Let’s Talk About Blurbs…Again

This will be short and sweet.

Over the past week, there has been considerable discussion about blurbs. Sean Manning, the publisher of Simon & Schuster’s flagship imprint, wrote an essay in Publishers Weekly stating that authors are no longer required to obtain them. To clarify, publishers do not have strict rules regarding blurbs; they are, like many aspects of the industry, merely conventions that have always been followed. I’ve read the follow-up pieces debating the blurb ecosystem, which seem to overlook one crucial point: the entire discussion about blurbs is confined within the publishing industry. Sure, we can discuss how booksellers value blurbs because they help determine which books to order, but that overlooks an important question: What do customers want? We can also debate whether blurbs influence a book critic’s decision to review a title, but we must also consider that reviews don’t sell books. Further, the space for reviews has been severely reduced.

Throughout my years in various in-house roles, I have received blurbs for specific titles as they arrived. The email responses were always enthusiastic, but the thought bubble above my head often whispered, “I don’t know who that person is.” It’s safe to say that most consumers feel the same way. Consumer behavior is now closely linked to the recommendation ecosystem. People are more inclined to read customer reviews of a product or trust their favorite influencers rather than rely on a quote from a book. This trend applies to books, movies, streaming shows, beauty products, and clothing. Furthermore, most, if not all, media reviews are hidden behind paywalls, leading to subscription fatigue. Additionally, people are becoming frustrated with mainstream media, which has diminished the likelihood of the masses seeing a review of anything. The proof is in the massive media layoffs that continue.

Here's a story about how a customer review influenced my decision on a bathing suit: I was browsing J. Crew’s swimwear options when I found one I liked. Curious about customer opinions, I paused scrolling upon finding a review that included photos of a woman who a shark had bitten (!!), yet the suit didn’t tear. SOLD. No advertisement could have swayed my decision more than that.

I know what you’re thinking: “Kathleen, books can’t get shark bites.” That is true, but they can still benefit from word of mouth, which remains the most effective sales driver. They can also be promoted on an author’s platform and highlighted in newsletters that have more subscribers than some traditional media outlets. They can even go viral on TikTok. I believe that the consumer should be the priority, not the blurbs. I don’t read blurbs until I’ve finished a book. I do this out of curiosity to see if I recognize any blurbers—most of the time, I don’t. This doesn’t mean I’m not well-read; it just means that with so many books published, I haven’t come across those specific writers. The industry must consider this: Are consumers aware of the writers asked to blurb books? Once again, you can’t operate in a silo and assume that just because YOU know who they are, the consumer will.
Additionally, when we recognize that most consumers have lost faith in mainstream media, we must also consider that the brand equity of entities like the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post has diminished. Is it worth adding blurbs from billionaire-owned media to which consumers now cancel subscriptions in droves? I don’t think so.

Some authors worry that blurbs are a promotional tool for their books and that they won’t receive attention without them. This is simply untrue. First, about 75% of book sales are conducted through Amazon. If an indie bookseller skips a title, it will still be available to purchase there (whether you like Amazon or not, this is where we are as an industry). Second, in all my years doing book publicity, a blurb has never swayed someone from the media to cover a book. What sways most people now is the author’s platform (and a good relationship with publicists/a good pitch). To put that much weight on blurbs is to remain insular in the industry—which is often the problem with book publishing: It is so caught up in itself and its processes that it forgets about the consumer.

As much as we may not want to admit it, books are products. These days, products gain popularity due to recommendations rather than because someone in the same field offers a catchy quote about them. Now, excuse me while I scroll Instagram. I need a good lip balm.