SoA calls for new approach to blurbs amid industry debate

In the UK, the Society of Authors (SoA) has called for greater transparency over the use of book jacket blurbs, amid controversy over the practice, reports the Bookseller.

Earlier this month, Times journalist James Marriott revealed the paperback edition of Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life (Jordan Peterson, Allen Lane) carried quotes from his negative review, prompting suggestions the industry needed to consider a broader policy around blurbs.

SoA CEO Nicola Solomon told the Bookseller ‘quoting lines out of context isn’t clever marketing’, adding that ‘readers deserve to know what they are buying and reviewers deserve the confidence that their comments will be honestly represented’. ‘Everyone understands that there will be some “puff” but this goes far beyond that and there should be no place for it in an industry built on the exchange of creativity, knowledge and ideas,’ said Solomon.

In response to the Bookseller, which approached many publishers about their practices, a Bonnier Books UK spokesperson said the company was working on a best-practice document for blurbs. ‘Media and author blurbs are inputted into Biblio [a content management system that holds information about published books] and then stored as a resource for press materials, POS and jackets,’ Bonnier said. ‘Our teams apply common sense and respect in terms of the use of these blurbs. We appreciate the time and level of engagement that goes into every write-up, and any shortened quotes should always reflect the tone and intention of the original review.’

Category: International news