Oh, that sordid world of blurbs

Here's an interesting article about blurbs from the New York Times called "He Blurbed, She Blurbed."

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The site mentioned in the article that traffics in blurbs can be found here:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Malcolm

I wonder who we can persuade to write the blurb for the anthology? I guess it will be me.

Interesting article, Malcolm. Thanks for the link.

I find this issue of blurbs intriguing, personally. So was that article Malcolm.

I hate writing blurbs. It's hard for me to simplify my writing without sounding cheesy or cliche.

Hope they don't investigate people swapping amazon reviews

My advice on this stuff is to swing for the stars. Ask top authors of similar books. The back blurb on my new one is by a Pulitzer nominee.

My poetry book, coming out SOON, hopefully (gnash, tear hair) has backcover blurbs by Robert Bly and Allen Ginsberg. It doesn't hurt to ask.

I had a couple of turndowns by prominent writers for Imaginary Lines but am sending a copy of the book to two of them, hoping for website blurbs. Or second edition covers or something.

It's well to hang on to cool quotes, by the way. Mine from Ginsberg dates back to 1974.

That's excellent advice. I can't imagine how it could be improved upon.

Shelagh, you live closer to Jo Rowling than the rest of us. Maybe you can ask her to say something like: "What would Harry read? Why this wonderful anthology, luv."

Lin's right, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Malcolm

What we really need is for a high profile media superstar to start a campaign saying that reading this book will corrupt the innocent and should be banned to protect young, impressionable minds. I can't think of anything more attractive to young adults.

Does Oprah ever blacklist books?

Brilliant idea!

Those are some great names to have on a poetry book, Lin!

For my forthcoming supernatural thriller River Runs Red, I asked some pretty high-profile thriller and horror authors, including bestselling writers David Morrell, Christopher Golden, Don Winslow and Andrew Klavan. Only one author turned me down, and I knew it was a long shot because of his failing health and eyesight. Another said yes, but he was on the road and the ms didn't reach him in time. The rest all agreed to read it, and those who read it gave enthusiastic blurbs. David Morrell's will be on the front cover, the others on the back or inside.

Some of these writers are friends of mine, others, like Morrell, passing acquaintances. I've never asked an absolute stranger for a blurb, and wouldn't.

You can see the blurbs, if you're so inclined, on the new River Runs Red website!

Jeff

Oh, Jeff, I've just had a brilliant idea. Would you be kind enough to write the blurb for the anthology? We would all be indebted to you!

Those are the kind of things that happen when you open your mouth.

Quote :

like: "What would Harry read?

Does that ever give me a great idea for a T-shirt.


WWHPD?

Lesson learned, Dick...

Shelagh wrote:

Oh, Jeff, I've just had a brilliant idea. Would you be kind enough to write the blurb for the anthology? We would all be indebted to you!

The trouble with this idea, Shelagh, is that unless it's an anthology of horror stories (or comic books), my name would mean absolutely nothing to the potential readers.

When I picked writers to ask for River Runs Red blurbs, I wanted two things--thriller writers, and horror writers, because the book is a supernatural thriller, combining espionage/thriller elements along with supernatural horror. Penguin is publishing it as "horror," period--there is no actual "supernatural thriller" category, and that wouldn't fit on the spine. But I wanted people who look at it to know what mainstream thriller writers have praised it, as well as horror writers.

With what I believe is an anthology of mainstream fiction short stories, you want a blurb from someone with at least some name recognition in that field. Not only would my name be meaningless to that crowd, but if someone did happen to recognize it, they might get the idea that the book was a horror story collection, or else what would I be doing there? A blurb that's inappropriate for the book it's on is worse than no blurb at all.

So how about this--look for someone who writes mainstream fiction to blurb it. If at the last minute, no one has turned up, then I'll contribute a blurb, for whatever it's worth.

Jeff

Rowling probably has one of those shirts already, and the Queen, of course, wears one while doing laundry.

Malcolm

Jeffrey J. Mariotte wrote:

So how about this--look for someone who writes mainstream fiction to blurb it. If at the last minute, no one has turned up, then I'll contribute a blurb, for whatever it's worth.

Jeff

You're on. It will be worth more than you think. The book is by writers from publishedauthors.org and you are a full-time author. Perfect!