“Blurb writing is a mini art form,” Iris Murdoch once wrote in a letter to former Penguin blurb writer Elizabeth Buchan. And like many other art forms, companies have been experimenting with the idea that it could be created without an artist.
A German company that provides digital book distribution and marketing services to publishers has announced it will integrate ChatGPT, a chatbot that answers questions by drawing on publicly available internet data, into its software.
“During the beta phase, publishers can test the benefits of the artificial intelligence tool for their digital book marketing,” states Bookwire, adding that it will only use ChatGPT if a publisher agrees and the disclaimer that the company “does not assume any responsibility for the content created by ChatGPT”.
This raises plenty of ethical concerns, of course, which will no doubt enrage those in the books industry – Bradford literature festival recently came under fire on social media for its use of an AI-generated promotional image, and the Society of Authors published a paper at the beginning of May warning the industry needs to “protect copyright and creative careers in the face of new technology”. But there is also another question that needs to be asked.
I decided to test the limits of ChatGPT’s “imagination” by asking it to write blurbs and endorsements for a range of well-known titles, from a heroic poem to a modern romance novel. After playing around with a variety of commands, here are some of the highlights.
A juicy blurb of a George Eliot classic:
Middlemarch is the ultimate “Real Housewives” of 19th century England. Follow the lives of wealthy aristocrats as they navigate love, lust, and gossip in a society that’s more cutthroat than the latest reality TV show. With scandalous affairs, juicy secrets, and plenty of backstabbing, this book has more drama than a season of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” So grab your popcorn and get ready for a wild ride!
A blurb of an Old English epic poem that would appeal to Gen Z:
Yo, have you checked out Beowulf? This dude’s a total savage, taking down monsters left and right like it’s NBD [no big deal]. His skills are on point and he’s got a fearless attitude that’s straight-up inspiring. Plus, his adventures are full of epic battles and drama that’ll have you shook. And you know what’s even better? Beowulf’s got plenty of admirers, so the romance is totally on point too. Trust me, this story is the lit AF, and you won’t wanna miss it.
A blurb for the Bible, for those looking for their next self-help read:
The ultimate guide to life, love, and eternal salvation! With enough drama and plot twists to rival Game of Thrones, it’s sure to keep you entertained for thousands of years to come. Laugh, cry, and gasp in awe at the epic stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood, and Jesus and his miracles. Don’t miss out on this divine masterpiece!
A tweet promoting an Irish classic:
OH MY GOSH, have you read Ulysses yet?! It’s the most mind-blowing, soul-stirring, literary masterpiece I’ve ever laid my eyes on! James Joyce is an absolute genius and this book will take you on a journey that will leave you breathless! Trust me, you don’t wanna miss out! #Ulysses #JamesJoyce #MindBlowing #LiteraryGenius #LifeChanging
Publishers love enthusiastic one-line endorsements to slap on the front of book jackets too. We asked ChatGPT to come up with some candidates.
Beloved by Toni Morrison in the style of Shakespeare:
Oh, wondrous and magnificent Beloved, whose words doth pierce through the heart like a thousand arrows of truth, leaving one awestruck and enraptured in its devastatingly beautiful tale of love, loss, and redemption.
Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us in the style of Stephen Fry:
If you’re looking for a book that will make you ugly-cry in public, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover is your golden ticket – just make sure to pack plenty of tissues and a disguise.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez in the style of Rishi Sunak:
Reading One Hundred Years of Solitude is like investing in a cultural masterpiece that will appreciate in value with every page turned.
In seriousness, ChatGPT produces near-passable blurbs when fed the right commands. Descriptions of books are generally accurate. Yet, there are flaws, the biggest of which is that the blurbs are full of cliches – every book is a “masterpiece” or “tapestry”. It recalls George Orwell’s overworked book reviewer, who sits down to write and “All the stale old phrases […] jump into their places like iron filings obeying the magnet.” With ChatGPT, that metaphor becomes literal, the cringeworthy phrases spat out one-by-one on the screen in real time. So rest easy, blurbers and reviewers – you’re still needed (at least for now).
