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The Ubiquitous "If You Like..."
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Most of the time it's such a stretch that it's ludicrous, so no, I don't pay much attention to it and yes, it can be a real turn-off and send me looking for something else in a hurry.
It doesn't bother me. It'll catch my attention if, as you said, I know the reference and like the author/book. I might mention it in my review, whether or not the book lives up to the claim. I wouldn't be offended, but I would definitely read it :)
If it's phrased the way you phrased it, then total turn off for me, as a reader/consumer.As an author, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't care. Free advertising. You want to do my promo work for me? Do right ahead.
Overall, though, I don't mind. I'll decide for myself either way. Sometimes it's interesting to see the other books people are reading when they've read this book. And sometimes, it's a big WTF moment.
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It signifies (in my mind) that the book is something of a carbon copy or the author is banking on a more successful work. I'm more enticed by blurbs that stick to the facts and their own merit.
Now, reviews or marketing strategies are totally different. Just no ads in the blurbs
I think it's like how Lily said it. it depends on how it's worded.I think it's best to leave it as a sense of mystery. just kinda like "Other horror books..."
In reviews and passing recommendations, I don't mind comparisons. If a friend tells me, "Hey, you like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials? You may enjoy Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy," swell. If we've got a tacky publisher/author-written If you love Harry Potter then you're going to LOVE this type deal, not so swell.But comparisons serve their purpose in that they provide an immediate idea of what to expect. There's the risk your work will sound derivative, but take something like Alien, which was pitched as "Jaws in space." Reading the script, Jaws would never enter my mind, but at the same time, that silly description fits.
While I'm against those types of comparisons on a book cover unless they're quotes from respected reviewers/writers, I don't see the issue if an author came here and, in trying to describe her/his book mentioned a few popular titles that might be like it. Say Hunger Games had been a self-published novel by an unknown. If said unknown went around telling people, “Fans of Battle Royale may enjoy the start of my YA trilogy,” that’d be a-okay.
Just don't hold yourself up next to a literary great and expect people not to cringe.
I don't think this topic is about comparisons, just sneaking in recommendations on the cover or in the blurb, if I'm not mistaken.
Lily wrote: "As an author, to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't care. Free advertising. You want to do my promo work for me? Do right ahead...."Lol, I never thought of it that way!
I totally get what Jesse is saying; I think the topic could apply to both, but mainly I was thinking of those little italicized plugs on covers and beneath blurbs. The one that's been driving me nuts lately is the comparison to Jane Eyre. I swear, I don't know if it's the genres I'm drawn to, but it's everywhere...everywhere! I feel like jumping up and down and screaming, "No! It's not! A tired autumn romance does not a Jane Eyre make!" Whew. Glad I got that out in the open.
Part of me feels like maybe a comparison to a "literary great" would compliment the author being referenced. On the other hand, what pressure for the "unknown" to put on themselves. What a humiliation if a ton of reviewers feel cheated enough by your illusions of grandeur to call you out on it. That would be my fear.
Jane Eyre? That's... bizzare. I mean, it's not like anyone is going to make money from that. The author's been dead for a while...Yeah, in that specific case, my first impression would be... pretentious, which might be a harsh criticism, but still...
It's very rare (for me anyway) that a suggested book comes anywhere close to what it's compared to, so I generally ignore these suggestions completely.The one exception is when the suggested book is by an author I read and liked and so I am reminded to check out his or her other works.
I'll admit, I'm often intrigued by such claims if I like the author or novel that's being referenced. Other times, I'll look at the blurb and think to myself, "there's no freakin' way".
What do you think? Is it a good marketing tactic or a turnoff? Would you be offended if you were an author whose name or book was being plugged to promote another work?