Blurbbering

by Erin Mitchell

As a reader, I don’t pay blurbs much heed. Never have. A couple of years ago, though, a voracious reader I know told me that she bought a book because it had a Michael Connelly blurb on the cover, which caused me to reconsider the marketing value of blurbs.

Rightly or wrongly, many readers feel like authors are our friends. Y’all tell the stories that reach us, and as such, like it or not, we’re connected. So when an author recommends a book, we tend to make two assumptions:

First, we think the book being recommended is similar to the ones you write.

Second, we believe that your recommendation has value if for no other reason than we don’t see a quote from you on every book out there.

So in a nutshell, your endorsement has value to readers, which means it has commercial value. Which means both asking for and providing blurbs is not something to be taken lightly.

Some authors never blurb books. I understand why; as the old saying goes, refusal often offends…unless one refuses everybody as a matter of policy. Which leads me to suggestion number one: If you know an author doesn’t blurb, don’t ask her or him to make an exception for you. Respect that the person in question has made a deliberate choice and move on.

If you are going to ask for blurbs, make sure you make your queries well in advance of your book’s release. After all, you’re asking someone to read a book, and we all know that everyone’s TBR pile is enormous.

Assuming you get a blurb (or three), don’t make assumptions about where or how you can use it. Want to use it on the book’s cover? Your website? Your Facebook page? Make sure the person providing the blurb is cool with your plans.

If it’s feasible, getting blurbs that are both specific to a particular book and general about your immense skill as an author will serve your marketing efforts best. Yes, you’re asking for more than one sentence, but you’re also getting a marketing jewel that won’t dull when your next book comes out. (Bad analogy, but you know what I mean.)

Since I’ve adjusted my opinion of blurbs, I’ve read a few books because of their blurbs. Most recently, THE CUCKOO’S CALLING got to the top of my TBR pile well in advance of The Revelation in no small part because of blurbs from Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. My completely anecdotal and unscientific research tells me that most readers choose at least one book (and most more than one) each year because of blurbs.

What do you think? Are blurbs important? Do they matter?

Comments

[Peter]

Discussions of blurbs always miss one point: that a blurb is a piece of writing, that it should be judged by those standards, and that those standards include a strong prejudice against clichés.

If I read that “This book is so-and-so’s toughest case yet,” that “I can’t wait to see what so-and-so gets up to next!” or “I couldn’t put it down!” I figure the blurber is doing a grudging favor for a friend. If the blurber can offer nothing but formulaic observations, I figure the book is not worth the time it will take me to read it.
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com

[Patti Abbott]

As someone who will soon have to seek out a blurb or two, thanks for tips. Not looking forward to it!

[thomas pluck]

I take blurbs with a grain of salt (nothing is worse than an unseasoned blurb) but they do influence me, and I can tell from experience that a good blurb does sell books. The more of them you read, you begin to see patterns, and what seems heartfelt and what seems like a sort of boilerplate. As Alex Segura stated in the Do Some Damage post that led me here, it is bad form to ask for a blurb and then not use it, so authors must take care in who they approach; they should have a readership who is sure to enjoy your book, they should know how to write a concise blurb from which taglines can be picked, and ideally, they should be familiar with you and your work beforehand. Not so you can impose on friendship, but so they can make a decision whether they want to invest the time in reading your book. It is not something to be asked lightly. Like choosing agents, keep a list and work down it. You don't want to ask 10 at once and then have to tell 7 writers their blurb won't be used, "but hey thanks for wasting your time for me."
And be prepared for No, and for no response, and for those who say yes and then never get around to it. With luck, you'll learn just how busy those writers are after your book sells a bundle and you have contracts and deadlines to contend with.