Six Writers Tell All About Covers and Blurbs

Do book blurbs and cover art matter? 
Yes, a lot. They can turn a book into a bestseller. Endorsements should be sought many months before creative work on the cover begins. The cover should be eye-catching and illustrative of the book's topic. Take my word for it, and take the words of six authors who spoke to The Awl and revealed the truth about blurbs, cover art, dealing with publishers, and who decides what. 


Thanks to Steve Harrison for the link to Mathew Galloway's article in The Awl.

"Writers by definition spend a lot of time on the inside of books, which is why what happens on the outside—namely, cover art and blurbs—can feel precarious and daunting. Often these elements are beyond an author’s control or expertise, which can be painful to admit, particularly when the "expertise" of graphic designers and marketers seems so subjective or at odds with an author’s “vision” for a book.
To get some advice on navigating these issues, we [The AWL] asked a handful of writers—including Kate Christensen, Bennett Madison, Stefanie Pintoff, Mark Jude Poirier and Tom Scocca—who have been through the process these questions: read more ...

What are your thoughts??