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Blurb, Blurb, Blurb


Barbara Stark-Nemon weaves a beautiful tapestry of stories, as elegantly embroidered as the linens that Isabela weaves.  Reminiscent of Rachel Kadish's best seller, The Weight of Ink, Isabela's Way is a meticulously researched and elegantly written novel of secret histories, fierce determination and ultimately love. – Mary Morris, author of Gateway to the Moon and The Red House

 

Are you a reader who picks up a book in a store or in a library, flips to the back cover to read the book description and then the pithy quotes that endorse the book? Do you scroll down on the book page online to see who endorsed the book and what they had to say about it before you decide to purchase or borrow the book?

 

Those endorsements are known as blurbs, and part of bringing a book to publication includes requesting other authors or experts relevant to the book’s content to read the manuscript and write something nice about it. These pre-publication testimonials are as important to me as an author as comments and reviews from readers after publication.

 

Sometimes publishers or publicists do the asking for an author, but often authors do this themselves. It’s a big ask, requiring the endorser to (hopefully) read the entire book, and then write a short sentence or two that will snag a potential reader’s interest. 

 

Recently, the publisher of Simon and Schuster’s flagship imprint stunned the book world by declaring that S and S would no longer require blurbs, declaring that authors writing blurbs for each other “creates an incestuous and unmeritocratic literary ecosystem that often rewards connections over talent.”

 

My publisher recently asked our private online group of authors what we thought of this announcement, and a lively discussion ensued. Some writers ignored blurbs when selecting books to read, others always used them in making those decisions. Many writers rue the time and effort involved in asking for and then reminding endorsers to produce the blurbs. Some said they valued the relationships that develop among authors who ask for and write blurbs for each other.  Which brings me to my own take on this current discussion.

 

I have probably written 50 blurbs for other authors in the 10 years since I published my first novel, Even in Darkness.  I have asked nearly that many other authors and experts to write blurbs for my own books, and value each and every one that I’ve received. Even more, I value the relationships I have built with authors who’ve asked me for blurbs and with authors I have asked. I consider this effort part of what it means to be a good literary citizen, though reducing the pressure to get more and better blurbs would be helpful. 

 

If I can’t write something complimentary about a book, I tell the author that that book is not a good fit for me. I am honest in what I do write, and I expect the same from authors who write endorsements for me.  Good authors are invariably good readers, and therefore their reviews and endorsements are meaningful to me.  Their skills and knowledge of craft lend credence to their observations.

 

Now on my third novel and as a veteran writer of endorsements, I am braver in asking others to blurb my book, including more famous authors. I don’t take it personally if they decline.

What do you think about blurbs?  Do you read them?  Do they make a difference in your decision to read a book?

 

 

 

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Barbara Stark-Nemon

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