172: Blurbs: Do They Actually Matter?

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Kristin speaks with hosts Molly, Andrea and Kate about blurbs; the good, the bad and the questionable. The hosts define the term and share their first blurbing experiences before chatting about the purpose and goal behind these endorsements. They talk about a blurb's swaying power, what makes a good one, how to know if it is trustworthy and the etiquette and process of soliciting, editing and including them in the finished product. They each discuss their experiences on both sides of the request, their thoughts on how a blurb affects sales and the role they see the author, editor and PR team playing before getting into some of the practical procedures and personal relationships involved when creating a list of hopeful 'blurbists'.

Hosts: Kate Leahy + Molly Stevens + Kristin Donnelly + Andrea Nguyen

Editor: Abby Cerquitella

MENTIONS

"Blurb Your Enthusiasm" by Sally Ekus

"We Need to Talk About Blurbs" by Kathleen Schmidt

"Are Publishers Dropping Blurbs?" by Lisa Tener

"Here's How Social Media Is Changing Book Blurbs" (NPR, May 2025)

"Author Blurbs: Do They Matter?" by Alessandra Torre Ink

Visit the Everything Cookbooks Bookshop to purchase a copy of any books mentioned in the show

• A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry