TIP: Why blurbs don't always matter

'"Fantastic! The best since the Magna Carta!"
"Words previous to your brain will fall out once you read this book!"

Ah. The book blurb. Often on the back cover, on the jacket leaf, and sometimes, before the title page, blurbs are designed to pimp the sale.

But do book blurbs work? And what kind? Ms. Obie Joe counsels authors -- who can get more wound about blurbs than their publishers -- to think about what KIND of blurbs one would seek:

Log-rollers: You liked her book on the murderous mother-at-home, and now she likes your book on murderous stay-at-home dads. Tit for tat, these are the type of blurbs from authors closely connected by genre, friendship, agent, or other. These type of blurbs can be a bit inauthentic, reflecting less of the blurbist's true feelings about the book, and more about noting a favor completed.

Celebrities: While some celebrity blurbs can make a cover pop, the truth is, unless the blurb has good content, the blurb is often limited to, "Great book! Must love!" Plus, the time suck of chasing after celebrity endorsements is ridiculously out of proportion for the worth.

If You Like This, You'll Love This: We have to confess, these are our fav type of blurbs. If I see a blurb by Thomas Friedman on an obscure book of microeconomics, or Elizabeth Berg on a women's fiction title, I will try the book. Though these blurbists are often well-known, the difference in the depth of connection.

Frenemies: The blurb that hurts the book rather than hurts. Now who would do that to a book? A publisher, with a book that got lousy pre-pub reviews; the only option then is to run the glowing blurbs from the author's last successful book. See Amy Tan. Jennifer Weiner. And a whole bunch more authors who seem to be flailing with their mid-career books. (Sorry, but we love you gals, and it's killing us what has happened).

Never Too Many: Hardback editions usually get no more than 3 blurbs on the back cover. Paperback editions? They get all of the love: cover, back cover, inside, and even at the end of the book. As Eat, Pray and Love proved, many times the paperback editions outsell the hardback, so don't be shy in loading up the praise.

Or, for that matter, asking for a blurb that matters. Course, there's always the option to blurb your own book. What? You think it's not done?
"Packed with good things, like ink, full stops, and paper with words on it." (Spike Milligan)