Dear Author, Please Blurb My Book
Now that you have ARCs (advanced reader copies) at your disposal, you can reach out to authors in your genre that you admire or personally know, and ask them if they would be willing to read your book and give you a blurb (if they like it). An author blurb can be added to the cover of your book or to an inside page, called a “praise” page. The praise page is often the first page of the book. It will have both author blurbs and quotes from prepublication and media reviews. A blurb can also be used for the purpose of advertisement.
Asking for a blurb is the equivalent of asking for the author’s endorsement. For this reason, they’ll agree to give you a blurb only if they like the book and think their readers will like it as well.
I’m really excited to say that I recently received a blurb for my novel, They Will Be Coming for Us. Jordan Rosenfeld, who has written three novels and many how-to writing craft books including Make a Scene, generously agreed to read for me. Not only had I read her novel Forged in Grace, a vivid and moving story, I was also hired to copyedit a few of her books as a freelance copyeditor for Writer’s Digest. That was my connection to her. We have never met in person, nor had we ever spoken to each other via phone or email or text.
Here’s what she had to say:
Kim Catanzarite's "They Will Be Coming For Us" slowly and stealthily sweeps you away with its stellar writing and thrilling plot twists. What starts out as a seemingly simple story of young love becomes a complex tale of deception and duplicity that also poses the big question: Is there life on other planets? I dare you to put this book down—I read it in two nights because it is just that good.—Jordan Rosenfeld, author of Women in Red and How to Write a Page Turner
Who to Ask for a Blurb and How
I had a loose connection to Jordan, but I have no doubt it helped sway her in agreeing to take a look at my book. When you seek author blurbs, it’s not necessary to have any connection at all. You might simply be a fan of the author’s work. Get a list together of authors you either have some connection to or that you simply admire a great deal, and then start putting your letters of request together. You will not be able to use a form letter for this. You will need to write a personal letter because what you’re asking for is not a small thing. Reading another person’s book and writing a blurb takes time, thought, and effort—so your request should too.
I know it would be nice to get a blurb from Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, Tayari Jones, or Neil Gaiman, but if you don’t have a sizeable connection to these blockbusters, it probably won’t happen. Be sure to seek out those who are known in your genre but may not yet be common household names. A positive endorsement from any published author is something to be grateful for.
And when your book launches with its cover blurbs and praise page, you’ll send a nice fresh paper copy to all of the authors who gave you blurbs. That’s how it’s done in this industry. And, one day, when you are published and your book is successful, you can pay it forward by writing a blurb for a debut author in need.
My next blog will discuss Indie contests and why you might want to enter them.
Kim Catanzarite is a writer, editor, and instructor for Writer’s Digest University. She has worked as a developmental and copy editor since 1994. Her book They Will Be Coming for Us will be published June 2021.
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