Editors Buzz Forums: Battle of the Blurbs

In a BEA tradition yesterday, six editors described their favorite book of the season in the annual Editors Buzz Forum. For ten minutes apiece, these editors advocated for a particular book in a room filled with booksellers.

The annual event can teach you a lot about writing blurbs, particularly how to write one or two glittering sentences about a book. We’ve included a few choice examples below–how would you  describe your favorite book in a single, perfect sentence?

“It’s huge but familiar at the same time.” Little, Brown and Company publisher Michael Pietsch on  The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

“It gave me goosebumps. On my face.” Dutton senior editor Denise Roy on The Underside of Joy by Sere Prince Halverson

“I couldn’t think of a single person I wouldn’t recommend it to.” Doubleday executive editor Alison Callahan on The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

“People who have read it send us emails that just say ‘wow.’” Algonquin senior editor Kathy Pories on Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron

“It’s about the most important things in life: family, food, and real estate.”
W.W. Norton senior editor Alane Salierno Mason on Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber

“The first time I read it, I read it twice. Then I read it again.”
We The Animals by Justin Torres, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – Jenna Johnson, senior editor

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