I’ve only bought one book based on a blurb. But I have noticed that a lot of series use the same blurbs for the 2nd, 3rd, etc books as they did for the first book. Which has always given me pause.
Anyways! Always interesting to hear about these things from you and thanks for focusing on the consumers!💕
Thanks for your input. As an author, I've considered how getting a blurb from someone I admire might be more exciting for me than a reader, as I've had this experience. To your point, I agree, that these days what's popular, in terms of who is influencing book sales has changed.
I disagree. Reviews do sell books. As an avid reader, I read them all the time. I like blurbs (endorsements), and I read them on the Editorial Reviews page on Amazon. Blurbs have value because they are reviews from established authors (reputable sources) in the same genre. What our colleagues think of our writing and our books is significant and holds more weight than the average readers who post online, which is often more about their reactions to the book. And if you are a debut author or new to writing, a catchy or clever blurb from a professional author in your genre can be a validation—which encourages sales. The competition is fierce out there. I see no harm in achieving a few lines of credibility. I also like the fact that the blurb authors get my attention to their books as well. I have found several new authors from blurbs. I think it's a win-win for writers, authors, and readers. Kathleen, to your comment that authors think their books won’t receive attention without them' as untrue, I have to add that when I see a book with no Editorial Reviews in the Amazon window on the book page, I see a red flag. If the author cannot get two or three fellow authors to speak up about the book in a positive way, then I am skeptical and often move on to purchase books that have some element of credibility.
To comment specifically on the 'red flag' of no editorial reviews listed on Amazon... that could just be a data-import issue. The book may have endorsements, but if the data feed isn't handled correctly, or the processing hit an error, that field might not get populated. Just some food for thought.
You are allowed to have your own opinion on this. I will say: When I worked in-house, it was brought up a lot that reviews did not sell books. I have seen the data. They may work for you and influence your purchases, but if we look at the industry as large, we see that they do not sell books. Regarding Amazon--again, that is your opinion and what works for you as a consumer. It is not what helps the majority of books get meaningful sales.
Okay, I believe you, Kathleen. My personal experience and experience with many author friends show me differently. I suppose in the end, to blurb or not to blurb is really up to the author. Would you agree with that?
This was so interesting, you made great points. I stopped paying any attention to blurbs long ago, especially if they were from Stephen King who seems to be the blurb king. I've loved many of King's books, but he was blurb crazy and I don't think there's any way he read all those books. Also I second Laneige lip mask!
This sounds random but same situation and I saw a derm say you have to moisturize lips first then seal in with an occlusive, so now I smear FAB Ultra Repair (that I’m already using on my face) on my lips, let it sit a couple min, then put on Vaseline or Aquaphor. Cured!
My take on blurbs has been that having them isn't a guarantee of sales, but not having them is a negative. Even if someone browsing titles in a store hasn't heard of the blurber, I think just seeing that somebody else recommended it sends a subtle, maybe even subconscious message. The whole process is definitely stressful and I don't think any author actually likes it, but I do see the value in getting them. You're right Kathleen that there are better avenues for reaching readers, but I do see some value in the blurb.
I understand what you’re saying, and people within the book world often say the same thing. In reality, the average consumer is drawn in by the cover & then read jacket copy. That’s in a bookstore. When 75% of book sales are through Amazon, and people don’t browse for books there, I think blurbs matter even less.
Respectfully, I know aa reader, consumer and citizen, I am an unreliable narrator when it comes to understanding how I am influenced.
Do I think anyone reads a blurb and says, "If it's OK by John J. Jingleheimer, that's good enough for me!"
Of course not
Do I think blurbs - both from authors who I have and haven't heard from (I don't presume that just because I don't know who an author is that doesn't mean they are not credible or known by many other readers) and media are a signal of credibility that reenforces the message that this book is worth reading.
I have made my career in traditional publishing, so I admit to some legacy thinking, but as a reader, I want as many cues as I can get that a book is worth my time and money.
It's the same reason I shy away from self-published books. Of course there are gems to be found, but I like knowing that an agent, editor and publishing house believed the work to be worthy of investment.
None of these are absolutes or zero-sum. Blurbs can be a piece of the strategy for some books. They don't have to take an inordinate amount of an author or editor's time to secure or be required. Nor should they be tossed out entirely.
I used to say around the office when discussing strategies and tactics, "Is the juice worth the squeeze?"
Are blurbs worth the squeeze?
They are one layer of the increasingly complex and every-evolving onion that is book marketing, and as is the answer to so many of these questions, "Maybe" or "It depends"
Credibility has changed so much for consumers that thinking about it in a legacy way doesn't quite work anymore. Legacy = the siloed thinking of the industry, in my opinion. Now, there is a demographic that does read blurbs, but they are older. If you are looking at the younger end of Gen X and below, you need a different strategy. The problem with a lot of people who work in publishing is that they don't go out of their zones to see how consumer behavior has evolved.
This is an interesting discussion. As a poet who has recently solicited blurbs, I both agree and disagree about their value. Yes, reader reviews are important and can lead to book sales, maybe more than blurbs, but blurbs are like informed reader reviews that get printed with the book and often are quoted in the reviews section on Amazon. People may not know the poets I asked to blurb my book, Tree Fall with Birdsong, but that's one reason I chose them — to give these fine poets a little more exposure. Do I expect their blurbs to increase sales? Maybe not because of their reputations, but because of their careful reading and eloquent descriptions: I've seen them, and I'm thrilled with their perceptive reading. I see blurbs and professional book reviews as part of the conversation a book gets to engage in as it moves toward publication, but I'm also not looking to be blurbed by the most prestigious writers I can find. I wanted blurbs from writers I respect and who I want readers to know about. That took some of the pressure off of me when requesting blurbs, and I hope it made the process less stressful for the poets who agreed to write for me.
Blurbs are really not like reader reviews. The problem with them on Amazon is that sometimes it takes forever to scroll down to customer reviews because the publisher has added every blurb in creation. Now that Amazon used AI summaries, people are less likely to look at blurbs there. Writers enjoy the validation of blurbs and I understand that. However, we can't pretend that they are an effective marketing tool when in reality they are not.
I agree that blurbs aren’t going to have a big effect on sales, though some of us do read them. I am responding more to your point that you read them after you've bought or even read the book to learn about other writers. To me, that’s the value, whether it happens at the bookstore, online, or in a library. I chose people to blurb my book to promote them, not my book. I asked people who I wanted to be associated with and whose work I wanted to be in conversation with. If somebody buys my book because of a blurb, great, but that's not the main value to me. I read blurbs for the same reason I read a book's acknowledgements page, to learn about writers and publications I might not have encountered yet.
Gee, no one I know puts any credibility in AI summaries and skips them. For me, there is no value in reading what a computer vomits unreliable info it has been fed. The value of human intelligence far exceeds AI.
This is your experience with people you know. My aim in writing this newsletter is to look holistically at the industry AND outside of it to give people a sense of what is happening on the consumer end. You seem to want to start a disagreement and I am not that person. Have at it.
Oh no, not at all. Nothing threatening going on, I promise. What is a healthy discussion if everyone agrees and there are no other perspectives? I have a different perspective than you and others here about blubs as an enhancement to author platform, credibility, reputation, and book promotion.
OMG I can suddenly smell the fruit. I remember pulling the bright package from my Christmas stocking as a kid in the early to mid eighties. Hadn’t thought about those lip smackers for a long time; thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Thanks for this! With all the talk about blurbs again, I actually just shared what motivated my last five book purchases and posted it here: https://substack.com/@freehappiness/note/c-91275096 And it was interesting for me to see how blurbs didn't make an impact at all, at least not directly.
La Buket lip balm is fabulous and a huge stick that lasts.
Smart piece.
I happen to agree with every single word.
And I'll never forget the shark bite anecdote. Nicely done.
I have had the bathing suit for three years and it is still in perfect condition.
I’ve only bought one book based on a blurb. But I have noticed that a lot of series use the same blurbs for the 2nd, 3rd, etc books as they did for the first book. Which has always given me pause.
Anyways! Always interesting to hear about these things from you and thanks for focusing on the consumers!💕
Thank you for reframing the blurb for readers!
(also, lip balm recommendation: Burt's Bees.)
Thanks for your input. As an author, I've considered how getting a blurb from someone I admire might be more exciting for me than a reader, as I've had this experience. To your point, I agree, that these days what's popular, in terms of who is influencing book sales has changed.
I disagree. Reviews do sell books. As an avid reader, I read them all the time. I like blurbs (endorsements), and I read them on the Editorial Reviews page on Amazon. Blurbs have value because they are reviews from established authors (reputable sources) in the same genre. What our colleagues think of our writing and our books is significant and holds more weight than the average readers who post online, which is often more about their reactions to the book. And if you are a debut author or new to writing, a catchy or clever blurb from a professional author in your genre can be a validation—which encourages sales. The competition is fierce out there. I see no harm in achieving a few lines of credibility. I also like the fact that the blurb authors get my attention to their books as well. I have found several new authors from blurbs. I think it's a win-win for writers, authors, and readers. Kathleen, to your comment that authors think their books won’t receive attention without them' as untrue, I have to add that when I see a book with no Editorial Reviews in the Amazon window on the book page, I see a red flag. If the author cannot get two or three fellow authors to speak up about the book in a positive way, then I am skeptical and often move on to purchase books that have some element of credibility.
To comment specifically on the 'red flag' of no editorial reviews listed on Amazon... that could just be a data-import issue. The book may have endorsements, but if the data feed isn't handled correctly, or the processing hit an error, that field might not get populated. Just some food for thought.
You are allowed to have your own opinion on this. I will say: When I worked in-house, it was brought up a lot that reviews did not sell books. I have seen the data. They may work for you and influence your purchases, but if we look at the industry as large, we see that they do not sell books. Regarding Amazon--again, that is your opinion and what works for you as a consumer. It is not what helps the majority of books get meaningful sales.
Okay, I believe you, Kathleen. My personal experience and experience with many author friends show me differently. I suppose in the end, to blurb or not to blurb is really up to the author. Would you agree with that?
It should always be up to the author.
This was so interesting, you made great points. I stopped paying any attention to blurbs long ago, especially if they were from Stephen King who seems to be the blurb king. I've loved many of King's books, but he was blurb crazy and I don't think there's any way he read all those books. Also I second Laneige lip mask!
LANEIGE lip sleeping mask 😉
I have it! During the day, my lips are SO dry, and I keep trying different brands, but nothing has worked yet. I drink a ton of water, too!
I use Glossier balm dot com during the day. But I totally relate to this problem!
This sounds random but same situation and I saw a derm say you have to moisturize lips first then seal in with an occlusive, so now I smear FAB Ultra Repair (that I’m already using on my face) on my lips, let it sit a couple min, then put on Vaseline or Aquaphor. Cured!
Thank you!!
this is very good intel
I use this every night! It's so good
Ok but at what point did she post the shark bite photo?? Like on the way to the hospital or was she in recovery and then uploaded the review?! 😜
No! She took pics on the beach! The shark bite was visible in the review--it was bloody. I was like damn I need this swimsuit.
Hardcore.
My take on blurbs has been that having them isn't a guarantee of sales, but not having them is a negative. Even if someone browsing titles in a store hasn't heard of the blurber, I think just seeing that somebody else recommended it sends a subtle, maybe even subconscious message. The whole process is definitely stressful and I don't think any author actually likes it, but I do see the value in getting them. You're right Kathleen that there are better avenues for reaching readers, but I do see some value in the blurb.
I understand what you’re saying, and people within the book world often say the same thing. In reality, the average consumer is drawn in by the cover & then read jacket copy. That’s in a bookstore. When 75% of book sales are through Amazon, and people don’t browse for books there, I think blurbs matter even less.
Paul, you captured the salient point. No blurb is a subtle message that the book has no advocates.
Respectfully, I know aa reader, consumer and citizen, I am an unreliable narrator when it comes to understanding how I am influenced.
Do I think anyone reads a blurb and says, "If it's OK by John J. Jingleheimer, that's good enough for me!"
Of course not
Do I think blurbs - both from authors who I have and haven't heard from (I don't presume that just because I don't know who an author is that doesn't mean they are not credible or known by many other readers) and media are a signal of credibility that reenforces the message that this book is worth reading.
I have made my career in traditional publishing, so I admit to some legacy thinking, but as a reader, I want as many cues as I can get that a book is worth my time and money.
It's the same reason I shy away from self-published books. Of course there are gems to be found, but I like knowing that an agent, editor and publishing house believed the work to be worthy of investment.
None of these are absolutes or zero-sum. Blurbs can be a piece of the strategy for some books. They don't have to take an inordinate amount of an author or editor's time to secure or be required. Nor should they be tossed out entirely.
I used to say around the office when discussing strategies and tactics, "Is the juice worth the squeeze?"
Are blurbs worth the squeeze?
They are one layer of the increasingly complex and every-evolving onion that is book marketing, and as is the answer to so many of these questions, "Maybe" or "It depends"
Credibility has changed so much for consumers that thinking about it in a legacy way doesn't quite work anymore. Legacy = the siloed thinking of the industry, in my opinion. Now, there is a demographic that does read blurbs, but they are older. If you are looking at the younger end of Gen X and below, you need a different strategy. The problem with a lot of people who work in publishing is that they don't go out of their zones to see how consumer behavior has evolved.
In all ways right!
This is an interesting discussion. As a poet who has recently solicited blurbs, I both agree and disagree about their value. Yes, reader reviews are important and can lead to book sales, maybe more than blurbs, but blurbs are like informed reader reviews that get printed with the book and often are quoted in the reviews section on Amazon. People may not know the poets I asked to blurb my book, Tree Fall with Birdsong, but that's one reason I chose them — to give these fine poets a little more exposure. Do I expect their blurbs to increase sales? Maybe not because of their reputations, but because of their careful reading and eloquent descriptions: I've seen them, and I'm thrilled with their perceptive reading. I see blurbs and professional book reviews as part of the conversation a book gets to engage in as it moves toward publication, but I'm also not looking to be blurbed by the most prestigious writers I can find. I wanted blurbs from writers I respect and who I want readers to know about. That took some of the pressure off of me when requesting blurbs, and I hope it made the process less stressful for the poets who agreed to write for me.
Blurbs are really not like reader reviews. The problem with them on Amazon is that sometimes it takes forever to scroll down to customer reviews because the publisher has added every blurb in creation. Now that Amazon used AI summaries, people are less likely to look at blurbs there. Writers enjoy the validation of blurbs and I understand that. However, we can't pretend that they are an effective marketing tool when in reality they are not.
I agree that blurbs aren’t going to have a big effect on sales, though some of us do read them. I am responding more to your point that you read them after you've bought or even read the book to learn about other writers. To me, that’s the value, whether it happens at the bookstore, online, or in a library. I chose people to blurb my book to promote them, not my book. I asked people who I wanted to be associated with and whose work I wanted to be in conversation with. If somebody buys my book because of a blurb, great, but that's not the main value to me. I read blurbs for the same reason I read a book's acknowledgements page, to learn about writers and publications I might not have encountered yet.
Gee, no one I know puts any credibility in AI summaries and skips them. For me, there is no value in reading what a computer vomits unreliable info it has been fed. The value of human intelligence far exceeds AI.
This is your experience with people you know. My aim in writing this newsletter is to look holistically at the industry AND outside of it to give people a sense of what is happening on the consumer end. You seem to want to start a disagreement and I am not that person. Have at it.
Oh no, not at all. Nothing threatening going on, I promise. What is a healthy discussion if everyone agrees and there are no other perspectives? I have a different perspective than you and others here about blubs as an enhancement to author platform, credibility, reputation, and book promotion.
Bonnie Belle Lip Smackers. Since 8th grade. Portable. Cheap. Not too slick, not much color. I’ve tried to grow up, but I come back over and over.
OMG I can suddenly smell the fruit. I remember pulling the bright package from my Christmas stocking as a kid in the early to mid eighties. Hadn’t thought about those lip smackers for a long time; thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Thanks for this! With all the talk about blurbs again, I actually just shared what motivated my last five book purchases and posted it here: https://substack.com/@freehappiness/note/c-91275096 And it was interesting for me to see how blurbs didn't make an impact at all, at least not directly.
100% Retail accounts have long since stopped taking these seriously as an indication of either the quality or sales potential of a book.