An announcement from Simon & Schuster’s publisher left the literary community wondering whether blurbs, the little snippets of praise on a book jacket, are all they’re cracked up to be.

B ooks are about to become a little less “Spellbinding!”, “Stunning!” and “Compelling!” Fewer still will offer a “tour de ...

For the novelist Rebecca Makkai, writing blurbs had become nearly a full-time job. She explains why blurbs matter — and why ...

• Sample chapters, if available, or other material by the author that would be representative of the subject matter, writing level and style. • Information on the length of the projected (or completed ...