Writers: do u approach people for quotes or does your publisher? - ThreadSky

louiestowell.bsky.social • 213 days ago

Writers: do u approach people for quotes or does your publisher?

It's one of those "at this point I'm too afraid to ask" things 😂 other HC authors have quotes but I don't know if they just got them themselves. My US publisher used a quote & I had to tell them that it was not referring to my book as I didn't have any 😅😅 luckily I recognised the book it was from...

Comments

susieday.bsky.social•213 days ago

I get approached for quotes on proofs via my agent, which typically come from the publisher. But I also get asked by my publishers to approach people/suggest names to contact. So I'm guessing it's a mix. Results presumably dependent on a proactive publicist and/or connected/confident author.

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

It does seem to be a mix for sure. I get requests via PR people but also messages direct from authors. And a crushing sense of guilt at all the books I do'nt have time to read...

damonyoung.com.au•213 days ago

A bit of both. I tend to approach authors I know and respect, while publishers have a larger reach. The end results are usually a mix of my contacts and theirs.

And I hate it every time.

lydiamonks.bsky.social•212 days ago

I tried approaching 2 authors who I really admire, (and who had a dedication in the book), and they were both really rude to me! That’s put me off for life! 😨😄

bluepoppypub.bsky.social•212 days ago

That is awful.

mandy58114.bsky.social•212 days ago

That’s really sad. Those authors were starting out once too!

mglnrd.bsky.social•212 days ago

Gosh! Lydia! That’s my worst nightmare. I try and be nice, especially when I don’t have the time to read & quote. We all know how humbling it is to ask.

lydiamonks.bsky.social•212 days ago

People are weird. That’s the conclusion I’ve come to! 😄 x

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Noooooo that's awful!!!

lydiamonks.bsky.social•212 days ago

Yes! I was slightly horrified! It’s a shame especially as I’m a huge fan of both of them. 😞

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Rotters! I feel lucky in a way, doing a series, cos there aren't proof copies of the subsequent books so I just use the quotes from book one for everything and in theory won't have to ask anyoen for quotes for about 4 years at least now...

lydiamonks.bsky.social•212 days ago

Ha! Yes, perfect.

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Tbh it's not like you can fit quotes on teh cover of a loki book anyway so it's only inside and who reads that before they buy a book??

keithmansfield.bsky.social•213 days ago

With my publishing hat on, I approach people & ask authors to do the same. We brainstorm & share out lists. With my writer's hat on, my publisher's never approached anyone for quotes that I remember. As an editor I'd say people are generally more responsive to authors, but it's a bit of a mixed bag.

abigail.bsky.social•212 days ago

You know what would be funny? Using random kids for quotes for kids books. 😁

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

I would love that!!! "I loved the bit with the farts"

abigail.bsky.social•212 days ago

You really know your audience. 😆

mariannedoherty.bsky.social•212 days ago

I will always take a kid’s review more seriously than an adult’s. They mean what they say and say what they mean.

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Like the time a kid said "you're my third favourite author". I took that seriously as a compliment because he wasn't faking I was his first.

abigail.bsky.social•212 days ago

Ha! I've just asked the boy his favourite authors and you were 3rd. 😆 It would take a lot to knock @neillcameron.bsky.social and @jamiesmart.bsky.social off 1st and 2nd place. 😉

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

I'll take it!

mariannedoherty.bsky.social•212 days ago

That is a fine list!

abigail.bsky.social•212 days ago

He met David Fickling at Phoenix Fest in the summer and properly fan boyed to him. It must have been quite odd for him to have this young boy thank him so profusely. 😆

mariannedoherty.bsky.social•212 days ago

Any kid who knows who their top 3 authors are should definitely be taken seriously. It reminds me of the time my son at around 7/8 realised he liked lots of books that had a particular symbol on them. He had no idea it was the publisher’s logo but could see there was a pattern to his favourites.

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

oh that's fascinating!!! I was in the puffin club as a kid but I didn't fully understand what a publisher was, just that the puffin symbol meant stuff i liked...esp Puffin plus!

mariannedoherty.bsky.social•212 days ago

Yes! I always trusted the puffin symbol now you come to mention it. I honestly thought all books either had a puffin or a Penguin on them. 😂

agatiefan.bsky.social•212 days ago

Literally the most exciting day of the term at primary school was when the Puffin Book Club promotional pamphlets were dished out.

galleristocrat.bsky.social•212 days ago

Every bedtime before we start our story I get my 7-yo to tell me the title, author, illustrator and publisher. We've tried doing the ISBN but it just won't stick 9780241... 😂

abigail.bsky.social•212 days ago

😆😆😆

cazapr1.bsky.social•212 days ago

And he must have *really* thought about it!

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Exactly! He's probably got tables and charts!

rburrows.bsky.social•212 days ago

I had young reader feedback on a story - they said they loved the fact there were no bullies and the mc was happy because they could identify with that! I’ve kept that in mind since!

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

awwww

kieranlarwood.bsky.social•213 days ago

I leave it up to my publishers, although my brother was once working with Romesh Ranganathan, so I got him to do a cheeky ask for me 😂

annamazz.bsky.social•213 days ago

I just make mine up.

louiestowell.bsky.social•213 days ago

Hahahaha

stupidmonster.bsky.social•213 days ago

I made one up recently and Walker made me ask the author to put their name to it. They did! Phew!

kerryburnetty.bsky.social•213 days ago

🤣🤣

sirbenfro.bsky.social•213 days ago

Dammit! Why didn’t I think of that?

annamazz.bsky.social•213 days ago

My husband once worked with a man called Stephen King and I was very tempted to get him to quote on my book.

louiestowell.bsky.social•213 days ago

Inspired

sirbenfro.bsky.social•213 days ago

Now I'm wondering if the Daily Record meant the vegetable growing farmer when they called me the new Ian Rankin.🤔

carriem.co.uk•213 days ago

My publishers know all the good people :) I’d be a bit scared to ask tbh.

rainewilson.bsky.social•212 days ago

I hate asking, but I generally ask people I know, and the publisher asks people I don't know. But it is always the most awkward thing ever 🫠

davidashelton.bsky.social•213 days ago

Mostly it's my publisher, but sometimes I've spotted something lovely that someone's said on social media about a proof copy and I've thanked them and asked if it would be okay to use the tweet (or whatever) as a quote.

vikkipatis.bsky.social•213 days ago

A bit of both! I think we all understand how busy everyone is and that they might not get to it, and how mortifying it is to ask in the first place (which suggests it probably shouldn't be??).

mglnrd.bsky.social•212 days ago

I do. So Louie, if you like my new book, would you mind giving me a quote? 🤣 Many editors approach me for quotes, but when an author asks I’m much more likely to try to make the time to read & quote. The problem is that I’m sent 4 or 5 books a week with quote requests. I can’t read them all.

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Hahahahaaha! But yes that's true personal approaches do make me wmore inclined. At the moment i'm finding reading quite hard (been a rubbish year) so only getting thru about one proof every four months or so!

mandy58114.bsky.social•212 days ago

Hope your year improves Louie.🤗

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Thank you. Hoping for no more Life Events this year!

mandy58114.bsky.social•212 days ago

Take care

mglnrd.bsky.social•212 days ago

Yeah. I am writing so much at the minute I have zero reading time. I feel guilty when I don’t read authors’ proofs because I know that quotes help, and we all need support when launching a new story into the world.

brennigjones.com•212 days ago

My publisher, she's very good at asking the right people

sallynicholls.bsky.social•212 days ago

I honestly hate it when authors approach me directly and then hassle me for a quote. Like Harriet Vane, I just can't say nice things about a book if I don't love it. Always happy to receive books, but please, please go through my agent or publisher.

sallynicholls.bsky.social•212 days ago

A general 'let me know if you'd like a book' in a group chat is fine though.

dansmithauthor.bsky.social•212 days ago

I always leave that to my publisher. And for my next book I've received some lovely quotes from some fab authors who I really admire. Which is nice.

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

EXCELLENT

madpowerbomber.bsky.social•212 days ago

I'm not published so I don't know, I am also very curious about this question!

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

The answer is a bit of both!

kitconwayauthor.bsky.social•213 days ago

I’m doing it at the moment and it’s a bit of both

jamesbluecat.bsky.social•212 days ago

Both

pgbellwriter.bsky.social•212 days ago

Usborne and Gemma, my agent, have always been really good at doing it on my behalf.

lthompsonwrites.bsky.social•212 days ago

My publisher does. And I get a mix of requests directly or via other publishers.
(And HELLO!👋🏻)

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

HELLO!!!! Yeah it seems like it's a mix for most people. Thank you all for being my external memory banks cos I haven't done it for a few years (doing a series I don't have proofs so no quote requests!)

wurdsmyth.bsky.social•213 days ago

It depends. One of my publishers asks for a list and they approach the authors, the other doesn’t so I ask authors if they’d consider reading a proof and quoting. Over the years it’s varied but I think it’s good to have a list of authors you would love quotes from.

louiestowell.bsky.social•213 days ago

Cheers! I have an awful memory so not sure if i did it myself or not at this point!

wurdsmyth.bsky.social•213 days ago

It’s the MOST embarrassing thing asking authors for quotes. Those who’ve been lovely enough to quote for me will attest to the fact that my quote requests are five hundred caveats before the actual ask and two thousand apologies afterwards! But I push through the pain because quotes really help.

missdeplume.bsky.social•212 days ago

I’ve mostly done it for mine - but I’m with a tiny publisher so it’s just easier for me to ask authors I already know!

stupidmonster.bsky.social•213 days ago

They always make me do it! I get so nervous!!

lottelydia.bsky.social•212 days ago

bit of both depending on whether I know the quoter or not!

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Yeah seems to be a mix all round. Thinking as a book buyer, there are definitely names that would make me buy a book, as an adult (Ben aaronovitch likes it? I'm in, for eg) but for children's books...I sometimes wonder how many parents would know any of the names? Even big kidlit authors!

lottelydia.bsky.social•212 days ago

also: I offer quotes to people (with the usual proviso of busy-ness and honesty) and I think if anyone has ever given you one willingly in the past it’s nice to pay it forward

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

Definitely! I'm the slowest reader so my number of proofs received to quotes actually given ratio is pitiful but I try to do at least some on a regular basis (as you say, i've had nice ones in the past, let's keep that going)

katyjamoran.bsky.social•213 days ago

A mix. This may be controversial but I wish authors asking other authors for quotes wasn’t a thing. It’s inequitable and awkward: not everyone has contacts and whilst I’m very grateful to all the kind folk who quoted for me, I felt as if I were putting them on the spot if I was doing the asking

louiestowell.bsky.social•212 days ago

No, I get that. It does mean people who are very connected find it much easier!

katyjamoran.bsky.social•212 days ago

I will caveat this by saying that personal approaches came from authors I’d chatted to enough on Old Twitter for us both to be confident it was a good idea, and I was delighted to quote for them. But a book’s success should not lean for one second on the author’s personal contacts.

katyjamoran.bsky.social•212 days ago

Honestly, it perpetuates inequality. Publishers should have a strong idea of comp titles and by all means request author input, but make the approaches themselves in such a way that the author being asked can easily say no. It can put both parties in such an awkward position

sirbenfro.bsky.social•213 days ago

I really don’t like asking, which is probably why I have so few. My publisher once asked me for a list of authors to approach and then did nothing with it.

sirbenfro.bsky.social•213 days ago

To be fair, I had “The new Ian Rankin” from the Daily Record for my first book, so they just put that on the cover of all the rest.

fuzzynick.bsky.social•213 days ago

I thought my publisher would get the blurb: turned out not! I optimistically sent the MS to a well-known author I knew, asking if they might do one (to the best of my knowledge, they've still not read it). Two writer friends who also saw it in advance offered, so I have two lovely quotes from them.

sirbenfro.bsky.social•213 days ago

I get asked a lot, but I’m a slow reader and always busy. It’s usually editors who ask though, so some publishers are doing the work.

jnraeside.bsky.social•213 days ago

Bit of both but it was mostly me. 🤓

amandajennings.bsky.social•213 days ago

A mix. I do ask but through gritted teeth and with extreme shame. Truth of it is, we all feel it and we all understand it’s horrid to ask but a necessary part. Reckon as long as the askee knows there’s no pressure to read (can’t read everything after all) then ok. My publisher also sends it out.

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