How important are quotes/blurbs from reviewers on backcover?

[kans_007]

I recently had my book published with the help of my sister. [Edit : Please note, It's a non-fiction book of "personality growth/ spirituality" genre ] It's presently just available through online outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble's, but it is soon to be available in some independent bookstores and possibly in some chains (yes you can have self-published books available in stores provided you follow certain parameters).

I am wondering, how important is having quotes/blurbs from reviewers and well known personalities on the back cover of the book? Presently I have none. There are quite a few good reviews on Amazon, so potential buyers can read those reviews before making a purchase decision. But I am wondering if I should include some quotes from reviewers (with their permission ofcourse) on the backcover of the book for the benefit of people who might be browsing the book at a bookstore. Is it worthwhile to seek out blurbs from famous people to put on the back cover or would excerpts from real reviews from readers be suffice?

Would you purchase a book if you seem to like the blurb, description and if the table of contents and other material in the book look good? Or is having quotes from other readers an important parameter in making purchase decision?

I am thinking of revising the back cover of the book if this is indeed an important factor. Thanks for all your answers in advance!

[Doug Pardee]

Personal opinion, speaking as a reader: if the quotes tell me something useful, and there aren't too many of them, I'll pay some attention. If they're just "Great read!" and "I couldn't put it down!", I don't pay any attention. The best quotes are the ones that say what you'd probably like to say yourself, but it would detract from the back-cover blurb: "Characters with great depth and complexity," "Fast-paced and hard-hitting," "Deeply affecting," "Gonzo humor," "Dark and bloody," "Inspirational without getting religious," "Charming romance," etc. — comments that give me a sense of how the story is told (we are talking fiction, yeah?)

I'm probably in a minority, but I've learned to pay no attention to approbation from famous authors, other than to use the author names to help categorize the book in my mind.

[kans_007]

Thanks Doug! BTW sorry forgot to mention, that the book in question is a non-fiction book of "Personal Growth/ Spirituality Genre." Would you like to add anything in the light of this new information.

Thanks!
Kannan

[suzanne grenager]

Hi, Kannan! I am about to self-publish my first book in the same genre as yours, and I too have puzzled over the whole *to have or not to have famous author endorsements* question. In the end I opted to write what I trust is a terrific blub for the back cover and include only a short endoresement from a slightly well-known author who knows me well on the front. The amount of time and evergy it takes to approach famous, often horribly overcommitted people who turn you down seems like a nasty, draining proposition. Better, I think, to focus on getting the cover copy just right and reaching out to people who know and care about us to write endorsements for inside. Those come across as heartfelt and real, and as a reader/book buyer, I find that authentic words from ordinary people like me move me more than what can sound like cliches written by names we know.

[kans_007]

Better, I think, to focus on getting the cover copy just right and reaching out to people who know and care about us to write endorsements for inside. Those come across as heartfelt and real, and as a reader/book buyer, I find that authentic words from ordinary people like me move me more than what can sound like cliches written by names we know.

Hi Suzanne....I totally agree with your words. It does make more sense to include authentic words from real people for the back cover of the book. Great to learn about your upcoming book. Wish you the best with the same!!

Kannan

[suzanne grenager]

Hi, again, Kannan.

Thank you for your acknowledgement and support. I wish you a fun and soul-satisfying ride with *your* book, too. Mine, by the way, is called Bare Naked at the Reality Dance and is very much about the "inner yoga" that your work must describe. I am only now developing my website, so you can't check out my book yet. But I plan to check out yours and invite you to visit my "barenakedinspiration" blog if you're so inclined. Thanks!

[Ryan]

I've never bought a book because of a blurb I read on the back cover. In fact, I actually laugh at a lot of the blurbs I read because they deserve it. Most recently, the 2nd Hunger Games came into my hands and a blurb by Stephanie Meyer said something along the lines of..."This is so good I brought it to dinner and was sneaking reads under the table...."
Hah!

That said, I did solicit some authors to write blurbs for my book. I probably shot too high and didn't get any takers but I'm not too worried about it.

Once you start garnering reviews you could always update the cover for a 2nd edition. I think with Lightning Source, the POD printer I'm using, it costs like $40 to upload a new file so it's not that bad.

Side note: One of the guys I solicited was Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain. He emailed me back with some kind words and said he was committed to reading manuscripts and writing blurbs for a whole line of books already.

Good luck!