Blurb your enthusiasm : an A-Z of literary persuasion

Title:

Author:

Willder, Louise author

ISBN:

9780861542178

9780861546169

Additional ISBN:

9780861542178 9780861546169

Personal Author:

Willder, Louise author

Publication Information:

London, England : Oneworld Publications, 2022.

Physical Description:

352 pages ; 20 cm

Contents:

Introduction: 'Wonderful imaginative lying' -- Cover stories: first impressions -- In the beginning was the blurb: literary history -- Cracking good copy: writing rules -- Blurb spotting in the wild: book species -- Wild and whirling words: blurbs are us.

Subject Term:

Publishers and publishing.

Books -- Marketing.

Authors and publishers.

Books -- Marketing -- Anecdotes.

Publishers and publishing -- Anecdotes.

Genre:

Anecdotes.

Dictionaries.

Language:

English

Abstract:

"It's good to judge a book by its cover. Drawing on her 25 years writing blurbs for Penguin books, Louise Willder explores the art, anecdote and history of the words that only take a few seconds to read but can determine a book's fate. This illuminating and joyful compendium is about blurbs at their very best and worst. It is also about cover design, movie taglines, adverts, quotes, puns, the creative process, writers from Austen to Orwell and much more. It answers questions such as: Why should adjectives generally be murdered? Which author hated blurbs? Is it ever okay to give away the ending? Why should you never start a blurb with 'When'? Can blurbs be sexist? The story of blurbs is the story of our needs and desires as readers; about who we are and want to be"--Publisher.

Available:*

Library	Shelf Location	Shelf Number	Material Type	Item Barcode	Status
Searching... Palmerston North Central Library	Literature-Fiction Zone	070.5 WIL	Book.	PN364650075487	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

'A small masterpiece. There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page' Jenny Colgan, Spectator

A joyful celebration of books - the perfect gift for bibliophiles, word lovers and anyone who's ever wondered, should you judge a book by its cover?

We love the words in books - but what about the words on them? How do they work their magic? Penguin Books blurb wizard Louise Willder joyfully divulges what those 100-or-so words can tell us about literary history, the craft of writing, authors from George Orwell to Zadie Smith, genres from children's fiction to bonkbusters, cover design, the dark arts of persuasion and even why we read. She also answers burning questions such as:

* Should all adjectives be murdered?
* Is blurbing sometimes maybe lying?
* Which classic novel was nearly called The High Bouncing Lover?
* What are the worst blurbs of all time?

'The bookiest book about books you'll ever read - I loved it' Lucy Mangan

'Truly delightful...I couldn't have had more fun' Benjamin Dreyer

'Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!' Nina Stibbe

Genre:

Anecdotes.

Dictionaries.

Reviews (1)

Booklist Review

Say what you will about not judging a book by its cover, but the success of a book, all the potential joy and emotion it can deliver, relies heavily on its exterior: title, cover art, and blurb. The blurb is the sharp, mysterious art form at the center of this book from career blurb-writer Willder. To be clear, Willder's focus is the book-jacket copy that conveys what lives inside--not the blurb form wherein authors sing one another's praises as they throw the weight of their names around. Willder illuminates the precision and power involved in effective blurbing: how to outline plot, highlight strengths, and avoid spoilers without losing potential readers to boring filler. The author breaks down the anatomy of the blurb, the magic meeting of art and advertising, and how blurbs differ from genre to genre. Readers will learn the history of the blurb (all the way back to the papyrus days!) and analyze successful and unsuccessful blurbs from the annals of literary time. A glorious celebration of books and their lovers.