This journey to publication has been full of excitement and learning new things at every turn. One of the things I'd never given much thought to was blurbs--not the summary of the book but those little quotes from other authors that decorate the front and back of the book. So when my editor asked who I had in mind for blurbs, I was like uh...*blinks* *clueless grin*
Yeah, this is when pre-published networking comes in handy. Of course you (or your agent) can ask authors who you are a fan of but who are total strangers to you to blurb you. You may get a yes (in fact, I've gotten a few yeses that way), but you also may get a no because a) everyone's busy and b) if that author has no connection to you they may not be all that motivated to go out of their way. So if you can ask someone you've already met or established some connection with or know through a local writer's group, you're already one step ahead of the game.
This is one of the reasons I was able to get a quote from the fabulous NYT Bestselling author Shayla Black. We share an editor which helped, but Shayla's also in my local RWA group, so I'd already met her a few times. And I know how busy she is, so it's hugely generous for her to take the time out of her schedule to read my book and give me a blurb.
Another blurb I just received recently was from the super fab Jo Davis. She's in the sister chapter of my RWA group so I had never technically met her, but I had attended a workshop of hers at RWA Nationals that I found super helpful (and introduced me to her books). So when I emailed her to request the blurb, I felt less intimidated because I was able to personalize it a bit and not be just like "you're books rock! please, please blurb me." : )
The other blurb I have is from Tiffany Reisz, who is my agency mate. Tiffany just happens to be a super nice and generous person, so we didn't have to twist her arm to give me one. : ) I'm just sad I didn't get to blurb her back (her book comes out before mine), so I have to wait until SEPTEMBER to read her debut THE SIREN
Obviously getting blurbs is a huge deal to the writer. I get all giddy and smiley every time one comes in and I find out that an author I really admire liked my story. It's like writer crack.
But here's my question: Do you think blurbs matter to the reader? When you put your reader hat on, do you give any weight to the quotes you see on the cover?
I think I usually pay attention to what the quote says because it gives me some idea about the book--"sizzling" means something different from "creepy". So it can give you a quick idea of what the tone is of the book. But I'm not sure I ever paid attention to WHO was saying those things before I became a writer.
Here are my blurbs and some of the books of the authors who were kind enough to blurb me:
"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author
“With her debut erotic romance CRASH INTO YOU, Roni Loren has penned a sexy, sizzling tale that is sure to have readers begging for more! I can’t wait for Roni Loren’s next tantalizing story!” –Jo Davis, author of I SPY A DARK OBSESSION
"Watch out. Roni Loren, just like the men in her books, knows how to keep you up all night. Crash Into You is sexy as hell and goes into the dark places other writers shy away from. I can sum this book up in one word--Damn!" -Tiffany Reisz, Author of The Siren and Seven-Day Loan
So what do you think? Do these entice you to buy my book or do you not pay attention to blurbs? Whose on your "dream list" of authors you'd want to blurb you?