Blurb Your Enthusiasm: A Cracking Compendium of Book Blurbs, Writing Tips, Literary Folklore and Publishing Secrets

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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 whos 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 Here is a book about the ways books entice us to read them: their titles, quotes, covers and, above all, blurbs via authors from Jane Austen to Zadie Smith, writing tricks, classic literature, bonkbusters, plot spoilers and publishing secrets. Its nothing less than the inside story of the outside of books. And it answers questions like: Why do some authors hate blurbs so much they burn their own books Should all adjectives be murdered Is blurbing sometimes maybe lying Is it true that (checks jacket) you need an animal on a books cover to make it a bestseller What are the most terrible blurbs of all time Join Penguin publishing word wizard Louise Willder five thousand blurbs written, mostly avoiding the phrase unputdownable tour-de-force to discover why we should judge a book by its cover. Even this one. (Its an unputdownable tour-de-force.) The bookiest book about books youll ever read I loved it Lucy Mangan Truly delightful...I couldnt have had more fun Benjamin Dreyer Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight! Nina Stibbe

Reviews

'A small masterpiece.There is something funny, notable or awe-inspiring on every single page. Some books simply slide into your life like good-humoured old friends. This is undoubtedly one of them.'

-- Jenny Colgan, Spectator

The bookiest book about books youll ever read I loved it.

-- Lucy Mangan, author of Bookworm

Truly delightful charming and gracefully learned Louise Willder, a copywriter with decades of experience, brings so much joy and, indeed, enthusiasm to her book about books that anyone who revels in reading will find real enchantment here. I couldnt have had more fun.

-- Benjamin Dreyer, author of the New York Times bestseller Dreyers English

'A little marvel...consummately brilliant'

* Daily Mail *

Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!

-- Nina Stibbe

I love this books sheer happiness and humanity. It is rich, wise and soul-awaking, exhilarating-like-the-snowman-flying-through-the-air-of-human-gloriousness. And, God, she's funny. Buy it, read it, give it.

-- Martin Latham, author of The Booksellers Tale

Wise and witty...she is full of vim, blessed too with an unusual sense of enquiry, a comic turn of phrase and a talent for investigation into almost every nook and cranny of the business and pleasure of books.

-- Carmen Callil * The Oldie *

This total gem is an illuminating, dazzling, quirky, fascinating, erudite, thought-provoking, hilarious and totally essential celebration of the outside of books. Willder is my new style icon.

-- Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller, Editors Choice

'Bookworms will devour this'

* Good Housekeeping *

This book is ace! A must-read for any and every writer or book-obsessed person!

-- Sophie Hannah

Jammed with funny, curious and stylish thoughts and insights, Blurb Your Enthusiasm will be loved by absolutely everybody with an obsessive interest in books and their appearance.

-- Simon Winder, author of Germania

'Studded with jewels'

* Literary Review *

Tracking the blurb through history, literary practices, authors lives, reading habits, and more, Willder opens up the world of wordplay that lies at the heart of writing and publishing.

* Idler *

Willders breezy book sweeps across publishing history, imbuing her research and professional expertise with the tantalizing thrill of dinner party gossip so smart and witty that you barely realize how much she is teaching about writing

-- Ron Charles * Washington Post *

[Willder] is a charming guide not just to blurbs, but to first lines, hatchet jobs, puffs I couldnt, as the clich goes, put it down.

-- Laura Freeman * The Times, Best Books of 2022 *

Delightful charming this book feels like the surprising pleasure of a mimosa with breakfast or a bawdy song after dinner Willder is the perfect guide

-- Carrie Callaghan * Washington Independent Review of Books *
Uproarious, gossipy and utterly fascinating: a masterclass in how to judge a book by its cover. It makes words seem weird and wild again. -- Henry Eliot, author of The Penguin Classics Book

For anyone who needs or wants to use words persuasively, this is the most enjoyable masterclass youll ever read.

-- Rob Williams, screenwriter of Killing Eve and The Victim

'A zingy compendium Acrisp reminder of how profoundly words can affect us.

-- Sunday Business Post

Louise Willders witty guide Blurb Your Enthusiasm is a treat for insiders and book-world fans Wilder celebrates the practice of turning literature into a catchy product that both illuminates people about a book and retains the books mystique.

-- Foreword Reviews

Adelight She is a delightful and amusing guide to the subject.One for the book lover in your life.

-- Herald (Glasgow)

Author Bio

Louise Willder has been a copywriterat Penguin Books for twenty-five years. During this time, she estimates she has produced about 5,000 blurbs. She doesnt follow people round bookshops, willing them to buy books shes written the copy for. Really, she doesnt.