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mae
03-07-2012, 06:26 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/06/riveting-the-quandary-of-the-book-blurb/when-to-blurb-a-book-and-when-not-to

The late Robert Parker's advice was, "Never blurb a book you've read, and never read a book you've blurbed." Cynical! I think blurbs can sometimes help quite a lot, but the idea that a writer can bring his core audience into the tent with a blurb ... you might as well try herding cats. I got some credit for the success of "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by blurbing it, which made me smile. That book would have been a bestseller if Britney Spears had blurbed it.

One thing I'd never do is blurb a book just because a friend wrote it. That's the road to hell. Whenever I do it, it's because I think it's a story readers would really like. A book like that is worth banging the drum for, if only to be on record.

you ever seen a ghost?
03-09-2012, 09:20 AM
really need to know if this was in the print edition of the times. it may have been before or after or on 3/7. no way to know.

Bev Vincent
03-09-2012, 09:30 AM
Probably not -- I think it was only online. King's comments comes from an Entertainment Weekly article.

DanishCollector
03-09-2012, 01:13 PM
Not entirely. I checked the EW column and this one, and they only have the Robert Parker reference in common (in the EW column he's not mentioned by name). This new one here is original.

sentinel
03-09-2012, 06:02 PM
I did not see it in the actual NYT paper edition for March 7, it must be online only.