The Art of the Blurb: Results of the Poll
It took us a while to get 100 responses, but here we are. The poll on blurbs unearthed some surprising results, surprising to me at least. I guess I was wilfully naive about blurbs. When I started buying poetry books, I noticed blurbs. But soon, I came to the conclusion they were always "great" and that they were filled with hyperbole. I kind of stopped looking at them. I am, to this day, still more likely to buy or read a book because someone I trust has good things to say about it. So, I am a little surprised, actually shocked, at the results of this poll. Here is the breakdown after 100 votes:
59% of respondents notice blurbs, esp. who wrote them
20% of respondents pay attention to blurbs and have bought books based on them
12% of respondents believe blurbs for poetry books are pointless
8% of respondents rarely ever read blurbs
1% of respondents claimed not to know what a blurb is...
Now, I guess I could understand this if people knew the person writing the blurb and felt it was more like a recommendation given personally, but I just cannot believe that. I suspect, looking at these results, that WHO blurbs is almost more important than the blurb itself. Oh, I know; the results are by no means scientific considering only 100 people responded, but this still tells me more than I would have imagined.
posted by C. Dale @ 9:26 AM
11 comments
11 Comments:
I can honestly say I've never bought a book based on a blurb. However, I do read the blurbs and take note of who wrote them, but I still might not buy the book. I have to open it up and get a sampling for myself or find something online to see if its something I want to invest my money in.
A poem I connect to in the book, if I open it, is much more likely to get me to read the book and buy it.
I think, for me, the blurb kind of gives me a hint as to what's inside - if Tony Hoagland and Billy Collins, for instance, blurbed a book, you might expect it to be discursive and on the lighter side, while if Louise Gluck blurbed something, you'd expect it to be emotionally intense and lyric, that kind of thing. There are so many books out there that I do use blurbs to guide me to new writers I might enjoy. It's probably more descriptive than relying on the cover art, anyway, or the title.
C. Dale, I answered with the majority, but I think you may be misinterpreting the results. I chose that answer because it was closest to what I would say, but it's not 100% accurate (or it can mean multiple things).
I do tend to notice blurbs and who wrote them, but almost always it's turning the book over to look at the back cover after I've read some of it. It's often interesting to find out who the author knows, how other poets described poems I like, or who had nice things to say about poems I detest. But I've never bought a book based on a blurb, or even particularly considered the blurbs as a factor.
Great topic. I've never bought a book based on a blurb but it's interesting to see who knows whom in the poetry community.
I'm in the same camp with Steven. I notice the blurbs, but I don't buy a book based on them. I just find them interesting--they give me an idea about the "six-degrees-of-separation" in the poetry world.
Ah, but a bunch of you notice blurbs, for whatever reason. I rarely ever look at them. Doesn't mean you buy the books based on the blurb. That said 20% of folks who answered do buy books influenced by the blurbs. I guess I am just surprised foks notice blurbs. But then again, there must be a reason why they appear on almost every book.
Hey--You changed your picture! I like it! If I lived in SF, I'd totally want the 411 on your photographer.
Leslie, My photo agent is Marion Ettlinger. The photo is the one from my first book. I used to use it long ago and thought it was time for a chance, so I switched back. trying to switch things up a bit.
Wasn't it SPY magazine that had a column on book blogs?
"John Gresham said James Patterson's new book is an absolute page turner?" countered with "James Patterson says he couldn't put down Gresham's latest" or something vaguely like that- only the blurbs were real, not made up!
I know for a fact a recently deceased Virginia writer wrote at least two blogs for friends and he couldn't have possibly read their poetry because it is awful.
I read 'em, but I don't trust 'em.
Um, you mean blurbs, not blogs, right?
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