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Blurb Your Enthusiasm

A Cracking Compendium of Book Blurbs, Writing Tips, Literary Folklore and Publishing Secrets...

Louise Willder

$29.99

Paperback

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English
One World
29 November 2022
It’s good to judge a book by its cover.

Drawing on her 25 years writing blurbs for Penguin books, Louise Willder explores the art, anecdote and history of the words that only take a few seconds to read but can determine a book’s fate.

This illuminating and joyful compendium is about blurbs at their very best and worst. It is also about cover design, movie taglines, adverts, quotes, puns, the creative process, writers from Austen to Orwell and much more. It answers questions such as: Why should adjectives generally be murdered? Which author hated blurbs? Is it ever okay to give away the ending? Why should you never start a blurb with ‘When’? Can blurbs be sexist?

The story of blurbs is the story of our needs and desires as readers; about who we are and want to be.

By:  
Imprint:   One World
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 30mm
ISBN:   9780861542178
ISBN 10:   0861542177
Pages:   352
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Louise Willder has been a copywriter at Penguin Books for twenty-five years. During this time, she estimates she has produced about 5,000 blurbs. She doesn't follow people round bookshops, willing them to buy books she's written the copy for. Really, she doesn't.

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

'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 and everyone who revels in reading will find real enchantment here. I couldn't have had more fun.' -- Benjamin Dreyer, author of the <i>New York Times</i> bestseller <i>Dreyer's English</i> 'The bookiest book about books you'll ever read - I loved it.' -- Lucy Mangan, author of <i>Bookworm</i> 'Very funny, erudite and profound. A delight!' -- Nina Stibbe 'I love this book's 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 <i>The Bookseller's Tale</i> '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 <i>Germania</i> 'This book is ace! A must-read for any and every writer or book-obsessed person!' -- Sophie Hannah 'For anyone who needs or wants to use words persuasively, this is the most enjoyable masterclass you'll ever read.' -- Rob Williams, screenwriter of <i>Killing Eve</i> and <i>The Victim</i> '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 <i>The Penguin Classics Book</i>


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