The Light Ages (and cover quotes in general).

[ReaveTheJust]

Mr M.

Good morning!

I've just started the Light Ages by Ian R. Macleod and noticed that you've been quoted on the cover. I'd be interested in any comments you have on the book (or perhaps you could point me in the direction of your review (if that is indeed where the quote came from).

Which brings me to my question:

I was wondering whether reviewers have much control over how they are quoted on book covers. For instance, an author may give an overall negative/critical review, but the only quote that appears is one positive sentence (misleading the reader to some extent). Do you have any control over this?

Cheers

PS Not to suggest any "misquoting" with the Light Ages. I've just started it, but it seems OK so far.

[Michael Moorcock]

That quote was given after the publisher had sent me the manuscript and I thought it was worth promoting the book, especially since it's by a new author. I'm more interested in bringing readers to new writers, in the main, as you'll note from the majority of my reviews in The Guardian, for instance. However, quotes can be taken out of context, especially if they come from newspaper reviews.

[Michael Moorcock]

Sorry -- meant to add that one has no control over out of context
quotes being given. Indeed I once took a very negative review of a
Pyat book, which compared it unfavourable with Warlord of the Air, and
deliberately used the favourable comments the guy had made on an edition of Warlord. That was more for the fun of it, I must admit, than
any attempt to deceive (since there were plenty of other good quotes I could have used). Generaly, while I'll give reviews to publishers who haven't seen them, they usually do the quoting and I have marginal
control over what's used. I usually don't pay that much attention to them, I must admit. Hyperbole is hyperbole is hyperbole... :)

[ReaveTheJust]

Thanks for the reply Mike.

Yes, I suppose if I were a reviewer I would only be concerned if "negative" quotes were used from an overall "positive" review. Unlikely to happen on book covers (at least in this part of the multiverse anyway :) ) as the publishers are trying to sell the thing

The Light Ages certainly has the most star-studded cast of "quoters" on the cover I think I've seen (your good self, Vandermeer, Powers, Wolfe..). it's pretty good so far.

[Marca]

MAD magazine once had an amusing piece on quotes taken out of context. You know, the sort which go '...a great film' and then you find out the full quote is something like 'With a better cast and director this could have been a great film'.

Publishers seem to love cover quotes but I personally got a bit fed up of seeing the same quotes all the time on MM's books in the 70s and 80s. There's a good one though from the (pre-Murdoch?) Sun:

'A person of rare goodness and sanity'

I'm sure we all agree with that 8)

[Michael Moorcock]

Yes, it would be more impressive if you didn't know that Peter Phillips, a good sf short story writer in his day and literary editor of The News Chronicle before it became The Sun, got drunk with me the night before he went back to the office and wrote his review (of Behold the Man).
It's the equivalent of 'I like you' uttered by a drunken Glaswegian at closing time as you pass the pub just as he's coming out... :lol:

[ReaveTheJust]

A.V.

Ha ha, yes I saw that quote and chuckled.

Human beings are rarely sane it seems It woz the Sun wot said it!! (ironic tittering all round)