Vanished

To Blurb or Not to Blurb

3/1/2011

It gives me great pleasure to see the paperback edition of HIGH CRIMES back on shelves today, 13 years after its original publication. Like most paperback versions of books originally published in hardcover, it carries a few excerpts from good reviews — “Fast and furious,” according to The New York Times, right there on the front cover.

Pick up the hardcover of VANISHED, though, and you’ll see not a review, but a very nice quotation from Lee Child. I won’t reproduce it all here, but he says, among other things, that he thinks Nick Heller and Jack Reacher would “go for a beer together and set the world to rights.” This is what we in the business call a “blurb.” The word was originally coined to mock excessive praise on book jackets, but I don’t think of it as a derogatory term; it just means “A short description of a book, film, musical work, or other product written and used for promotional purposes.” Publishers like to use blurbs to promote hardcovers, particularly for new authors, as they give readers some advance confidence about the quality of a book before the reviews come in.

Lee’s blurb for VANISHED was unusual in the business (though not unusual for Lee), because it gave potential readers specific information about the book and its main character, Nick Heller. It’s clear from the quotation that Lee actually read VANISHED, as I know he reads all the books he recommends.

I too read every book I blurb, which is why I don’t give many recommendations. Some authors I know (naming no names) don’t feel the need, as long as the book comes to them from a trusted source. The columnist Calvin Trillin once wrote that anyone giving a blurb should have to disclose his or her relationship to the author under the quotation —“Brother-in-law,” “Share the same agent,” “Met him in a bar.” Several years ago, I ran into an author who told me he’d just read THE DA VINCI CODE, and it was great. It would have been rude to point out that this author had blurbed the book when it had come out the year before.

Do I blame the authors who blurb without reading? No. On a book-a-year schedule, it’s hard enough to reread your own drafts, much less the books people send you for endorsements. It gets to be a vicious circle, too: the more successful the author, the more requests for blurbs, the less time to read the books. It’s hard to say no, especially if it’s a friend asking. It’s tempting to say yes, because really, what harm does it do?

I learned this lesson the hard way. Once upon a time – I won’t say when – I gave a book a quotation without having read it. As it turned out, the book wasn’t very good, and what surprised me was how many people let me know. They felt betrayed. They had trusted my recommendation, and I let them down. I was embarrassed and sorry. If I’d read the book first, I’d have saved everyone some time.

As it happens, this week also marks the publication of a book I did blurb: BRINGING ADAM HOME, by the crime writer Les Standiford with Detective Sergeant Joe Matthews. It’s the harrowing true story of the hunt for Adam Walsh’s murderer, and my recommendation is right on the back cover. Like Lee’s quotation for VANISHED, it’s a little too long to reprint in full here, but among other things, I called the book “heartbreaking and hypnotically suspenseful.”

And now you know I really meant it.

Test Your Trivia Knowledge

8/19/2010

Win a signed copy of The Cowl, the limited-edition comic book based on characters in VANISHED!

Question: In VANISHED, Lauren receives a cryptic message from her missing husband Roger via a service that sends out emails to loved ones after you die. What is the name of the email service? 

Enter the trivia contest.  Ends September 30.

VANISHED in paperback is on sale now!

8/2/2010

To celebrate the paperback publication of VANISHED, we're offering two special giveaways!

Vote for VANISHED

7/18/2010

Vote for the 100 Best Ever Killer Thrillers.  NPR has posted the list of nominees and will announce the winners on August 2.  Cast your vote (everyone gets ten) for VANISHED and your other favorite books!

Win a Signed UK Paperback of VANISHED

3/31/2010

The U.S. paperback of VANISHED will go on sale on August 3 - but if you're an American fan who doesn't want to wait that long, I'm giving away a copy of the UK paperback! All you have to do is become a fan of the Joseph Finder page on Facebook before April 15. We'll choose the winner at random from all registered Facebook fans with U.S. mailing addresses then, so sign up now!

2010 Thriller Awards Finalists

3/30/2010

I'm thrilled! International Thriller Writers announced VANISHED as a finalist in the Best Hard Cover Novel category. See the full list of nominees.

Win a Signed Copy of VANISHED

3/3/2010

Have you read EXTRAORDINARY POWERS (or have good research skills)? Test your trivia knowledge and enter to win a signed copy of VANISHED!

New Interview with "The Dave Elliott Show"

1/7/2010

For those of you wondering about PARANOIA the movie (plus writing thrillers and VANISHED), listen to the clip of my recent interview with guest host and author Karan Bodman on "The Dave Elliott Show". Who would you cast in the movie?

VANISHED a Best Audiobook Winner

12/18/2009

VANISHED makes the Best Audiobook of 2009 list by Library Journal.

"The suspense never falters in Finder’s immensely satisfying follow-up to POWER PLAY...narrator Holter Graham puts his significant acting skills ably and entertainingly to work."

Watch a video conversation between me and Holter.

Check Out 12 Great Books in this Free Holiday Sampler

12/17/2009

Books are great gifts (of course!). If you're looking for a present for that special someone on your list, download this free, 300+ page In the Nick of Time! holiday sampler PDF with excerpts from 12 great books, including VANISHED. And share it with friends, too.