Wouldn’t you love to get a blurb for your book as nice as the one Groucho Marx bestowed on Dawn Ginsbergh’s Revenge, by his fellow humorist  S.J. Perelman? Short, sweet, and killer conclusion. Groucho was famous for adding unexpected, often funny endings to his remarks. He’s left us with Quotable Quotes galore.

So, what’s with the blurb thing? Where does the word come from and what is it, actually? It may sound Gen Z nooby but the word has been around since 1906, when a certain Gelett Burgess caught Miss Belinda Blurb in the act of blurbing on the front cover of his book Are You a Bromide? Burgess defined his neologism as “a flamboyant advertisement; an inspired testimonial.”

Confusingly (perhaps), nowadays we use the word blurb not just to mean Miss Belinda’s endorsement, but also for the gotcha description set on the back cover. Here I mean the flamboyant version.

So, are blurbs shameless promotion or sincere praise from the persuasive end of publishing? Why do we, dear Author, want well-known people to praise our books? The answer’s obvious. Admit it, we’re all influenced by what other people say about a product. Who doesn’t check the reviews before buying a new fridge? Same applies to what we read. Bottom line:

BLURBS SELL BOOKS

Now, I’m not saying that getting a fabulous blurb is a life-or-death must. Many self-published books come out with a descriptive blurb and no titillating testimonials, like my own debut novel, Revealing Philippa. Some even manage to do quite well sales-wise. But let’s face it, a good blurb hooks the reader’s attention. And that’s what we want.

So, how do we get a respected writer to give us a decent blurb? It’s not always easy but hey, there’s solid advice available online; see Tips and tricks, below, for some sensible offerings. But first, let me share with you how I obtained this superb blurb from my favorite ecothriller writer, Manda Scott.

 

I didn’t do it on my own. Acting on my publisher’s recommendation (there you go), I chose to work with a publicist who has many years of experience in traditional book publishing, Chris @ The Idea Shop, based in Toronto, CA.

Once settled into our very pleasant samenwerking, Chris asked me, “Who do you want to ask for a blurb?” The best option, he advised, would be to approach established (I don’t want to say ‘famous’) writers in my sapphic genre or, more broadly, writers of books that shared something important in common with Becoming Janice. Following this advice, I chose a wish list of authors whose bestsellers evidently appeal to a universal audience: Manda Scott, Sarah Winman and Rosalie Knecht.

All three novelists have created lesbian characters but—and this is the important bit—their books aren’t about being a lesbian. In Manda’s early Kellen Stewart crime series, in Rosalie’s Vera Kelly coming-of-age/crime series, and Sarah’s Still Life, for example, sexuality is never an issue. Being lesbian is simply a given, as incidental and ordinary as the sexuality of straight characters. I landed on these top writers not just because I love their books, but because they depict three-dimensional lesbians in a true and realistic light. I hoped that a nice remark from any one of them would point readers to the parallels in my own book.

Having a publicist approach big-name authors on your behalf works well. Chris explains, “It’s always better if the author doesn’t request the blurb themselves. The folks holding the keys, or even the authors, will never want to upset or disappoint a fellow author. So they will just not reply. Dealing with a publicist, they know personal ego is not on the line, so they are more likely to respond. Rather than an outright yes or no, we often get ‘Well maybe, when do you need the blurb, how much time do I have?’”

Chris adds, “The other bit, naturally hard for new authors, is to be clear and concise on why you want a particular author’s help or even why this might be a fun book for them to read and provide a blurb for. Getting that right is kind of like writing your own dating profile.”

There is no magic formula to getting a good blurb. Chris agrees. “So much is a matter of luck and timing. And once the blurb is in hand, there’s no changing it, or you risk upsetting the blurber.”

Chris thinks one value of a good publicist is their being able to connect likeminded talents, often between their own authors. “Besides reaching out to your wish list, it was a total joy to connect you with the American author Lindsay Merbaum, whose book I’d just finished and thoroughly enjoyed. I felt you two had a connection despite living continents apart.”

So what happened to my wish list? Chris told me—tactfully—that Rosalie’s agent had said Rosalie was busy drafting her next book and had no time for blurbs. Fair enough. Sarah didn’t respond (that’s okay too, win some, lose some) but I’m grateful to say, Manda came up with the goods. When her blurb came in I was stunned. That a bestselling author (whose books I’d been collecting since her debut in the 1990s) had actually read my book, that she’d spent time thinking about it, and had then worded such praise… the kindness took my breath away.

I was similarly blown over when Lindsay’s blurb arrived, sandwiched between two from people I’d reached out to myself because (true confession time) they are GOAT influencers of my potential readers in editing and publishing communities, Katharine O’Moore-Klopf and Eefke Smit. This validation of my writing by people I greatly respect feels good! I am hugely grateful, not just to my publicist and stellar blurbers, but to anyone who leaves a blurb for my book anywhere online. Perhaps some day soon you, too, will do a Groucho, and “intend reading” Becoming Janice.

Tips and tricks

• Jane Friedman on Getting Book Endorsements (Blurbs)
• How to get blurbs for your book from famous authors
• How to Get Blurbs for Your Book – 3 Ways to Ask
• Rattling the cup for blurbs
• How do I get a blurb?
• Book Blurbs: 8 Tips on How to Write a Blurb for a Book

Footnote

Thank the goddess there is no copyright on titles. I came across the fabulous book for bibliophiles, Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Willder while researching the topic and loved her pun on ‘curb’ so much, I nicked the title. But, you’ll be pleased to know, I’ve ordered the book. Judging by the blurb-filled cover—four super endorsements and one enticing description—it’s worth every penny!

Featured image

Reworked front cover of Gelett Burgess’s Are You a Bromide? Wiki public domain