[Eventine]

"Author X has created a brilliant world...A modern masterpiece" Author Y

Comments like this appear on covers of books all the time.

Has anyone ever bought a book because one of their favourite authors is on the cover recommending it?

Do authors/publishers think it makes people more likely to read (or even better buy) their books?

Are the comments true, or are these guys just sucking up to each other?

[Rob B]

I wouldn't pick up a book only because a favorite author recommends, but if I am already considering reading the book, it might be a deciding factor.

I think it does help sales a bit, of Author X if Author Y has a strong fan base and is a good author themselves.

[mundanemies]

I can't say that I have ever bought a book solely based on the blurb by an author, but several times certain names have strenghten my final decision, like with Steven Pressfield's Gate of Fire with a David Gemmell blurb.
Ursula K. LeGuin's comments have always meant a good book too.

On the other hand, I'll tend to avoid certain "recommendators". Anne McCaffrey springs to mind, but unfortunately, her name is pretty much everywhere http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif so there really is no escaping her. It's usually authors whose own prose doesn't interest me or has been found out to be just bad: Terry Brooks, Dennis L. McKiernan, Terry Goodkind etc.
On the other hand Piers Anthony, while being un-readable fictionwise, is an excellent case study. I can say exactly what my opinion of a book would be, by reading his comment on it. Thanks Piers!

[Sammie]

I wouldn't buy a book BECAUSE of the recommendation, but it might tip the balance - esp. if the author was one whose style i particularly liked - i'd be encouraged to think the bk in my hand might be similar.

[aldiboronti]

The crucial point is whether the authors come under the same publishing house. If they do, take with a large pinch of salt.

[Eventine]

So does Author X get any money for providing a nice quote about author Y? Seems that if you could write one great book, you could just spend the rest of your time reading books and providing nice quotes for novels.

Why can't I just skip the writing a novel bit?

[James Barclay]

No, authors don't get paid for providing quotes. Not in the UK anyway. Most do it because they had similar help when they were starting out.

[Sojourn]

<"The crucial point is whether the authors come under the same publishing house. If they do, take with a large pinch of salt">

<"Most do it because they had similar help when they were starting out.">

Both good points. Furthermore authors form a fraternity of sorts, a band of the literati, so I suppose it may be in their own best interest to actively support others in their profession. A form of net-working even perhaps.

The recommendation quotes by authors usually tend to be brief and not very informative. "A modern masterpiece" (how so?), "Her best work yet" (compared to?), "A wonderful read" (like a million other books). I think a book review would be a better source of critical information for someone deciding whether or not to give the book a go. Praise and quotes by famous authors can often be merely marketing tools, no more and no less.

[Eventine]

So if they are just a big group suporting each other, it's not really independant is it?

So a real quote should say
"I'm just writing this because hopefully X will give a good quote on my next book" - Author Y

[JohnH]

McCaffrey must read a book a day at the least from the number of recomendations I see from her. Some books are actually good despite such damning praise. But her name on the cover makes me wary.

Robert Jordan has done a pretty good job of picking books. His name on the cover was perhaps a tip in the scales to pick up A Game of Thrones the day it came out.

Jordan has struck out a few times though a well.

A name might make me pick up a book that I would normally not look at. But I don't think I have ever bought a book soley on an author's so say except perhaps Kate Elliott's. But that was via email and a long talk one day in person so I don't think that counts.