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On quoting reviews on jacket blurbs

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Misfit
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On quoting reviews on jacket blurbs

Post by Misfit » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 2:36 am

Question. I friend of mine has a friend who wrote a review (I think on Amazon, but she also blogs) for a vine ARC. Lo and behold the final copy shows up on stores with a quote from her review - and no one asked ahead of time. Even if she would have given permission for quoting - shouldn't someone have asked first? Or is it a free-for-all as far as the publisher is concerned?
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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 2:43 am

Well that is rude that they didn't ask permission.

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Post by boswellbaxter » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 2:59 am

[quote=""Misfit""]Question. I friend of mine has a friend who wrote a review (I think on Amazon, but she also blogs) for a vine ARC. Lo and behold the final copy shows up on stores with a quote from her review - and no one asked ahead of time. Even if she would have given permission for quoting - shouldn't someone have asked first? Or is it a free-for-all as far as the publisher is concerned?[/quote]

Legally, I think the publisher is within its rights to use a quote from a review, as long as credit is given, the quote doesn't exceed a certain word limit, and the quote isn't taken out of context--especially if the publisher has sent the reviewer an ARC. (It may be also that when reviewers sign up for Vine, they're told that the publisher can use quotes from their reviews--I could be dead wrong, though.)
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rockygirl
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Post by rockygirl » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 3:51 am

I have an acquaintance who wrote reviews for The San Francisco Chronicle. He was always amused when he saw his quotes on the paperback version of the book. Never knew when it was going to happen.

My question to all of you--do any of you use the reviews on the jacket as one of your criteria when buying a book? I never do. I'd rather see a synopsis of the book.

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Post by annis » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 3:52 am

It does seem like a lack of basic courtesy, if nothing else.

I was a bit startled to find one of my Amazon reviews quoted on an author's website. Though I took it as a form of flattery, it did occur to me that it would have been nice to have been asked first. Is it the legal position that anyone's written work enters the public domain once it's published on the Amazon website? (My review was not for an ARC or for Vine)
Last edited by annis on Sat October 2nd, 2010, 3:56 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by EC2 » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 9:44 am

I'd agree with Boswell on this. It is probably polite to ask for permission but there is no legal requirement providing credit is given and it's below a certain word count.
With blurbs on books, being an insider and knowing how it works, the only ones I would pay any attention to (speaking as a reader) would be from people I actually know and who share my reading tastes.
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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 11:13 am

My question to all of you--do any of you use the reviews on the jacket as one of your criteria when buying a book? I never do. I'd rather see a synopsis of the book.
I give jacket blurbs as much consideration as I would a Klausner review. ZIP. NADA.
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Post by Lucy Pick » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 1:26 pm

I don't bother with most blurbs, but every now and then, when I see a favourite, favourite author blurbing an unknown author, it will get me to buy the book. It has happened a few times, so I'd say the blurbs are worth it.

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Ariadne
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Post by Ariadne » Sat October 2nd, 2010, 2:23 pm

I'm with the publisher on this one. Sometimes I'm asked if a review of mine can be quoted, but I consider it unnecessary. It's common practice in the industry that, in exchange for their having submitted a free review copy, the publisher gets to use/quote from the review in their publicity or marketing efforts. Publishers won't ask -- it won't occur to them to ask -- because it's the way the system works. The source of the review should be given, and the review not rearranged or rewritten; otherwise, fine. It wouldn't even bother me if the entire review was reprinted on the author's or publisher's site, as long as it was short. When you get into essay-length reviews, that's a little different.

That said, if it's anyone but the publisher or author reprinting a review that I wrote for their book, I would probably object to that.

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Post by Brenna » Sun October 3rd, 2010, 3:56 pm

[quote=""Lucy Pick""]I don't bother with most blurbs, but every now and then, when I see a favourite, favourite author blurbing an unknown author, it will get me to buy the book. It has happened a few times, so I'd say the blurbs are worth it.[/quote]

I do the same thing! I am much more willing to take a chance on a book or new author if someone like SKP, EC, or Michelle Moran has a blurb on the front.
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