. One or two and they're just like a design element on the page--a little bit of clutter but not bad. My eyes skip right over them without reading them. Three or more and I start to get suspicious--is the book not good enough to stand on its own? Why did the publishing company feel it was necessary to buy so many reviews?
I'm a millennial, so I tend to assume that anyone saying they like a product has been paid to do so. I never believe that any of it is genuine. Reviews from an author I like usually have no impact on me, but are more likely to make me lose respect for the reviewer than gain respect for the reviewee, in the same way that seeing an actor in an ad for diet yogurt makes you think "oh, I guess their career is stalling" and not "I should buy that yogurt."
I don't read the review blurbs (I figure they aren't going to stick a negative review on the front of their book), but I do pay attention to who made the review (I assume that author is from the same publisher).
If the author is someone I know and I like their books, then I will look at the book further. The reason is no author is going to want to have their name/referral on a terrible book, even if they are publishing stable mates.
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