Reading the blurb on the books by your favorites

[Danielle]

Do you read the blurbs on the series books by your favorite authors before purchasing the book?

I usually don't. I just buy it.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Danielle wrote: "Do you read the blurbs on the series books by your favorite authors before purchasing the book?

I usually don't. I just buy it."


I did for a long time, then came to realize that sometimes a) the blurb doesn't usually do the book justice, or b) the blurb gives away too much info.

[Danielle]

I agree. Also, there are times when there's no blurb. They only include what others are saying about the book. They don't indicate what the book is about.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Danielle wrote: "I agree. Also, there are times when there's no blurb. They only include what others are saying about the book. They don't indicate what the book is about."

Very true!

[Danielle]

Until I started writing my own blurb, I didn't realize that I wasn't reading the blurbs on the books I buy. I started plucking books off my bookshelf to read the blurbs and realized they were skimpy or non-existent. :-)

[David]

Danielle wrote: "Do you read the blurbs on the series books by your favorite authors before purchasing the book?

I usually don't. I just buy it."

I read them as a back-up to the list I take with me on book buying raids just to make sure I (a)haven't read the book before and (b)forgot to update my list. So I dislike it when the blurb is nothing but kudos for the author.

[[deleted user]]

I don't read it if it's a book from a series that I read, I just buy it. If it's a stand alone or something from a bargain bin, I read just to see if it is something I would like before shelling out money. I'm a tightwad.

[Judith]

I always do - even when it's a book by a favourite author I'm going to buy anyway. I often re-read before I start reading again if it's near the start of the book before I've had a chance to 'settle in' to remind myself what it's all about.
I agree they vary a great deal - some say almost nothing and other mention things you don't come across until you're halfway through.

[Ron]

Well, 1st of all, I don't buy many books. I use the library. And, then, yes, I do read the blurb. Sometimes it's just to see if a favorite author of mine has written another in a series, a new series or a stand alone book. The synopsis of the book will tell me what I'm getting in to with that book. A quick overview of the story is a good thing, to me.

[Sharon]

I usually read the blurbs even with authors/series I like and am following. There are a few I follow and buy so I can keep and re-read I don't do this with, just buy as they come out. However, if the series starts to get less interesting, I start reading the blurb to 'screen' and will try reading it from the library before buying to keep.

[Garrett]

I always read the blurb and the first page. Michael refuses to read the blurb and will stop people if they try to give him a synopsis.

Maddeningly, I am often disappointed in the books I chose, he seldom is.

Cynthia (The Garrett half of Garrett Smith)

[Beth]

If the book is in a series I'm reading and I don't have it yet, I won't read the blurb. I accidentally did that for the Women's Murder Club and it gave away something big that happens later in the series that I haven't been introduced to yet.
I just buy the book and get to it when it's next in the series

[Susan]

I always read blurbs. (Then again, I read everything--cereal boxes, bumper stickers, junk mail...)

As a reader, blurbs can influence me to take a closer look.

As a writer, I appreciate blurbs as evidence of support by authors for authors. Years back I approached one bestselling author on behalf of another for a blurb. The author told me to send the book along; if she liked it, she'd write a blurb. (And she loved it.)

I attended a writer's workshop recently and an author related her experience in obtaining blurbs. She'd written a book about the children of the Sudan. One of the famous people she'd contacted by mail was former President Jimmy Carter. His assistant responded saying he would be interested in reading the book and if he liked it he'd do the blurb. She was asked to submit three blurbs as 'suggestions' for him. He used part of one of those blurbs but edited it to suit him.

To me, that suggests "blurb writers" invest time and effort into their comments, which in turn makes me appreciate that and makes me want to read them.

[Danielle]

Oftentimes, authors write blurbs for other authors, even if they haven't read the book.

[Susan]

Danielle wrote: "Oftentimes, authors write blurbs for other authors, even if they haven't read the book."

I've heard that, and wondered how you could possibly write a blurb without having read the book. Perhaps they know the author and are endorsing her/him instead of the specific book?

[Danielle]

I wonder about that too. Maybe that's why some authors no longer do blurbs for others. They don't have the time to read the books. Others just say something generic, I guess.

[Ron]

Well, I read the blurb synopsis of the book. But, I seldom read the "recommended by" blurbs. What some other author or critic says seldom has any bearing on whether or not I'd want to read the book. Even less on whether or not I'd find it interesting.

[David]

Ron wrote: "Well, I read the blurb synopsis of the book. But, I seldom read the "recommended by" blurbs. What some other author or critic says seldom has any bearing on whether or not I'd want to read the bo..."

I second that.

[Stacy]

I do read blurbs, even if they are by favorite authors. I like having an idea of what the book is about, and it helps me categorize which book I want to read first.