Blurbs

[Therin of Andor]

Ah, I figured it was something like that.
No offense was intended, of course. If you were given inaccurate info, it's not your fault.

The LA Graf duo boast gleefully in "Voyages of Imagination" how they often end up deviating from their original proposal's plots. But that can be a very risky way to write, since the proposed story must be approved by Licensing before the manuscript is written, and then the novel itself must be approved by the editor and Licensing. I assume they did communicate with their editor about their deviations in plot.

"The Janus Gate" launched the so-called TOS Reboot or "lower decks" trilogies and, between the concept first discussed online by John Ordover and the products we finally received as novels, there was much evolution and rethinking that went on. The cover art certainly didn't suggest "lower decks" either.

 

[ATimson]

The cover art certainly didn't suggest "lower decks" either.

True, but cover art isn't always representative; we'd have a lot more books about floating heads in space, if that were the case.

 

[Julio Angel Ortiz]

I'll ask a related question: how does one get a job doing that? Is that a way to "break" in?

 

[Greg Cox]

I'll ask a related question: how does one get a job doing that? Is that a way to "break" in?

Mostly, it's people in publishing moonlighting for other people in publishing (because nobody can actually live on publishing salaries, especially in New York). I was working as an editorial assistant at Arbor House when I heard that Berkley Books was looking for some new freelance blurb writers. A mutual friend recommended me to Berkley, who tried me out on a few "adult westerns" for $80 a pop. ("Slocum rides shotgun on the road to trouble!")

Eventually, I worked my way up to sci-fi and fantasy--which paid ten dollars more!

 

[Therin of Andor]

True, but cover art isn't always representative; we'd have a lot more books about floating heads in space, if that were the case.

Covers are always representative of contents in some way, though.

The way the TOS Reboot was being discussed, I was very surprised to see solo Kirk covers and such familiar two-shot publicity stills (Scotty/Spock, Kirk/Spock), especially when TJG ended up having such a familiar LA Graf Sulu/Uhura/Chekov focus anyway, and Kevin Ryan's trilogy had the Klingon focus.

However, having those classic shots across six books in quick succession would have caught the eye of old TOS fans who hadn't picked up a novel in a long time, so in that way those covers were probably a good strategy.

 

[Trent Roman]

A mutual friend recommended me to Berkley, who tried me out on a few "adult westerns" for $80 a pop. ("Slocum rides shotgun on the road to trouble!")

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'd want to read an adult western featuring a character named Slocum. There's such a thing as being too descriptive with your climaxes.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Greg Cox]

A mutual friend recommended me to Berkley, who tried me out on a few "adult westerns" for $80 a pop. ("Slocum rides shotgun on the road to trouble!")

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'd want to read an adult western featuring a character named Slocum. There's such a thing as being too descriptive with your climaxes.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Believe it or not, it's one of the longest-running paperback western series out there.

Another true story from the trenches: after I turned in my first piece of Western copy, the only feedback I got was: "Not bad, but it needs more clippity-clop."

 

[elaithin]

*blink* What the hell does that mean?

 

[Greg Cox]

*blink* What the hell does that mean?

That's what I wanted to know!

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Everything needs more clippity-clop. It's a fact of life.

 

[Trent Roman]

^ There I agree whole-heartedly.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[TGTheodore]

Ever notice how some words completely lose their meaning when iterated over and over again?

Blurb.

Blurb ... blurb ...

Blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb.

Okay, now it sounds like a sound effect from a Calvin and Hobbes strip.

--Ted

 

[Therin of Andor]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I'd want to read an adult western featuring a character named Slocum.

All that horse riding quite wore out her pussy...

( / end Are You Being Served? gag )

 

[William Leisner]

Everything needs more clippity-clop. It's a fact of life.

Along with more cowbell.

 

[Christopher]

Blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb-blurb.

Okay, now it sounds like a sound effect from a Calvin and Hobbes strip.

Smock!

 

[Greg Cox]

Everything needs more clippity-clop. It's a fact of life.

Well, I tried to be more clippity-clop with my next blurb: "Slocum rustles up a whole passel of frolicsome fillies!"

That seemed to do the trick . . . .

 

[elaithin]

Everything needs more clippity-clop. It's a fact of life.

Well, I tried to be more clippity-clop with my next blurb: "Slocum rustles up a whole passel of frolicsome fillies!"

That seemed to do the trick . . . .

Okay, seriously. I'm from Texas, and just reading that sentence makes my brain bleed.

 

[Greg Cox]

Everything needs more clippity-clop. It's a fact of life.

Well, I tried to be more clippity-clop with my next blurb: "Slocum rustles up a whole passel of frolicsome fillies!"

That seemed to do the trick . . . .

Okay, seriously. I'm from Texas, and just reading that sentence makes my brain bleed.

What can I say? The copy chief loved it. So I threw in "sultry senoritas" next time . . . .

Hey, I was young and broke and needed the money!

 

[elaithin]

Hey, I was young and broke and needed the money!

Ah, some of the best parts of my life started with that phrase....