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Title details for Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Willder - Available

Blurb Your Enthusiasm

A Cracking Compendium of Book Blurbs, Writing Tips, Literary Folklore and Publishing Secrets

by Louise Willder
ebook
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1 of 1 copy available
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

    • Creators

    • Publisher

    • Release date

      September 1, 2022

    • Formats

      • Kindle Book

      • OverDrive Read

        • ISBN: 9780861542499

      • EPUB ebook

        • ISBN: 9780861542499
        • File size: 1986 KB

    • Languages

      • English

    • Reviews

      • Booklist

        September 1, 2022
        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.

        COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    Formats

    • Kindle Book
    • OverDrive Read
    • EPUB ebook

    subjects

    Languages

    • English

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