I’m intrigued by whether a blurb from another writer would actually make you pick up a book by an author you’d never heard of. If you’re not swayed by blurbs what would make you buy a book you knew nothing about? - ThreadSky

jancarsonwrites.bsky.social • 26 days ago

I’m intrigued by whether a blurb from another writer would actually make you pick up a book by an author you’d never heard of. If you’re not swayed by blurbs what would make you buy a book you knew nothing about?

Reposted from Jan Carson

When the system is very, very broken and someone employs a bit of common sense, (and it's your publisher). Asking people to read books with a view to blurbing has always giving me enormous amounts of anxiety. Delighted that I won't be required to do this anymore
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

Comments

johnkenny13.bsky.social•26 days ago

Believe it or not, the cover. I know you shouldn't judge...

missusvee.bsky.social•26 days ago

I'm more likely to *not* buy a book because of a name in the blurb.

katiemcd.bsky.social•26 days ago

I very rarely even read the blurbs, but occasionally they've made me take the plunge. A review is much more likely to do it than a blurb though...

silverlawn.bsky.social•26 days ago

The cover design, especially if not too generic, but most importantly the publisher’s explanatory blurb rather than the endorsement blurbs.

dochasisgra.bsky.social•25 days ago

I actually did recently buy a book because it was recommended by an author I really like, and was then extremely disappointed as it wasn't of a comparable standard at all. Definitely someone trying to help out a friend, which while kind, probably isn't the best system. Blurbs usually do it for me.

dochasisgra.bsky.social•25 days ago

Sorry by "blurbs usually do it for me", I mean I'm swayed by an indication of what it's about, not so much by who recommends it.

alanfraser.bsky.social•26 days ago

I’ve become suspicious of author blurbs cuz they are now so overdone as to become almost worthless (Is there any book in print that *hasn’t* had a glowing endorsement from Colm Tobin?). But I must confess that an endorsement from I writer I know of a writer I don’t does make me more likely to buy.

alanfraser.bsky.social•26 days ago

And I should add that I bought ‘Juno Loves Legs’ specifically (which I absolutely loved) largely on the basis of your cover endorsement, Jan!

jancarsonwrites.bsky.social•26 days ago

Such a great wee novel. I love Karl’s writing

deshocks.bsky.social•26 days ago

I would trust reviews over blurbs… Irish writing is very cosy, sometimes that’s a good thing, but I’ve read some very mediocre books with gushing blurbs by writers whose opinions I’d previously valued…

mpodxof.bsky.social•26 days ago

Dunno. Definitely picked up a book recently by an author I'd never heard of because I read a blurb/recommendation by alan moore. (Loved Quickly,while - by the way...)

jancarsonwrites.bsky.social•26 days ago

Thank you

patcarty.bsky.social•26 days ago

Erudite and handsome reviewers.

evepritchett.bsky.social•26 days ago

Agree, but sometimes a bad review fires me up to read and draw my own conclusion.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply