STATUS: It’s a bit quiet leading up to the long weekend so I’m actually getting some things done. And yes, I’m still working on my query inbox…
What’s playing on the iPod right now? UNKNOWN LEGEND by Neil Young
When we did our completely unscientific first ever Pubrants Blog Reader poll, I realized that I left out one important question (or maybe series of questions).
We talked about covers and back cover copy influencing book buying decisions but we didn’t talk about author blurbs.
Often times before a book is to be published, the agent, editor, and author will put our heads together and discuss who would be a great blurb candidate for the project. Obviously blurbs are going to come for established authors with solid reputations and a large following, otherwise the blurb probably wouldn’t have much weight. The name has to be recognizable and appropriate for the genre, type of book, etc.
For example, this week has been very exciting at the agency as we just received word that Lisa See (author of Snow Flower And The Secret Fan), who we asked to read an ARC of HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford, loved the book and is thrilled to give us a blurb to use.
Needless to say, Jamie and I were giddy. Now I realize that the book isn’t out yet and therefore anyone who reads this blog can’t buy it yet, but would that influence you?
So that’s my poll for today:
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
I imagine this random poll will spark some interesting discussions this week!
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Not really.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
I said no, but I’ll field this one anyway. I’ve taken notice when an author I love recommends a book, but I won’t buy it without at least glancing at the inner pages and seeing if it’s for me.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
See above. Though I will say that anything Gaiman labels as amazing will get a second look from me. It was his constant touting of Diana Wynne Jones that made me look into her. Grateful for that. I might have missed her otherwise.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
See above. If I were disappointed by a book, I wouldn’t buy from that specific author again, or if I did it would be at a heartiness of recommendation bordering on outright vitriol from friends I trust. The author who blurbed it is entitled to his/her opinions and it would take a few mis-recommendations for me to comfortably say an author I like does not recommend work I like.
Actually, no. I listen to people whose taste I know and trust – editors, agents, other writers, friends, etc. But writers I don’t know, even if I like their books, I don’t pay much attention.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? I notice them because it’s funny when I see the same blurb from Author X on every cover of Author Y’s books.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? I don’t think so.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? None that I can recall.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? No, because I really can’t recall ever buying a book for this reason alone. Yeesh – that wasn’t much help, was it? =)
No, I don’t read author blurbs on books.
About the only effect an author blurb might have is probably a negative one. If an author I don’t like had a blurb on a book, I probably would avoid the book. But authors I like or authors I don’t recognize would have no effect.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Yes.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
I know I bought my first Tim Dorsey book because of a Carl Hiassen blurb.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought?
Yes.
If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
Yes.
I’m going to have to say “no” to all four questions. My first question when I pick up a book is, “What’s it about?” In fact, it annoys me when I look at the back cover and see nothing but blurbs telling me how great the book is and nothing to clue me in as to what’s inside — worse when it’s a paperback and there’s no jacket flap copy, either. That’s when I put the book back down and move on.
When I do use reviews, it’s when I’m shopping online at Amazon, and then I rely more on reader’s reviews. They may not be as skillfully written, but they’re honest, sometimes brutally so. When reviewers are split on a book, I can usually tell from the review what the reviewers disliked, and judge for myself if I’ll have the same reaction.
Even when I download audiobooks from Audible, I’m more interested in 1) the description of the book’s contents and 2) other listener’s reviews.
1. I notice occasionally, but it’s not something I pay a lot of attention to.
2. Yes.
3. I bought a couple of books because they were endorsed by David Sedaris.
4. Every book I’ve read that was recommended by David Sedaris was not not funny at all. I won’t trust his endorsements in the future.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? Yup.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? The blurb catches my interest. It won’t be the reason I buy the book, but it might make me pick it up off the shelf.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? I remember Neil Gaiman’s blurb on Robin McKinley’s Sunshine, which said something like, “Pretty much perfect.” That’s gonna carry some weight with me. I scanned the first few pages and it received a Yes vote. So I bought the book, and I ended up loving it. I’m not really into vampire books, so I probably would never have considered it if Neil Gaiman hadn’t had that endorsement on the front. It definitely tipped the scales in its favor.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? Oh, definitely. I used to work in a Waldenbooks for four years, so I used to keep track of the endorsements and read the books. I keep a running tab in my mind about the authors whom I know will pretty much endorse anything. You always have to read between the blurb lines, because the odds are that *someone* will think it’s a good read, and give a blurb. You have to figure out which authors/reviewers are most likely to align to your tastes. And to do this, you have to be hyper-analytical. See, it’s a good thing. >.> Of course it is.
Do you notice and read author blurbs? No.
Have you ever bought a book because an author endorsed the book? Only once.
what established authors created the swing vote for you? Diane Gabaldon. Yes, I bought the book.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? Yes. I see blurbs as marketing ploys. What guarantee do I have that the big-name author even read the book? In Diana Gabaldon’s case the book was written by a member of her online group. She was doing a favor for someone (although I assume she did like the book – I don’t mean to imply that she was being dishonest.). I see blurbs as back-scratching and pay them no attention.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes, they irritate the pee-waddling out of me.
As part of an experiment, I went out to study back copy to improve my query writing skills. I learned most books similar to mine don’t have back copy. They have mini-reviews. Oddly enough, most of them were also the most engaging books to hit the markets in years, according to the reviewers.
Personally, I’d rather have a nice back copy and one or two ringing endorsements, not a list.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Not so you could notice it.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Nope, though I have several friends who are published, I’m not sure a blurb by them would influence me that much. If they loved the book they will be talking about it. Word of mouth is still the best promotion to me.
On the other hand, I was thrilled to see James Ellroy’s blurb about Stuart Neville’s book. I was going to buy it anyway, but it was nice to see the validation. (Yes, Stuart, I know about the language and I’m still buying it.)
See, it is worth all your hard work to get them! I’m a gremlin about some things, so ignore me.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
Nope.
That being said, when I am published (not the positive attitude) I would be thrilled to have a nice blurb by someone I respect. I know the majority of people do pay close attention to these.
Gee, I hope I didn’t sound like an opinionated arse.
I am sure I’m weird, but I completely ignore these blurbs. There are only so many versions of ‘The best book you’ll ever read’ I can stomach. I am afraid I view blurbs as nothing more or less than advertising. I think it is sad in a way, because for a large part I think the blurb-writing authors mean what they say, and are not paid for endorsing the book (although I’ve heard of some who are). But for me, the superlatives just make me roll my eyes.
I actually completely ignore the blurbs. It never matters to me who blurbs what since I don’t usually read based on other people’s opinions.
I don’t really care about author endorsements, and I’ve never bought a book based on a quote alone.
I’ve looked at a face-out book in a store once because it had a quote by Marian Keyes on it. From the cover art and title, I wouldn’t have thought it would be my kind of book, but the quote made me pick it up.
The blurb didn’t convince me though, so I didn’t end up buying it.
Out of title, blurb, cover art and quote, quotes definitely rank a long last for me.
Could this be a genre-dependent thing, too?
Sorry to say, but I don’t really pay much attention to author blurbs, especially the shorter ones. They don’t tell me that much. I see one and think, “Of course the publishers put a blurb praising the work on this! Why wouldn’t they?” I suppose they all feel generic to me as well.
If I saw an author mention another’s work in a blog or interview, I pay more attention, because it seems more spontaneous and genuine.
I don’t trust blurbs any more from anyone. I use back cover copy and reader reviews as guides.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Absolutely!
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Absolutely.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Lisa Kleypas.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
Absolutely. And it does make me more skeptical when I see an endorsement, especially if the endorsed author is from the same publishing house.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes (but only because I read everything, including the copyright page)
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No (never)
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
I’ve never bought a book because of the blurb, but I have paid attention to the authors who blurbed the books I bought. How much I like or dislike the book does color how I feel about the author who wrote the blurb.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? I read the blurbs only if I recognize the name of an author, and even then that alone won’t make me buy it.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? I’ve bought several books that Neil Gaiman recommended in his journal and occaisionally if an author has book recommendations on their website I might buy one of those. But I’ve never bought a book just based on a back cover blurb.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? Again, more detailed recommendations on author blogs and website sway me more than a sentence or two on a book cover. I’ve never bought a book just because of an author blurb. I’ve bought stuff recommended by Neil Gaiman and Holly Black.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
I have been dissatisfied. And yes, it made me check the next book I was interested in out from the library instead of just buying it outright and it turned out that was a good thing because I couldn’t even finish it.
1. Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? I might notice but it doesn’t influence me, same as the inside blurbs saying things like “I couldn’t put it down”. They sound too formulaic.
My answer to the first make the other 3 questions n/a…
Yes, I do notice and read author blurbs on books I am potentially interested in buying?
But I have never bought a book because an author I loved and trusted endorsed the book because to me I have never felt like the blurbs are genuine–it seems more like a someone-once-scratched-my-back-so-I’ll-scratch-yours gesture.
I guess in the end book tastes are so varied that even a blurb from an author I like doesn’t sway me. Now a recommendation from a total stranger who has the same top 5 list as me could sway me.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
I do always notice what is written about the book I am interested in and love seeing what their perspective is versus mine.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
NA but would be interested in reading books endorsed by JK Rowling or Joseph Delaney
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
I have been disappointed by the praise given to a book after reading it.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes, definitely.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Not by blurb, no. If I’m looking up the author—say an interview or the site—and find a book he recommends, I’ll look into the book. I’ll only seriously consider buying a novel I haven’t already read if I really like an excerpt. And I’m more likely to keep interest in a book when I can find an excerpt online.
I honestly don’t put much stock in blurbs; they say nothing about why the author liked the book, just makes some lofty overarching praise that doesn’t give me any feel for what makes the book worth reading.
I never read the reviewer or other author comments/quotes on the front or back of books. In fact, I find it really annoying when books have pages of meaningless quotes tucked inside. Quite often the quotes make me believe that they have been taken out of context or are so vague, general and meaningless that they bug me. I’m not sure why, exactly…
Anyway, these are my answers:
No.
No.
N/A.
N/A.
🙂
Nope, I don’t pay the slightest bit of attention to blurbs in terms of influencing what I read.
As a writer, I look at whose blurbs are on the cover, sure. It’s sort of like trying to figure out who’s in with who — case in point: I got a book today and noticed this raving blurb on the cover and laughed. The best-selling author with the raving blurb was the book author’s critique partner.
Hardly an unbiased source, there…
I’ve never bought a book because a certain author endorsed it. I don’t usually notice the endorsements until I’ve already bought the book. I’ll read the back cover copy and the first page or so of the book. If I get hooked, I’ll buy it. If not, I don’t honestly care what other authors have thought of the book.
I read author blurbs. I generally don’t pay any attention to them at all, unless the endorsement is from someone whose work I dislike. If, for example, A.S. Byatt recommends a work I do think seriously about NOT purchasing it. (Such a recommendation isn’t an automatic no, but would get me thinking. And I don’t mean to single out Byatt. There are 10-20 writers whose recommendations I don’t trust because of what they themselves have written.)
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? As both a reader and writer, I notice author blurbs. For the present, I’ve only been enticed to buy urban fantasy due to blurbs from favorite authors like Kim Harrison and Charlaine Harris. In the end, this pattern hasn’t helped so well as I have been burnt by so-so UF and have largely discovered UF authors I love without looking out for blurbs.
I only look to see the authors’ names. If one is someone I enjoy reading, I’ll read his blurb and see how genuine it sounds and whether the comments are something that I’m interested in. That still may not convince me to buy the book, but it’s at least a factor.
Yes, I notice author blurbs on books.
Yep, I have absolutely purchased books based on author blurbs.
The most influential blurbs have been by Anne McCaffrey and Linnea Sinclair. (In addition, if two authors I like write a book together, I will go and read all their separate works as well.)
I have not been particularly disappointed by anything recommended by one of my favorite authors, and usually I am quite pleased with whatever they recommend. Right now I am finishing Ann Aguirre’s Grimspace with an author blurb by Linnea Sinclair and I am thoroughly enjoying the book.
If I absolutely adore the author doing the blurb, I’ll look at the other stuff more closely – back cover, first page, etc.
It does make a difference, but only if I “know” the author blurbing. Sort of like a personal recommendation for a book.
Oh, author blurbs absolutely influence me. A recommendation from an author I love pretty much guarantees I’ll but the book. It means more to me than any of the other things that influence my decision.
That being said, author blurbs as a whole are less of a factor than other things, such as the front cover and the back cover copy, because recommendations from authors I think are merely okay don’t influence me one way or the other. (And I think a recommendation from an author I dislike would probably steer me away from a book, though I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it happen.)
I bought Jumper specifically because it had a blurb from Orson Scott Card on it. After reading and loving that book, I then went out and bought everything else Steven Gould published, as it came out.
I know I’ve bought other novels recommended by Card, but I can’t think of which off the top of my head.
I have a vague memory of Card endorsing Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell in one of his columns, though I may be misremembering. I also think he may have endorsed Nancy Kress’s Beggars in Space somewhere, and that this may have been a deciding factor in my reading the book.
As I recall, American Gods had a blurb from Susanna Clarke on it (or I may have it backward, and maybe Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell had a blurb from Neil Gaiman on it) and that, along with buzz, was a big part of my reading it.
A blurb from an author I like a lot on the cover won’t just tip the balance: it’s enough to get me to buy a book all by itself, if I see it.
I don’t think I’ve ever been dissatisfied with a book I bought due to an author blurb.
The only thing I can remember offhand: In high school, I’d read anything that Anne McCaffrey blurbed. Devour, even. But as the years passed… I really don’t care for anything she’s had a hand in lately, haven’t for a long time, and unfortunately her name on the front is enough to make me want to avoid things now. I don’t trust her judgment, basically.
I find that I’m more inclined to pick stuff up now not based on *who* endorsed it but what the endorsement is. If it sounds generic, it won’t get me. But if somebody says something about the book that sounds like it really *was* something they liked, not something they got bugged into endorsing… I’ll check it out.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books…
Rarely.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Never. I may love what an author writes. It doesn’t necessarily mean I love what she reads.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
None.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No, but I’ll put a spin on this. In every case where the back of the book is devoted only to author endorsements and give no short summary of the book’s content, I put it back on the shelf. I really don’t care that author A loved a book, don’t care if author A is famous or not. He/she may have completely different taste in reading material than I do, so poor measuring stick. Whether or not he/she is famous doesn’t make his/her recommendation any weightier or more valid than anyone else’s, IMO.
Grace
I rarely read author blurbs on books (and never read quotes from reviews).
Once or twice a blurb from a favorite author has influenced a purchase when I was on the fence.
I can’t recall a specific name.
I have not been dissatisfied with any purchase influenced by a favorite author blurb, but the blurb would not have been the only reason for the purchase.
I do notice and read author blurbs, but honestly, I’ve never been swayed by them. I’m more swayed by word of mouth than an author blurb, even if it is by an author I like a lot.
Honestly, I have to say I pay little to no attention to them. Because, like everything else in publishing, what one likes is so subjective, that I can’t really take some author’s liking the story as meaning much to me. I notice them cause, hey, they’re generally plastered rather visibly, especially if it’s a bigtime author who gives the blurb. Even if I see someone like Nora Roberts or Stephen King quoting on the front of someone’s book, I know it doesn’t really mean anything. I have no clue what their reading tastes are and if they are remotely similar to mine. Though admittedly, I guess just seeing a name like that on a cover might make me pick up a book to check it out, but I would never buy a book based upon the glowing opinion offered on the cover. Sorry, I know you want to hear folks will buy a book based on these, and authors stress over getting them, but they just don’t do anything for me.
JDuncan
1. Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
No. Well, not really.
2. If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Yes. Though the author and track record are important before I will go out and purchase a book.
4. If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Neil Gaiman.
5. Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
Yes and No. If I like an author their tastes in books may not be similar to mine, but it is their writing I am interested in and not what books they are reading specifically.
Nope. I don’t buy because of an author blurb. I read the inside flap or the back cover. I open the book and read one page, any page. If it intrigues me, I buy it. Seeing one of my favorite authors endorsing a novel, makes me smile and think, hey…so he/she still has time to read.
Raven
Once upon a time I would buy any book endorsed by my favourite author. I figured that anything she loved, I was going to love too. This worked for a couple of books until suddenly it seemed that every second book that came out had her gushing about it on the back. Some of them were so bad I can’t believe she even read them.
So the strategy backfired — I never bought another book on the strength of her recommendation alone, though occasionally I still bought them if they seemed otherwise attractive. But it became definitely more of a negative thing that the book had to overcome to get me to buy it, rather than the inducement it had originally been.
I think authors should be careful to only blurb a few titles that they really believe in so as not to dilute the power of their name as a recommendation.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
—Sometimes. But since I buy most of my books online, I don’t usually get to read jacket blurbs until after I buy the book. And since I live in a town with one of the best public libraries in the US that gets all the new books in as soon as they are published, I seldom buy books unless my library doesn’t carry them.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
—Yes. (though rare).
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
–Sara Gruen (who I personally know), Augusten Burroughs, Carrie Fisher, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Stephen King
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
—Yes. I have learned the hard way not to buy books endorsed by Carrie Fisher and Elizabeth Wurtzel.
I imagine this random poll will spark some interesting discussions this week!
—Yes, indeed. Happy 4th.
1) not anymore
2) I did this once. never again.
3) Stephen King, I think it was
4) yes, yes
I never trust author blurbs on books anymore. Generally, I just roll my eyes at them. When every single one ends in an exclamation point with a gushing statement for unknown author’s book, it just seems fake. I trust blurbs on the inside cover from book reviews over author blurbs on covers.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Sometimes, although not always. It really depends on the placement; I don’t actually go looking for author blurbs.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Yes. In fact, I bought a book today because Charlaine Harris’ blurb was on the back cover.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Harris, as I mentioned; Neil Gaiman; Stephen King; Clive Barker; and nobody else is currently coming to mind. 🙂
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
Yes. That would actually be why I generally don’t look for author blurbs! I only try it once in a while, such as today’s experiment regarding Charlaine Harris. I haven’t read it yet, so I have no idea if this was a worthwhile risk or not. 😀
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Notice? Sometimes, if they happen to be placed where I can’t miss them. I don’t really pay too much attention to them though.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Not because the author put a blurb on the book cover. I have bought a book because an author recommended it (on his or her blog or in an interview or something like that).
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No. However, a book that I buy because of an author endorsement is typically one I would have bought anyway, since it aligns with my interest. E.g., if one fantasy author recommends another fantasy author’s new novel, I’d probably read the book anyway, since I like fantasy. So for me, author endorsements are more a way of getting the word out about a new book, bringing it to the attention of those who would be inclined to buy it if they know it existed.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Yes … but I’ve also changed my mind about buying a book because an author I’ve lost confidence in endorsed the book.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Jim Butcher and Patricia Briggs for different books, and yes, I bought those books.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No, but I don’t buy only because of author endorsement. I have bought music based on author endorsement and been dissatisfied. Yes, it does impact future music endorsements by that author.
I don’t think your going to like my answer.
When I was still in high school I noticed that the book that had the most bulbs from other writers was usually the worst book. Since then if I see a book with a bunch of indorcements from other writers I simple put it down and walk away.
Janice~
I think blurbs come after back cover copy and maybe even cover art in my decision to buy a book. But if I’m on the fence, they definately lend a sense of legitimacy to the book and can push me over the edge. It’s like saying, “No, you’re not crazy for thinking this is a good book, Joe Author thought so, too!”
Of course, if it’s an author I really respect, it can make me buy a book even if nothing else speaks to me. I’d pretty much buy any mystery Elizabeth Peters endorsed.
1. Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
– Not usually. If I notice it’s because my boyfriend pointed it out to me (and he does pay attention to those things).
2. If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
– Not for fiction. Author blurbs aren’t as common in the world of academic publishing, but I do buy academic books on recommendation from others in academia (who usually are also authors themselves).
3. If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
– N/A Author blurbs don’t tend to sway me one way or the other. Usually they just come off as “background text” or “invisible words” on the cover of the book. I rarely notice them until someone points them out.
4. Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
– N/A
1. I mostly only notice the author blurb if it is a name I recognize – I guess that’s what makes it stand out. However, the fact that an author I recognize gave a blurb alone doesn’t really make a difference in my decision. I do note what she/he said to get more of an idea about the book – i.e if it’s fast paced, has a lot of action, steamy sex scenes etc.
2. I have bought a book one time because an author I loved endorsed the book.
4. I was dissatisfied with the book, and so now I realize that just because an author I love liked the book, it doesn’t mean I will. Reading is so subjective. And the author blurbs don’t hold that much weight with me. It did not impact whether or not I bought other books that same author endorsed (though I have just because, and did enjoy them.)
1. In general, no.
2. Only once
3. I was looking at If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland and saw a blurb from Guy Kawasaki that literally made me buy the book. Other times, I have read things, for example, on Seth Godin or Wil Wheaton’s blog that has piqued my interest in a book. Stephen King’s exhaustive lists are helpful.
4. Stephen King has, no shock here, very low standards for what constitutes a “good book.” He picks greats and losers equally much like he produces the same. I am not a fan of his fiction, but his non-fiction book, On Writing, made me a more varied and adventurous reader. Therefore, I read just about anything anyone I trust recommends and often end up with more winners than losers.
Ultimately, I see blurbs as just more marketing “noise.”
I have been very lucky to have three terrific genre authors blurb different books of mine – Kate Elliott, Trudi Canavan and Karen Miller. All of them genuinely love my work and praised it first, which led to them to being asked to endorse the books. As you can imagine, I was over the moon…
Since then, there has been some chat on my blog and elsewhere about this, and to my astonishment, the consensus seemed to be “Oh, we all know that’s just authors saying nice things because their publisher asked them to.” In other words, the reading public were terribly cynical about author blurbs!
Alas, my elation had the polish rubbed off by this reaction. It was especially upsetting because at least in my case, I know it is not true. I have also written endorsements. If I didn’t like the book, I wouldn’t do it.
I have actually bought a few books recommended by authors whose work I’ve enjoyed (James Patterson, John Grisham, Tess Gerritsen), and I was so unhappy with these books that I’ve never purchased based on a blurb again. In fact, if anything, blurbs now keep me from purchasing a book; I got so “angry” with a James Patterson blurb that caused the purchase of an awful book, I let him know how unhappy I was during an online interview, and he stated: “I was doing a favor for a friend. Sorry.” Blurbs, for me, are now meaningless…and so are movie reviews these days. Sad, sad.
1- I avoid looking at author blurbs. I figure these blurbs are much like review blurbs on movies: why would a movie house ever print a negative review on the jacket of a movie? They wouldn’t.
Therefore, 1) the blurb is someone else’s opinion of the book, 2) I do not know this reviewer personally so how do I know he/she is like me with regard to tastes and what I like, and 3) if I’m going to buy a book, it’s either because of the author (1st choice) or back copy AND reading some content (randomly, NOT the first chapter).
2- N/A
3- None
4- N/A
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
No. I see no reason why an author whose work I enjoy should like to read the same books I do. Does not compute.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
n/a
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
n/a
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
n/a
Answer to the first two questions: yes.
I discovered Carl Hiaasen because Terry Pratchett mentioned him in an interview and gave a quote for Skinny Dip.
I’ve definitely bought books because of a Neil Gaiman quote, though I can’t remember what they were just now.
I’ll still check out the first few pages of a book if Stephen King has endorsed it. Though sometimes the book hasn’t been for me so I usually make my decision based on other factors.
I do notice the author blurbs on books. The only problem is, I’m horrible with names, so there aren’t a lot of authors whose names I recognize.
I actually bought Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind partially because it had SO MANY author blurbs on the paperback version, including names I recognized like Orson Scott Card and Ursula K. LeGuin.
I don’t think I’ve ever bought a book blurbed by my favorite author(s) and ended up disappointed.
I would rather read an extended quote from inside the book than blurbs. The extended quotes have persuaded me to buy books, but I just skip blurbs.
Scott
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? No
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? Only once
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? Terry Goodkind, before I found out he’s a jerk
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? No
The old (1980s) Spy magazine used to run a funny feature they called something like “Logrolling in Our Time.” In it, they’d feature a blurb (written by Author B) for Book A, side by side with a blurb (written by Author A) for Book B. Always entertaining to see how easily they made these “coincidental” connections.
Anyhow, to the questions:
(1) Notice and read blurbs: Yes.
(2) Ever bought a book because of a blurb by a favorite/trusted author? Yes, but I don’t think JUST for that reason; it helped in the purchase.
(3) Examples of (2)?: I read my first REPAIRMAN JACK novel (not the first in the series) because the premise sounded interesting. Just picked it up in a drugstore, read the back cover, inside the front flap, first page, like that. Somewhere in the middle of reading the book I flipped to the review excerpts/blurbs in the front of the book. One was by Stephen King, yes THAT S.K.; not only did he rave about the series, it also identified him as president of the Repairman Jack fan club. The book I’d been reading was good enough that I probably would’ve gotten another, but King’s endorsement really set me on the path to reading the whole series.
(4) Ever bought a book that didn’t live up to expectations raised by a favorite author’s blurb? Can’t think of a specific example, but I’m sure that’s happened. If it happened a LOT, not only would I be inclined to discount future blurbs by that author; I also think I’d start to question just how much I really liked the blurbing author’s own work.
Yes, I have bought books because of blurbs by authors I’ve respected. I’ve usually been satisfied when the genre was literary fiction, but much less so when the genre was mystery/suspense, I guess because with the latter endorsers didn’t think that originality or the quality of writing was very important.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes.
I notice and read them most of the time. The exception is when I’m getting the next book in a series, or another book by an author that I know I like.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No.
It gets me a little more excited about the book, but it hasn’t influenced a purchasing decision.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Well, if I see Anne McCaffery’s name on anything, it gets my attention.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? I notice them and read them, but they don’t usually sway my opinion.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? No.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? I’m a huge Updike fan, and he once endorsed a book for Anne Tyler. But I would have bought the book anyway.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? No.
I have a feeling I’m going to be in the minority here. But I’d like to add that author endorsements are nice to see: impressive. But I’m not personally swayed to buy because of them. Back cover copy is more important for me.
I tend to read blurbs but lend them little or no credence. I think it’s because as fantasy author I know a lot of writers in fantasy and science fiction and it’s my experience that what they want to read and what they want to write are connected in ways that don’t transfer for me.
So, I love what author X writes, but whatever element it is in her writing interests that makes her also interested in author Y’s book just doesn’t seem to translate into my being interested in both author’s books except as a matter of coincidence. This theory is somewhat supported by my experiences with fanmail wherein I find that many of my readers are focused on things in my work that I didn’t necessarily focus on myself.
Whether this is generalizable or just a function of my weird neurological wiring in relation to story is an open question.
1. I see author blurbs. I generally don’t pay attention to them.
2. I don’t pay attention to them because in many cases, an author who’s blurbing for a friend of hers has barely read the book. She’s just doing the friend a favor by gushing. Then that friend will gush for her next book in return. While it’s a nice gesture, it does nothing toward giving me a feel for the book or its quality!
3 and 4. No, no established author has ever “swung” a book for me, for the reasons given above. But in the instance that I’ve bought a book that happens to have a famous author’s endorsement on it and that book disappoints me…unfortunately, it only confirms my total lack of faith in blurbs, as cited above.
Taste is a personal thing. Merely because an author I love says she likes someone else’s book has nothing to do with whether I’ll like it. While it’s a thrill to get anyone of note to blurb for a book, I think the value of a blurb is to the author of the book…period. It’s a way to get her name out to more people. I would hope that when I get a book with a name author blurb on it (from my mouth to God’s ears!), that it helps get the word out and increase sales…but realistically speaking, I also hope no one holds it “against me” if an author they love says she likes my book and they hate it!
🙂
I always notice the author blurbs, and they used to sway me very strongly if I recognized the author’s name.
I have been burned a few times on the author blurbs, and it made me wonder why the author endorsed the book. Since the last bad book (my opinion, mind you) that I bought due to an author’s blurb, I will use blurbs only as an indicator that I should check out the book.
Once I get past that point, I go through my usual steps of reading back cover copy, the first 2-3 pages, and two random samples from the middle of the book which is usually 2-3 pages. If the book catches me in the first 2-3, and seems to maintain that flow in the middle of the book, then I buy it.
For a fiction title, blurbs from a favorite author would help, but for nonfiction titles, blurbs can backfire. I’ve worked with authors who’ve insisted on the most important mucky-mucks for their blurbs, and what the back cover ends up with, are pallid blurbs written by committee. A reader can tell the difference between a true blurb and one phoned in.
A good blurb should have content beyond “It’s great!.” I love blurbs that distill a singular aspect of the book and sparks my curiosity to read more.
1) Yes! I definitely read the blurbs.
2) Yes.
3) I have bought books on the strength of blurbs from Jennifer Weiner and Meg Cabot, in particular. I tend to look for blurbs on chick lit because those are more impulse purchases for me — they are fast reads. I’m constantly looking for smart, funny, well-written chick-lit (it’s really hard to find!) I tend not to pay much attention to blurbs on literary fiction because I’m usually buying that kind of fiction on the strength of a review or a word-of-mouth endorsement.
4) Definitely. In fact, the reason why I recall buying books on both Cabot and Weiner’s recommendations is because I was really disappointed with the books and ended up thinking that they were ‘untrustworthy’ reviewers. I no longer buy books on the strength of those author’s blurbs.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Once.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Pat Conroy endorsed a book by another southern writer–I can’t remember which one–so I read it. I was disappointed, though.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
See answer above. Because I was disappointed once, I don’t put much stock in author endorsements anymore. However, if I’m 95% sure I’m going to buy a book anyway, and an author I like has a blurb on the jacket, then I defintely buy it.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Rarely. I have always assumed that authors are paid for the blurbs. I tune them out.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No. I don’t buy anything based on celebrity endorsement. Word of mouth from friends whose taste I trust, yes. Strangers whose names I happen to recognize, no.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
N/A
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
N/A
An author blurb has twice influenced my buying a novel: Steven Erikson’s blurb on R. Scott Bakker’s novel The Darkness That Comes Before and Neil Gaiman’s blurb on Cameron Roger’s novel The Music of Razors.
Both ended up being some of the best and most original dark fantasy I’ve ever read.
BUT, with that said, the excellent covers AND back cover copy of both works would have made me buy them with or without those blurbs.
I guess what I’m saying is that it’s nice, but not something I look at first.
And I’ve completely lost faith in professional reviews excerpted (is that even a real word?) on the cover or inside the novel.
As far as author blurbs? On occasion — most of the time, I scan the blurbs and see if I recognize any of the authors.
And yes, I have bought a book that an author I loved endorced the book, but usually, that was just the final straw, if you will. The story idea is what makes it for me.
However, I can’t recall ever buying a book that had an author’s recommendation that I was unhappy with.
I don’t make the author blurbs the final decision, because when I buy books, the story has to sound interesting, and even if all my favorite authors said it was great, if the story doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy, I won’t buy it at all.
I do notice and read author blurbs, and I have indeed bought a book because someone whose books I enjoyed endorsed it. No one author created the swing vote for me, though. And yes, at times a book disappointed me that a favorite author endorsed. It had an impact in that I took the endorsement after that with a grain of salt. His/her credibility shrank a bit.
I hesitate to answer this since I doubt anyone will share my feelings. First let me say I’m one of the people who said “Never” to the question about purchasing a book based on a friend or family member’s recommendation. So this goes hand in hand with that.
I am constantly amazed when discussing books because a friend will mention her absolute FAV book and it happens to be the same as mine. Then she’ll mention her next fav, and it’s one I abhorred or quit reading halfway through. A few years ago two of my favorite historical romance authors mentioned the name of their favorite HR author and it was an author I simply can’t read. Don’t like her voice, her plots, her characters, her pacing, nothing. How can that be, I wonder? No clue.
So my answer is Yes, I always read the blurbs, but NO, I have never been influenced to buy a book because of one. There’s only a 50/50 chance I’ll agree. If it’s an author I don’t know, I read the back cover, the first 5 pp, flip to the middle to read a few more pp and then decide.
And one other thing, which will probably generate comments, is that authors have told me straight out that they gave a blurb for a book they either didn’t read or didn’t like–usually as a favor to the author, their agent or editor. So now when I read a blurb I always wonder about that.
On vacation last year, I bought a book endorsed by Elizabeth Berg, based on the blurb. The book was good–similar to Berg’s in tone–so I was a happy camper.
But I used to know an author who blurbed without ever reading the books, which was a total bummer. Now, I read the blurb to see if there’s some connection with the actual story, not just some ambiguous sentence that could go on almost any book.
1. Yes
2. Yes, or a reviewer. Most recent example, Michiko Kukatani blurbed Kent Haruf’s “Plainsong.”
3. No, I can’t remember!
4. Yes –but it was an awards committee. The Gathering was a Booker Prize winner, and I just couldn’t follow it.
Most definitely, yes.
1. Yes, I notice them.
2. No.
3. None.
4. N/A
Yes! I bought the Curious Incident of the Dog at Nighttime purely on the strength of blurbs by Ian McEwan and Michiko Kakutani. And they were right. It was amazing.
Honestly, I usually just skip the author blurbs on the first few pages of a novel. They don’t influence me to buy a book – I consider it untrustworthy marketing.
Years ago, I may have been influenced by author quotes on the cover. When I was wild about Judith McNaught in high school and college, I’m sure I would have bought any book she recommended.
I do think I pay more attention to author blurbs in non-fiction. If I think someone is an expert in a particular subject and he recommends another book, that may make me likelier to buy that book. I’m not sure why I’m more succeptible to this marketing tactic with a nonfiction book than a novel.
Yes
and yes
Shannon Hale and Lemony Snicket
and not that I can remember.
I take book blurbs with the same credulity as I take celebrity endorsements–which is to say, not much. I assume that the motivation is much more likely to be politics or money than any real liking for the work.
Now, when a writer mentions liking a book on a blog, in an introduction, in an interview, or something like that, their endorsement takes on the character of a word-of-mouth recommendation. Then it’s worth paying attention to.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes, definitely, an author blurb always catches my attention, although the too-general blurbs don’t really stick with me (like, “Amazing”).
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No, I just looked through all my books…and it was a no, I was surprised! Most of them just have blurbs from reviewers like Publisher’s Weekly
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
—
Although I did pick up my sister’s City of Bones because of her recommendation coupled with Holly Black’s blurb. And once there was this funny, whacky children’s novel published a long time ago with JK Rowling’s blurb. I picked that one up, heh
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No, a part of me is cynical and thinks that the business process is still incorporated in the blurbing, so I don’t take the author blurb as truly unbiased. Recently, I received a fun YA book that I won in a contest with a blurb on it from an author I liked, but then I couldn’t get through the book. However, I did go back to it just because the blurbing author and the reviewers really liked it, so they were definitely an incentive.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
No. Well, unless it is startlingly obvious. I hate books which have no actual blurb, but just full of praise written by other people, even if I know of them.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Never
Didn’t answer the rest seeing as they don’t apply! I do of course read them, but they don’t swing my choice to read/buy the book.
I mean, I like Diana Wynne Jones, but not a fan of Neil Gaiman and I think he’s written an endorsement for one of her books. She’s also written one for his books and that wasn’t the reason why I read American Gods. (I liked the front cover!)
It’s a point of curiosity I suppose to see what they thought, but it doesn’t swing my choice.
I only notice author blurbs occasionally; I tend to purchase books I’ve borrowed from my library and loved, so most aren’t impulse buys. I do smile when I see that one of my favorite authors has read and enjoyed a book I love.
I’ve definitely read books because an author endorsed them, although that’s more true if they endorse a book or review it on their website. I’ve gained new favorite authors that way, and after reading a few titles from the library have ended up purchasing everything they’ve written.
Julia Quinn, a romance novel author, endorsed Eloisa James’ books, and I started reading James, and now purchase all of her new work. I find that this is the best way for me to find new romance novels, because while there are some authors I love in that genre, others make me want to throw the book across the room and scream.
Several fantasy writers I love have endorsed the Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin, but when I borrowed them from the library they bored me. That hasn’t decreased my trust in the authors who recommended it, though. It just wasn’t for me.
I tend to look first at the cover art of a book; from there I usually go straight to the book description, and then flip through the pages to see the writing style. I hate books without a description on the back or on the flap, and have put books down in disgust when that’s missing.
If it’s a choice between author endorsements and back cover copy, go with the copy, every time. Anyone can relate to the back cover copy, but only people who like a certain author will pick up a book because of that endorsement.
1. I notice them sometimes and sometimes I don’t! I certainly wouldn’t look for them.
2. No
3. It wouldn’t swing me to buy the book. In fact I find it as aggravating as hearing a celeb endorse a product on TV.
4. Well I’ve already answered this really. But I have read some books and seen the endorsement and wondered what the hell they were thinking. It would make no difference to my buying habits. We all have different tastes. I make my own mind up what I buy based on anything but an endorsement.
An eg of how useless they can be –
‘The templar legacy’ by Steve Berry has the endorsement “Sexy, illuminating..my kind of thriller.’ says Dan Brown on the Amber Room.” What!!! It isn’t even endorsing the book it’s printed on.
(my husband book not mine!!)
Interestingly most of the books I’ve just been to look at on my bookshelf are endorsed by newspapers- this is in the UK. I do wonder if someone gets paid here for those comments?
1.Honestly, I don’t think I ever have.
2.Nope.
3.Nada
4.Nope because I don’t buy books purely based on an endorsement.
Really its the back copy that sells the book for me. And sometimes when they have a little slice of the book on one of the first few pages.
The author blurbs are nice to see, but I do not remember ever purchasing a book because of an author blurb. However, and I hope this isn’t viewed as being off-topic, I have purchased a couple of Tom Clancy “series” books, based on what I perceived as Clancy’s recommendation. By series books, I mean the books where Clancy created a concept and his name is at the top, but another author wrote the book. The books I read contained mistakes in the plot and it annoyed me. I didn’t read any more of them and it left me doubtful concerning books Clancy attaches his name to, if he didn’t write them himself. Given the continued success of these “series” books, though, I recognize that I’m in the minority on this.
Don’t really pay attention to author blurbs. What sells me is the synopsis. And the first page of the book. If the synopsis seems interesting, I then read the first page. Focusing especially on the first sentence. If it grabs me and I like the beginning,I’ll buy. Another author’s recommendation typically doesn’t even register on my consciousness.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? Yes
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? No
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? See above
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? See above
A full and favorable review by an author or reviewer may influence my decision to read a book, but blurbs never do. It’s far too easy to excise a sentence, or even a sentence fragment, from a noncommittal or negative review that makes it seem as if the reviewer liked the book. I’ve also seen “Praise For” sections on the backs of book covers that clearly referred to books that were a decade or more old. Blurbs on a book prove nothing.
In the past, I have bought books based on author endorsements and been sorely disappointed. Ironically, I was at a writer’s retreat where a bestselling author told us that many of the authors write blurbs without even reading the material. This writer did not condone such behavior and supposedly refused to use her name on a product without having tested and approved the quality. However, that “insight” has made me realize how worthless many of the blurbs are nowadays. So, for the last two years, I refrain from letting such endorsements guide my buying habits.
I DO pick something up, if the name is one of my absolute favorite authors.
I try to gage what it means about the sort of book it will be by other authors. In this way, I’ll say that sometimes the blurbs do the opposite of their intent–or merely keep me from being a dissatisfied reader? Depends on your perspective.
I don’t listen to author blurbs. My assumption in the past was they were an advertising gimmick, not a real recommendation.
Then one of my family brought a book from a blurb. It was terrible. This family member got to meet the blurbing author and asked why he’d endorsed it. It turns out he’d only read the first chapter and he only got paid if his blurb was a good one. He agreed, having read the whole book later, that it was terrible.
So my instinct won out. They are an advertising gimmick. Some authors might give them because they love the book, but it’s ruined by those that don’t.
No to the whole lot.
I didn’t even realize that author blurbs were a big deal until I started writing a novel and delved into the world of publishing.
And still, it does not effect me at all.
1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes– Neil Gaiman’s quote about Sherman Alexie comes to mind.
4) Not that I recall…
No to all the above. I don’t think I even really notice them.
I notice author blurbs. If there is one by a favorite author, the book has my attention and I read the jacket copy closely. If it’s an author who I don’t like, though, I don’t automatically discard the book based on that. I pay more attention to the description of the book than anything else.
No, I don’t even look at author endorsements because I know their publishing houses expect their other authors to support each other. And then there’s authors that are friends with each other too, so I think author endorsements are usually biased in some way.
I also get tired of seeing newspaper endorsements, and awards on the back, or in the jacket, because those take away space from the book’s blurb. I like to see this stuff on one of the last pages of the book instead of the back or jacket.
Do you notice and read author blurbs?
Yes, they are hard to miss and sometimes I find it vaguely aggravating because they take up the whole back cover and I would rather have a back-cover mini-synopsis/blurb that gives me an idea of the story
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
I wouldn’t say “because,” but the endorsements can tip the scales if I am hesitating. They can also cause me to drop the book like a hot-potato if I have read the endorsers work and thought it over-rated or unenjoyable.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
My memory isn’t that good these days
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
It had a DIFFERENT KIND OF IMPACT THAN YOU ARE ANTICIPATING. . .I am LESS likely to BUY the works of the ENDORSER himself/herself. I will find myself thinking “if she liked that, her new book must be a load of tripe.” So I think authors should be very careful about endorsements because they can have fallout.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yep.
And as a reviewer, that is often the ONLY thing I see before I decide to review a novel.
Blurbs are VERY important, folks.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? Yes, especially if I’ve read a book by the author doing the blub and liked it, I’m more willing to pick up the book in front of me and see what it’s about.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? Yes, but ONLY after I’ve looked at the back cover myself and read the first few pages to make sure the book actually does look good.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? Hmm.. Neil Gaiman’s one, Jennifer Weiner’s another (though this is before I realized she’d blurb anything and everything just to get her name out there and read more than one of her books to realize they’re all the same… I don’t pay any heed to her endorsements anymore, they’re too many to be “real”). There are other authors who I would LOVE to read something they blurbed, but apparently they have higher standards than some and don’t blurb everything under the sun, so I’m just on the lookout to find what books they do like! Or, I’m getting that info from their website where they sometimes list good books they’ve read.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? Hell yes!!! Jennifer Weiner (like I said, before I realized she’d blurb everything), I wonder if she even reads half the books with her name on it. Meg Cabot has blurbed a few books that I didn’t particularly like, so I won’t just trust her recommendations in the future.
Moral of the story I think: The fewer books an author blurbs, the more likely I am to believe their blurb!
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Absolutely.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Yes.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
I think it’s interesting that you put it this way . . . *swing vote* being the key words. In both cases in recent memory, I was already considering buying the books, and it was the presence of Holly Black’s name on the cover, blurbing them (both books), that caused me to move from “considering” to “buying.” The books were Teach Me by R.A. Nelson and Un Lun Dun by China Mieville. I loved them both.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No. But my hope is that writers take the decision to blurb a book very seriously. The main consideration should be whether the writer thinks her fans would like the book.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
YES.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
NO.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
NO.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
YES, HOWEVER IT DIDN’T IMPACT FUTURE PURCHASES.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying? yes, quite often they give me that extra nudge if i’m not sure
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book? twice recently
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it? Stephen King, Candace Havens, Neil Gaiman,
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed? I’ve been hit and miss lately with Stephen King. It wouldn’t necessarily stop be from listening to him again – oh, who am I kidding? I’ll almost always fall for it.
1. I usually skim them for familiar names, but I try to take the blurb itself with a grain of salt. I don’t know why I’m so suspicious, but I get the feeling that big name authors are only blurbing as a favor, or because they have to, and not because they actually have something to say about the book.
2. Yep. I mostly go by cover copy, but if an author I like does a blurb, I’ll definitely check the first few pages to see if it’s my cup of tea. Name alone won’t do it, but it can be a tipping point if I’m on the fence about a book that sounds interesting but that I haven’t heard anything about.
3. Dave Eggers is the big one. Every year I buy the Best American Nonrequired Reading, just because he’s edited it, and I’ve found a lot of cool authors through that. So if he blurbs something, I’ll definitely give it a second glance.
4. Not really. I might sound like I’m really easy to please, but there are very few books I’ve bought that I’ve been displeased with, just in general.
1. I usually don’t even look at the blurbs.
2. I’ve never bought a book based on the blurbs. If I recognize a name attached to said blurbs, I might actually read the blurb, and if it says something more specific than “an excellent read” or whatever I might give it a little more weight.
3. I’ve never bought a book just because of an author blurb, even if I knew the author and even if I was kind of on the fence. I might be more inclined to read the first couple paragraphs, or hunt for reviews or whatever, though.
4. This has never happened but if it did I probably wouldn’t stop buying that author’s books, unless I’d also decided I didn’t like that author’s newer stuff.
I’ve been lurking on this blog for a little while, but never commented before. And, I’m sure you get this all the time, but thank you again for doing this. 🙂
1. No. Author blurbs mean nothing to me unless I can call the said author and ask “did you REALLY like that book
3. Probably what led to the above attitude.
I never pay the slightest bit of attention to author blurbs. The story and only the story drives my purchasing decisions.
As a question, do authors get paid to blurb a book? Or is their “payment” only in the form of getting their name out there and hoping someone new will be interested in buying more of their own books? I’d love to see information on this topic!
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
Yes, I always read/notice them.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
Yes. I once bought a book because Whoopi Goldberg had written a blurb. I think she said it had made her laugh.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
Whoopi wasn’t a writer, but I thought if the book touched a comedian and made her laugh (and I like her humor), I’d buy the book. I’ve purchased things that Stephen King’s blurb has been on (previously and recently).
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
No, that has never happened to me. I haven’t bought a book solely because of the blurb. I’ve also flipped through it and thought it looked good.
1. I may notice them and read them, but it’s only because they’re on the front of the book.
2. Never ever.
3. No one’s managed to sway me yet.
4. Nope.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
No.
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
No.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
N/A
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
if I buy a book that happens to be endorsed by an author I know and I hate the book, I’ll AVOID other books endorsed by the same author, because I will assume our tastes do not match.
Beside, I always think authors lie in blurbs. Seems to me they do it to network, not to help the readers find good books.
I don’t think I’ve ever bought a book *purely* because of an author blurb, but I can remember two occasions where I was heavily influenced: Diana Wynne Jones’ blurb for Flora Segunda, and Neil Gaiman’s blurb for Sunshine. In that second case, yes, that I very much disliked Sunshine has meant that a Gaiman rec has a lot less weight for me since – and I also think he waters down his currency by blurbing so *many* books.
I also almost *didn’t* read Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest because it had a blurb from Sara Douglas on the cover, who’s an author who’s style really doesn’t work for me. Marillier’s, on the other hand, is pretty much perfect, so I was very glad I didn’t let the blurb sway me too much.
These days I try not to pay too much attention to them, to be honest.
I think that quotes are often more important to bookstore book buyers, than average readers. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…just saying.
Do you notice and read author blurbs on books you are potentially interested in buying?
> Sometimes. Most of the time I think I notice them after I’ve already bought the book and I sit down to read it. One in particular I remember noticing before I bought the book (but I was going to anyway), was a Sherrilyn Kenyon blurb on a Kinley MacGregor book. I thought that was hilarious and clever! 🙂
If so, have you ever bought a book because an author you loved and trusted endorsed the book?
> I don’t think so.
If you can remember, what established authors created the swing vote for you and you did indeed buy the book with their author blurb on it?
> A blurb from Stephen King usually gets my attention, but the book would still have to be the type of story I like for me to buy it. I can’t think of any books I bought solely on the basis of a blurb.
Have you ever bought a book based on an author endorsement and then were dissatisfied with the book bought? If so, did that impact a future buy for a book for which that same author has endorsed?
> I don’t always trust the honesty of blurbs to tell you the truth, so no I don’t think I’d be disappointed. Rather it would support my feeling that many blurbs are done as favors. I worked as a reviewer for a fiction magazine a while ago, and was once asked for a blurb for an e-book so the name of the magazine could be on the cover. I ended up hating the book but the people who requested the blurb still wanted me to provide a “nice” quote so they could have a blurb. I declined. I didn’t want my name associated with a bad book and mislead readers. That whole incident has made me suspicious about the honesty of blurbs in general. I would hope most blurbers who say nice things really did read and like the books they’re endorsing, but I’m sure that’s not the case. If there’s not complete honesty in the system, then it looses it’s meaningfulness I think. (Same goes for reviews from sites that never give any book a bad review.)
I’m always a little sceptical about whether they liked the book or have even really read the book, or whether they are doing it because their publisher asked them.
I’ll be very honest.
I think given the popularity that many authors have via blogs, that blurbs, blog reviews, reviews on Amazon in general are often more prone to be whether or not they like the author over the quality of story and writing.
So a blurb by an author –can it be the author was the first time novelist’s workshop teacher? That in some small way, the author felt obligated to say something, and so they did –ignoring obvious flaws?
Another thing –does getting an ARC mean that you are obligated if you know the author via a blog, to give it a good review?
Once, I gave an ARC 3 stars on Amazon. Within 24 hours, the author was writing me … why 3 stars? Why not more? After all, everyone else had given it more! Mind you, the book had at least 70 pages on the front that should have been lopped off. There were issues with the plot that were at times predictable. The pace was faltering. I thought I was being generous by giving it 3.
So I’m not so sure when it comes to blurbs.
But I’ll leave it to those lucky enough to get a pile of them to review to uphold their own integrity and make sure they read it, and decide.