The Creative Writer's Survival Guide: Advice from an Unrepentant Novelist

Blurbs

180 Blurbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eventually, if you stick with writing long enough to publish a book, you’ll need blurbs. Blurbs are those quotes by other authors, usually printed on the back of your book, that explain what a genius the writer is and how her book is like the effervescent love child of Frankenstein and The House of Mirth. In other words, blurbs are generous , clever words of praise by writers better known (usually) than you, often filled with hype and hyperbole. The word “blurb,” which sounds downright gastronomical, was coined by the American humorist Gelett Burgess. He attributed the cover copy for his book AreYou a Bromide? to a fictional character named Miss Belinda Blurb. Burgess’ own definition of a blurb is “a flamboyant advertisement; an inspired testimonial.” In almost every instance, I have known the writers who have blurbed my books, and I have known many of the writers whose books I’ve blurbed. You’ll hear people talk about how blurbing is just another example of the industry’s log-​ rolling—and maybe it is—but please tell me in what industry log-​ rolling doesn’t happen. I don’t read blurbs on books to see who’s endorsing it; I read the blurb to get a sense of what the book is about, or what the tone is, or to get a general feel for the book. I honestly don’t think the person blurbing a book is what gets the average consumer to buy the book. It’s what the blurber says about the book that’s likely to persuade the customer. One purpose of the blurb is to get industry people excited by the book before the book is published. If my editor has a blurb by a Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist when he goes into a sales meeting to pitch my book (yes, the editor at a commercial house has to pitch my book even after the book has been purchased by the publishing house), it may inspire the sales force to sit up and take notice of the book. More importantly, the blurbs get book revieweditors and booksellers to pay closer attention to the book when the review copies are sent around, with the hope that the book review editor will assign the book for reviewand that the bookseller will order multiple copies for the store. But even then, I’m not sure how much weight blurbs really carry. After all, nearly every book passing before a reviewer or a bookseller comes with glowing endorsements by award-​ winning authors. Un- Publicity 181 less the blurb is from Harper Lee or someone else unlikely to give a blurb, like Thomas Pynchon (although I can think of at least two writers Pynchon has blurbed), the blurb will be read and noted but probably won’t have much impact. Even so, you’d best start thinking about whom you know who can blurb your book, since all of my blurbs, with two exceptions, have been the result of connections I’ve made. My publishers have sometimes solicited blurbs from big-​ name writers with whom I have no connection, but these have rarely panned out. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: A writer’s most valuable commodity is his time. Why should a writer who doesn’t know me take time from his own busy schedule to read my book and blurb it? Don’t be offended if the person you ask can’t blurb your book. It’s always best to ask several potential blurbers rather than putting your hopes in the hands of one or two. Blurbing is a writer’s pro bono work—a way of giving back to the community—but sometimes potential blurbers are too busy with their own work, or you’ve asked them at a bad time in their lives. One last piece of advice: Should you find yourself in a position to blurb a book but don’t like the book that the author has sent to you, don’t feel compelled to explain to the author why you don’t like it. It’s humiliating enough for an author to ask for a blurb. Why add insult to injury? For my second novel, I had asked a much younger writer to blurb my book. She eventually sent me an e-​ mail in which she espoused what she called her “honesty at all times” policy and then proceeded to tell me why she “couldn...