For the last few months Anna’s editor has been trying to get successfully published authors to blurb All Unquiet Things. A blurb is an endorsement quote that goes on the cover of a book (either front or back, but if it’s a great quote from a well-known author, then definitely on the front) and is supposed to be that little something extra that will sway potential readers. The idea is that if you are a fan of said already published author and said already published author is telling you that they thought All Unquiet Things was the best book they’d ever read, you will take their word for it and pick up a copy. In other ways endorsement quotes also provide some leverage with the marketing team (“This already published author loved All Unquiet Things, maybe we should give it a little extra attention.”) as well as with buyers for bookstores (“This book looks interesting and this already published author loved it? We’ll take an extra 500 copies.”) and they’re always a nice addition to any author’s website.
But it looks like All Unquiet Things will not be hitting shelves with an endorsement quote on its cover. Why? Because it turns out that all the YA authors we approached have no blurbing policies. One the one hand, I get it. When your name becomes recognizable (and yes, I’m admitting that our potential quotee list was pretty much made up of recognizable names. It’s the way the of the game) there is no doubt that you are swamped with requests by first time authors and their agents and editors for endorsement quotes. I’m sure this gets annoying and can be a total time suck, but on the other hand I can’t help but wonder since you (you = well-known, successfully published author) were once a first time, unknown novelist, why not give back? Anna and I discussed this over email recently. I was astounded by just how many authors flat-out state that they will not blurb (and a little irked when I did see endorsement quotes by some of them on the covers of recent releases) whereas Anna maintained that endorsement quotes don’t really sway her when she’s browsing in a book store. So, I’m curious, dear readers: do they work for you? Have you every purchased something because a favorite authors of yours was quoted on the cover? Or do you disregard any and all endorsement quotes?
The A Team 
I’ve only picked up one book because of a blurb and that was only because the blurber’s (is this a word?) name was so big I thought it was by her! The book was Something Maybe by Elizabeth Scott and the blurb was by Sarah Dessen. I did end up buying it, but because of the first line not the blurb and became a huge fan of Elizabeth’s writing. So I guess in that case it worked in a round about way.
I usually pick books up based on their covers, I think most people do. So Anna should have no worries 🙂