In the last year or so, I’ve gotten an increasing number of blurb requests for books that are not yet sold to a publisher. They’re “done,” in that the author has completed a draft of some iteration, and gotten an agent with that draft. But the book ain’t really done.
No editor has likely touched it.
No publisher has put the seal-of-approval upon it.
And yet, the author — or, likelier still, the agent — wants a blurb.
(A blurb, to clarify the language, is the marketing text on and in a book where another author says, “ARGUS VAN DORN IS AN AUTEUR TO WATCH. THE SHEPHERD’S WINEBLADE, BOOK ONE OF THE DECIDUOUS CYCLE IS A TOUR DE FORCE MASTERWORK WITH HUNKY FUCKABLE DRAGON CHARACTERS AND TICKLISH, GIDDY PROSE.” A blurb is not, in this instance, meant to discuss the flap-cover or back-cover copy.)
So, why are agents/authors/editors asking for pre-sale, pre-pitch blurbs?
My guess is that having a named, extent author give a pre-emptive seal-of-approval will either help the agent sell the book to an editor, or will help an editor sell the book through to acquisitions. (For those not in the know on this one, an editor wanting to buy the book isn’t enough. They need a lot of acquisitional sign-off, meaning, the publisher needs to wink and nod that they know how to, and are willing to, sell this book. An editor’s love for it surely carries some weight, but is not in any way the deciding factor. The industry thrives on love, but runs on money.)
This may be a bit of a bleed-over from non-fic, where one’s platform isn’t really about general sales reach but also about expertise and connection within the community of a given topic. But I’ve started to see it across fiction, now, too, and uhhh. Ehhmmm.
Let me be indelicate, here:
This fucking sucks.
Now, when I say, this fucking sucks, note that I am speaking for myself, and not for any other author. Other authors might not care about this, or hey, maybe they’re even into the idea.
Me, not so much.
Let’s go through why exactly this is some fucky business.
First, blurbs are already fraught.
Okay? We don’t know how much they matter, and we’re often given almost no time to read the book and write them. Further, the fear is blurbing the wrong book, a fear that applies to both sides of that authorial equation. If I blurb a book that is far outside my own genres and literary comfort zone, will that author’s readers be turned off, or mad at me for it? Will I poison that author’s book by creating in my readers an expectation that their book is very much like my book, even though it’s not at all, and is in fact just a book I really liked? Then there’s the problem of, some authors don’t even read the books they blurb. They just fuckin’ blurb them, or have agents/editors write those blurbs. (For the record, I read the books I blurb. I don’t always read them as well as I’d like, because of the aforementioned too-tight timetables, but I read ’em. And so do the authors I call friends.)
Second, what the hell happens after I blurb it?
Maybe it goes onto get published — yay! Except then it’s going to surely be edited, because a pre-sale book will almost certainly need editing. (Be wary if they tell you it’s all good, ready to publish.) So, it gets edited and… then what? They just take your blurb, a blurb you wrote for a different version of that book, and slap it on? That sucks, because a blurb is a kind of endorsement. And sometimes, books change wildly between the pre-sale draft and what ends up on shelves. (And by the way, this is a good argument for why authors should never, ever blurb without reading the book first. Amazing we have to say that, but seriously, read the books you blurb, okay?) Imagine now that this pre-book you pre-blurbed goes to print with some heinous fuckery in its pages? Or what you like about it was edited out of it? Or it’s taken on a whole new genre? Ugh. Buuuuuut, if they’re not gonna automagically use your blurb, it means you have to read the book again, to re-deliver a new-ish blurb. Or or or, if they’re not gonna use your blurb at all, what was the fucking point?
Third, here’s Katherine Locke and Fonda Lee tweeting some wisdom:
I’m going to say this right now: I will refuse to blurb anything before it’s sold. Setting expectations that a book needs big name endorsement in order to even be published is gross social climbing at best, a way to create another unfair systematic barrier to entry at worst. https://t.co/flKJtavbei
— Fonda Lee (@FondaJLee) February 16, 2020
it’s turned it into this “does the author have connections they can leverage later” type of thing. I was asked recently, and gave it, but specifically said they couldn’t use that blurb for publicity until I’d read the book again because I don’t know what happens AFTER edits.
— Katherine Locke (@Bibliogato) February 15, 2020
They’re right. It’s weaponizing platform for fiction authors and continues to consolidate power for those authors who are in some way “influential” — influence then breeds influence, and further, influence breeds careers. Now, I’m not a mooncalf, I know that’s already a thing. This isn’t new. But this definitely helps to sharpen it to a finer point, thus forcing newer authors to first and foremost either be good at social media or have penmonkey pals in high places. Which leads to, and here again I’ll let Katherine Locke tell it true:
which I *know* has made famous authors wary of interacting with emerging authors here, because are you being mined for your influence or is this genuine community building?
— Katherine Locke (@Bibliogato) February 15, 2020
Hey. Psst. Guess what?
People aren’t ladders.
It’s not that we don’t want to help. We do. And authors should always, as I’ve said in the past, offer a hand-up to those climbing behind them. We should at the least leave a light on and the ladder out. But that doesn’t mean we’re the fucking ladders. Like I said, blurbs are already fraught — introducing a new, interstitial BLURB PHASE just makes the whole thing all the more suspect.
Listen, I get it. This is a hard business. I understand that we all crave an edge, and I grok that agents and editors are the ones who may be pushing neophyte authors to seek that edge. But this ain’t it. This can’t be it — and I really, really hope this isn’t the type of thing that becomes so populous it’s normalized. This is a punishment for everyone.
It’s bad for the authors having to seek the blurbs, because they’re potentially exploiting relationships with other authors very early on, possibly even burning bridges. It’s also awkward as hell — “Hey, I wrote a book that we haven’t even sold yet, wanna read it and give me some MARKETING FRIENDLY AUTHOR PROPAGANDA?”
It’s bad for the authors having to write the blurbs, because, as noted, we have no idea what the point of the thing even is. It’s demanding our time for something that hasn’t even been vetted yet and makes us wonder how our words will be used for this book going forward.
It’s bad for the whole damn industry because, hey, it’s supposed to be about the book, and uhh, oh, I dunno, how good it is. I know once again I sound like a bleating mooncalf, but the more we can focus on the book and not the author and her connections, the better. The pure relationship is, author brings a book to an agent –> the agent loves it, reps the writer –> author sells book to editor who buys it because it’s a good book that people will want to read. The end. Huzzah. We shouldn’t want books to become more about who knows who, and who’s the better clout vampire — right?
Further, this creates a vulnerable fracture ripe for exploitation and bigotry. You think marginalized authors will have an easier time with this system, or a harder one? You’ve created a new point of failure, a new door to close. And you think there aren’t already creepy-ass male authors who haven’t viewed this as a way to extract sexual favors? That may sound extreme, but don’t kid yourself. Some creepy writer dude is out there right now feeling that opportunity in the well of his foul, monstrous gut. Even if it’s not that overt, you can be sure it would be used for grooming young women in need of that marketing push. Any introduction of doing favors is a place where those with lesser power can be exploited by those with more power.
So, to sum up —
This is gross, and we shouldn’t want it.
Kill it now, kill it with fire.
Again, I’m speaking for myself. Other authors may like this.
But for my mileage, it’s way too problematic, and should be avoided. I’ll say no if it comes to me, and I hope you’ll say no, too, and will push back against it. If you’re an author whose agent has told them this is how things are done, please know: it’s not usually how they’re done, and you should push back on them. If they continue to insist, it may be time to find a new agent, one who is actually willing to put in the work themselves toward gasp selling the book to an editor instead of letting you turn other people into ladders. And if you’re an agent who thinks this is the way forward: please don’t do this. Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a witty blurb on top?
Now please buy my book which earned its blurbs the old-fashioned way, which is by leaving mysterious sacks of money upon the doorsteps of prominent writers.
* * *
WANDERERS: A Novel, out now.
A decadent rock star. A deeply religious radio host. A disgraced scientist. And a teenage girl who may be the world’s last hope. An astonishing tapestry of humanity that Harlan Coben calls “a suspenseful, twisty, satisfying, surprising, thought-provoking epic.”
A sleepwalking phenomenon awakens terror and violence in America. The real danger may not be the epidemic, but the fear of it. With society collapsing—and an ultraviolent militia threatening to exterminate them—the fate of the sleepwalkers and the shepherds who guide them depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart—or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.
Print: Indiebound | Let’s Play Books (signed) | The Signed Page | B&N | BAM | Amazon
eBook: Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo | Google Play | BAM
Carol Hornung says:
Interesting piece on the blurbs … though not your genre, I’m sure you’re aware of the appropriation dust-up with the novel “American Dirt” which had an almighty long list of blurbs from the likes of Stephen King and John Grisham and someone who called it the “Grapes of Wrath of Our Time” … and then the book was blasted on several levels, one of which being that the writing simply wasn’t all that good … and I’m wondering if the blurb authors even read the thing … interesting stuff …
February 17, 2020 — 10:09 AM
terribleminds says:
Yes, that’s certainly on my mind — it’s adjacent to this post, but has some mycelial threads snaking out into this.
February 17, 2020 — 10:16 AM
angeliquejamail says:
For what it’s worth, I totally agree with you on this. It’s icky.
I have an earnest question about getting blurbs, though, and maybe you can shed some insight? I’m a hybrid author, and a spec-fic series I’m working on right now is being put out by an indie press. They’re very nice to work with but also very small, so I need to find my own blurbs. I’m not sure how to manage that gracefully at this point in my career. Most of the authors I feel I know well enough to ask for a favor are not “big name” yet, and the “big names” I do know, I don’t feel comfortable asking because I’m more interested in building a community rather than riding on coat-tails. How can an author at my stage of career navigate this?
And perhaps it should be said, I don’t have any particular snobbery about this. I don’t have some emotional requirement that a “big name” author blurb my book, even though I’d love it if one did. I’m always grateful for anyone who’s willing to do it, no matter what stage of their career they’re at. But I’ll admit that even asking authors I know well to do it feels like a big ask. Maybe the second part of my question is, how do I get past the feeling of not wanting to ask for a favor, even when offering to do the same in return?
February 17, 2020 — 10:19 AM
terribleminds says:
I don’t think that feeling ever really stops! I think you have to be comfortable asking, and just asking in a nice, professional, pay-attention way. Though I also don’t know how much blurbs are useful or essential for indie books (either self-pub or small press).
February 17, 2020 — 10:25 AM
angeliquejamail says:
Good point. I still like to have at least one for each title. I’ve been fortunate to be able to get two per book so far, but I also never want to wear out my welcome, so to speak, by asking too often. Anyway, I’m glad to know I’m not alone in this. I might even imagine that having that hesitation about it is a good sign? Maybe it means I’m not too caught up in my own ego? One can only hope.
Anyway, thanks. 🙂
February 17, 2020 — 10:29 AM
D.M. Guay says:
“You think marginalized authors will have an easier time with this system, or a harder one? You’ve created a new point of failure, a new door to close.”
You really hit it on the head here. This was in the back of my mind during the entire read. This is fraught, particularly in a time when we need stories from the margins, the cracks, the dark places.
February 17, 2020 — 10:28 AM
Oden says:
I don’t like asking for blurbs, period. No way in hell I’d ask for one before the book has even sold.
February 17, 2020 — 10:40 AM
Lynna says:
Ummm… I would like to read the book you fake blurbed above, please. Has it been written yet? Am especially interested in the hunky dragons and ticklish, giddy prose. Thanks!
February 17, 2020 — 11:01 AM
Scarlett says:
Fascinating subject. I regularly look to the reviews, on just about anything I’m considering spending my money or time on, and especially like to hear what other readers think. I find those who seem to know what they’re talking about to be helpful with the necessary weeding. Blurbs, not so much. Those horny little, front/back/inside cover space-stealing, salaciously suggestive gimmicks feel like the porn of publishing, not that there’s anything wrong with porn, it has a time and place like anything else, but the “blurbs” plastered all over a story feels a little rapey to me, like big fat lies condensed into 150 words or less. Your description of the publishing process confirms my suspicions. It surprises me, not at all, that an agent or an established author might require such a thing, and even hold it over a new author hoping to be published, as some sort of holy chalice key fob thingie to be wielded at the doors of the big, bad publishing industry. “I mean, how the heck did ya think ya might actually gain entry, ya little cog in the great wheel, if ya weren’t prepared to auction off your very soul? Can ya answer me that, ya little no name twit?” Blurbs just feel bought, to me. At the very least, they are crafty, and therefore unreliable.
That said, I just purchased your latest novel, Chuck. I like you! But also, I like your writing here on this blog. And for accuracy’s sake, the moment I decided I wanted to read ‘Wanderers’, was after reading the description. And if I’m being totally honest, I also fell head over heels, so to speak, for the porn. Particularly, Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma’s editorial review, “Trust me: You’re not ready for this book.”
Gee, maybe blurbs really do work. It’s disgusting. But probably true. Signing off — just another cog in the great wheel.
February 17, 2020 — 11:51 AM
Sarah says:
I could not agree more! Sure, maybe it makes it harder to get ‘in’, but only short term. Why create another hoop for people to jump through (and a useless unnecessary one at that)? I feel like it’s just another way to tilt power toward publishers, as if they didn’t have enough already. Also, I had enough of immature popularity contests at high school, thank you very much. Maybe it won’t help me get published but that’s just too bad. I’d prefer to stick to my standards.
February 17, 2020 — 1:10 PM
Awkwardly Alive says:
I work in an indie bookshop and we get asked about blurbs all the time. I always tell readers to be wary of them for this exact reason. Many are genuine, and many are just back scratchers.
February 17, 2020 — 3:13 PM
L. E. Carmichael says:
One – this is icky.
Two – I’m personally pretty skeptical of blurbs and their power to sell a book. In YA, there seem to be a lot of critique groups that blurb each other’s books, which makes sense, because you’re going to ask the people you know. But your friends are not exactly unbiased, even if they’re also writers. There were also a few years in YA when it seemed like every other book on the shelf was blurbed by BIG NAME AUTHOR. And since I had serious issues with BIG NAME AUTHOR’s books, I found that her endorsement actually made me LESS likely to buy a book I might have otherwise.
That said, a teeny indie publisher I worked with once somehow convinced Kathy Reichs (whom I’d never met) to blurb my kids’ book on forensic science, and as a mostly-unknown author, it was a huge confidence booster. Whether it did anything for my sales is much less certain…
February 17, 2020 — 3:50 PM
Richard says:
Also, since the book Chuck is reading is pre-editor, things can change. The book Chuck reads might start out awesome, but a lot can change between drafts and passes from an editor. What if the sub-plot that Chuck thought was great ended up getting dropped? What if the tone and voice of the book changed during revisions? It just seems like a weird stage to put any seal of approval on.
February 17, 2020 — 7:00 PM
Nocturnaliss says:
The day I need a blurb, the only one that’ll matter is that of my writing buddy, who has alpha-read my (unfinished) novel, will beta-read my (by then complete) novel, and whose feedback and opinion actually matters because she helped improve the book even before it was a book and, also: we bonded over feedbacking each other’s works. But then again, I’ll self-publish (right after a professional editor proofs the entire book).
This is why I’ve come not to trust blurbs, but rather the first page of the book. If it hooks me, sold; if it doesn’t, shelf-dust.
February 18, 2020 — 6:40 AM
lauraqjimenez says:
100% agree. This is super icky, to say the least.
But it begs the question on how to handle this situation if one stumbles into it. Say, a newbie author has just earned representation and is now being asked to get blurbs for their pre-sold book (from whomever).
How does this author go about handling this gracefully? Not work with that agent? Fire that editor into the sun? What if their refusal might FEEL like the lynch pin on which their whole career hinges (not that it actually does, right?).
I don’t mean this AT ALL sarcastically.
I worry about the conversations you already hinted at. Young women, POC, etc. being told this is normal and need to go through this gauntlet to get their books on shelves.
How do we PREVENT this from becoming the abusive situation it could be? How do we prevent this from becoming normalized?
February 18, 2020 — 1:18 PM
Widdershins says:
By speaking out, every chance we get. 🙂
February 18, 2020 — 9:40 PM
Widdershins says:
As a reader, I skip right over the sodding things, and may even give the book a miss completely if there’s more than two, maybe, three pages worth … as a writer – It teeters on downright unethical, for all the above mentioned skeevy reasons.
February 18, 2020 — 9:43 PM