Book Blurbs: Worth the trouble?

Every book has a back cover, which means something must be written on that back cover. What you'll usually find is a brief synopsis and some nice blurbs (unless you're Chuck Palahniuk, in which case, who needs a synopsis?), but how much do those blurbs mean? Should you take the time to write authors or reviewers you respect to ask them to blurb your book? (Or should you just ask anyone who'll say yes, and who cares who they are to you as long as someone else knows them?)

Stephen J. Dubner writes in his 2007 New York Times piece "How Much do Book Blurbs Matter?" that he used to give some credence to blurbs until, one day, he received a letter in the mail "along with the manuscript for a business book by two authors I don’t know. The letter was written by the book’s editor, another person I don’t know. Here’s the key paragraph:

If you find [redacted] and [redacted]’s ideas as compelling and inspiring as we do, a quote from you that we could print on the jacket would make a world of difference. I would be happy to help craft a quote if you prefer. My contact info is below."

Dubner writes, "I’ve come to believe [blurbs] really don’t matter at all, since most readers see blurbs as having about the same level of integrity as a used-car salesman’s personal promise that the car you’re about to buy is A-OK. But that might be an insult to used-car salesmen."


This may be true--but does it affect how the average reader views blurbs?

The blog "The New Dork Review of Books" (yes - Dork) asks a similar question  three years after the publication of Dubner's column, even referring to back-jacket blurbs as little more than "marketing hooey." And, sure, it may be hooey. It may be the editors of the publishing house putting out the book write their own blurbs and, essentially, ask a Big Name to lend their name to it. It may be a Big Name accepts the blurb request and even offers to read a copy of the book, flips through a few chapters, and comes up with something that could probably vaguely apply.

But do readers care how the blurbs get there? If Stephen King says a new mystery is good, won't they buy it? How likely are they to think, "There's no way Stephen King stopped writing to read this book. No way." Instead, what they're likely to think is, "You know what? If Stephen King gives it the okay, it's good enough for me."

Some reader comments following the New Dork blurb blog:

From time to time, I get sucked in by a blurb, though like you only because of who did the blurbing...

 Blurbs aren't very important to me but they will make me look twice at a book if the blurb is written by an author I like... 

I pay a little attention to who said them, but not much. just enough to get a feel for what sort of thing it will be. If it's Heat magazine and a celebrity off the telly, it's not aimed at me. If Stephen Fry, Michael Chabon and the TLS said something, it's more down my street. If serious authors who have bored me before (Martin Amis) say something, I ignore it...

You, the author releasing your book, are better off getting blurbs--no matter what others in the industry (not readers, but editors, authors, agents, publishers, and reviewers writing articles or blog entries) have to say about them.

You'll even want them if readers (also found commenting on the New Dork blog) say the following:

I don't think I've ever bought a book based on a blurb. I very rarely even read the back cover, so blurbs I really never look at! I've been surprised sometimes to see authors I wasn't a fan of blurbing books I loved after the fact sometimes.

I don't pay attention to the blurbs -- they are all going to be positive (though I might be interested in reading something with a negative blurb!) so I don't feel I am getting any insight into the content. 

If you're a new author, you'll want blurbs to legitimize your work. We--we humans, we readers--are, let's face it, swayed by advertising. "It's the best thing you'll read all summer!" works on (the majority of) us. Think it's not true? How many times have you gone to see a movie blurbed in the opening credits as "The best action/adventure movie of the year!"?

Blurbs are even more valuable if you're an indie author. Self-published work faces the greatest of all challenges when it comes to being taken seriously, and blurbs from known authors or reviewers will automatically encourage readers to view the writing as more "serious." 


For further evidence of the value of a blurb, I give you Lullaby, which has one on the back cover. Synopsis? No. Blurb? Yes. Just one, but it's there.

"A story so eccentric and complex that you begin to understand why Palahniuk's literature is a breed all its own." - USA Today

Also, keep in mind the following comment from a reader of the New Dork blog who is and is not influenced by blurbs:

I definitely won't pick up a book just because an author I enjoy wrote a blurb for it. But if I'm considering it anyway, that is certainly a point in the book's favor. 


Look at it this way: they can't (usually) hurt.

But be careful and respectful when seeking blurbs.

1. No one owes you a blurb, so don't act like they do. Be nice, be genuine, be respectful, be patient, and be grateful. If they deny your request, say, "Thank you for your time" and move on to another writer or reviewer whose opinion you respect. Don't take it personally when someone says no; after all, they don't know you, so how can it be personal?

2. Seek blurbs from those who might really like to read your work, and whose own readers are likely to enjoy your work, as well. Give it some thought rather than trying to get blurbs from anyone you can think of or anyone who'll say yes. Determine who will be most persuasive, and why.

Before you go, tell me - do you ever buy a book based on the back-cover blurbs?

- Lyla P.