Do authors write their own book's summaries?

Question

When a person publishes their book, are they responsible for writing those little summaries on the back? Or do the publishers write those?

Answer 1

Yes you do usually write it, but then it is gone over by an editor. The publisher always has the last word. Pax - C

Answer 2

I've always wondered that too. Best I can say is the Publishers. And author trying to write a summary for a book might want to elaborate more so a buyer can really see the book before buying it. However, I find a a lot that the back summary says little of the story after I read it. They're so brisk, it can't be the proud person who has just published years of work.

Answer 3

Invariably, the author will write the summaries and the references given from other people. The editors will then jump in and do their magic to make the items readable for all.

Answer 4

Yep, we are. And we do it in the third person present so it sounds like someone else wrote it. Not very honest but, hey, that's the way the business runs.

Sometimes an editor will tweak it, but usually not. We do the same thing with our personal bios and blurbs. Go figure!

J.

http://www.jrichardjacobs.net

"The speed of the brain is inversely proportional to the speed of the mouth squared."

Answer 5

Sharron Creech