‘The Best Column About Blurbs You’ll Ever Read’

I'm a huge Jason Riley fan. In fact, I'm offering to write an introduction for his next book. Talk about the Spritzler bump!

‘The Best Column About Blurbs You’ll Ever Read’

Simon & Schuster tells authors to stop soliciting endorsements. I think the practice is still worthwhile.

By Jason L. Riley, WSJ

Feb. 11, 2025 5:02 pm ET

It happened nearly two decades ago, but it isn’t the kind of memory that fades easily. I had recently completed the manuscript for my first book, and the publisher asked if I knew anyone who would be willing to write me a blurb, or one of those short endorsements that appear on the dust jacket.

I reached out to a well-known public intellectual and bestselling author. “I’d be happy to,” she told me. “Why don’t you write the blurb yourself and just sign my name?” It was said casually and without hesitation. There was no apology or embarrassment in her voice.

This wasn’t an answer I was expecting, but I later learned from other authors that the practice wasn’t uncommon in the publishing world. The average reader probably assumes that endorsements are sometimes provided by people more famous than the author who haven’t read every page, or maybe any page, of the book. But how many readers are aware that some authors are recommending their own work under a different name?

I decided to find someone else to blurb that first book, but the experience didn’t sour me on the practice. I’ve sought out blurbs for my subsequent books over the years and occasionally have written them for other authors. My writings cover controversial topics, such as immigration, race and social inequality, and I’m eager to help promote the work of like-minded authors who are offering perspectives that I think deserve a wider audience. I’m also flattered that fellow writers care what I think—or at least believe that potential readers will care.

Nevertheless, my view of these endorsements might place me in the minority. Last month one of the largest publishing houses in the country proclaimed a moratorium on the practice. Sean Manning, publisher of Simon & Schuster, said that authors under contract with the company’s flagship imprint will no longer be expected to solicit promotional blurbs. “I believe the insistence on blurbs has become incredibly damaging to what should be our industry’s ultimate goal: producing books of the highest possible quality,” Mr. Manning wrote in a Publishers Weekly essay. “It takes a lot of time to produce great books, and trying to get blurbs is not a good use of anyone’s time.”

That’s debatable, especially with respect to the reader’s time. Yes, soliciting blurbs can be stressful and tedious, which is why many authors pooh-pooh the policy. Blurbing can also amount to little more than back-scratching: Author A endorses Author B’s book with the understanding that B will return the favor when A’s next book is published. And Mr. Manning isn’t wrong when he notes that book recommendations can reward “connections over talent.” But there’s a reason employers ask job applicants to produce recommendations. It’s part of a screening process, however imperfect, that helps them make better hiring decisions.

An endorsement, whether it’s offered verbally or in writing, can help someone decide whether to spend time and money on a book—especially when it comes from a name that the reader respects. As a teenager, I read Tom Wolfe’s “The Bonfire of the Vanities” and Shelby Steele’s “The Content of Our Character” based entirely on recommendations from George Will, whose syndicated column ran in my local newspaper.

I’ve also experienced the effects of a big-name endorsement as an author. When Stephen Colbert had a talk show on Comedy Central, I was invited on to promote a book. After my appearance, sales spiked. The same thing happened every time the late Rush Limbaugh mentioned one of my books on his radio program. I made multiple appearances on Bill O’Reilly’s old Fox News show. At the end of one segment, he held up a copy of my most recent book and told his audience to check it out. Mr. O’Reilly, never known for his modesty, turned to me during a commercial break and said, “Take a look at your Amazon ranking in a couple of hours.” I followed his suggestion. So did his viewers. No one misses “The O’Reilly Factor” more than book authors.

Some writers are pickier than others about publicity, but most of us don’t have that luxury. Jonathan Franzen famously rebuffed Oprah Winfrey after she selected his breakout novel, “The Corrections,” for her book club. Mr. Franzen quibbled with Ms. Winfrey’s past selections, describing them as “shmaltzy” and “one-dimensional.” He worried that having her seal of approval on the cover of his book might turn readers off. She withdrew her invitation for him to appear on her show, but the novel became a bestseller anyway.

My next book, “The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don’t Need Racial Preferences to Succeed,” will be out in May. George Will wrote a blurb. And Ms. Winfrey, if you’re reading this, I’m all yours.