A blurb or a fuller description? If the latter how many words?

t Xpost

Author Questionnaire. PITA.

My favorite question is "Why is this book important?"

Kill me. Please.

Allyson I've had to deal with tons of pita stuff because I read every freaking reference book they put out on this stuff amd did every pita thing they said to do. Doesn't mean I'll do it right, but it means I'm past being annoyed by it. I have your on-line site for an outline. Shoot it my way. I'll fill it out of you. Then you can look it over, and growl "look what that asshole is is putting in those blanks" and do it your way. But maybe having a first draft someone else has done to tear apart will make your life easier.

My favorite question is "Why is this book important?"

Oh GODS, those horrible things. They're insane.

That particular question, though? Try something like this:

"WTVPPLL's importance lies in the unique multi-faceted look at how new communities, and a new definition of family, have emerged from cyberspace and become realspace phenomena."

Something like that.

Allyson, your book explains to my parents how I can go on vacation to a remote (to me) island on a major normally kin holiday when I've never met half the people (I outed myself to my brother, given I'm going to be in print, if even only passingly!)

Why is it important? It portrays a slice of chosen family, derived from a largely laughed at and derided medium, the internet. It shows the deceits and delights and draws us to what really matters: human relationships. It shows how we carve out, in the midst of crazy masses and fractious communities borne of like interests in something as ephemeral as tv, clusters of people who we ultimately call home.

It's about people. And if you aren't fascinated by people, well... I can't help you.

Ima just plagiarize sarameg, then.

sarameg, problem is, what they want is a one to two-sentence blurb so that they can pitch it to a reviewer. These pr info forms are tear-inducing; I tried being eloquent and got back "that's wonderful can you put it in less than forty words it's for our marketing pitches".

Go right ahead! I'm mightily flattered should you do so. I tripped a lot trying to sum it up.

(ps, my brother, poorass that he is, told me he'd buy the book based on my lame-ass description over the phone. So yay!)

Heh. Allyson, go get 'em.

Eh, I'm just offering my impressions. I don't know crap about publishing. If what I can describe helps, that's the least I can do.