WHY THIS BLURB WAS OUR FAVOURITE ON THE SITE IN 2010:

OK, there isn’t actually a blurb on here… but that is a big part of its genius. It’s just a really brave back cover, considering it was one of the most high-profile launches of the year (with almost everyone ready to take a pop at it). The publishers delivered a back cover that was audacious in its simplicity yet at the same time hugely intriguing and incredibly surprising (both in terms of style and content). This is a lesson in confidence — the ability to communicate the  essence of a book without smothering the reader with words and hyperbole.

AND HERE’S WHAT WE SAID ABOUT IT IN THE ORIGINAL POST:

This is such a good back cover — the best part of the jacket by miles.

With such a high-profile author, it would have been all too easy for the publisher to stick on any old picture and a bit of text — after all, the market for this was pretty self-selecting. Instead, such care and thought has gone into it that it’s sure to have persuaded many readers to buy the book.

The quote is just brilliant. It’s shocking to see this fact laid out so plainly. It also teaches the reader something that they might not know — a fantastically strong marketing tactic (and one that helped The Da Vinci Code to sell squillions of copies, despite the “facts” being completely made up). It sets up narrative tension and really makes you want to read on.

The photo is equally compelling, giving you an insider’s perspective on Blair’s world and making you look at him differently. I’d have been tempted to use it on the front, instead of the weirdly artificial studio portrait that gives nothing away about the book’s tone or approach.

With these two strong elements, you don’t need anything else at all — lovely and simple.