7 Steps to Landing the Perfect Blurb for Your Forthcoming Book

You’ve written your book, you’ve found a publisher, and now you’re faced with the task of requesting a blurb for your book. It can feel awkward asking people you may not know well to take time out of their busy schedules to read your work and then write two to three stunning sentences of praise.

(10 Things a Publishing Copywriter Discovered About Book Blurbs.)

When I received a contract for Knocked Down: A High-Risk Memoir, I thought I had finally done the hard work and it would be smooth sailing from there; but reaching out to ask for blurbs turned out to be the hardest part of the process. I was so nervous about asking a favor from another author, I missed my first blurb deadline.

Luckily, I quickly implemented an effective strategy and ended up with seven amazing blurbs. Now, people ask me to blurb their books!

Here’s seven tips to landing the perfect blurb.

Because it can be time consuming, busy authors are going to be more inclined to write a blurb for someone with whom they have an established relationship. This means getting on their radar well in advance of asking them for a favor. There are many easy ways to do this:

Brainstorm a wish list of all the people from whom you would love to have a blurb. Be realistic, but also add a few-shoot-for-the-stars options. Plan to have at least 10 people in mind to approach.

(How to Stalk Publishing Professionals on Social Media in an Appropriate Way.)

If you’re having trouble coming up with a list of authors, think outside the box. Your blurbers don’t necessarily have to be writers. They can be celebrities, podcasters, journalists, and even news anchors, as long as they relate to your book in a tangible way. For example, I reached out to Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody to blurb Knocked Down because of their relatable humor, their connection with upstate New York where my book takes place, and their openness about Judaism.

If you don’t personally know some of the people on your list, see if other people in your network might be able to make an introduction. However, once they make the introduction, make sure to take the lead by chiming in, telling them about your book, what you admire about their work, and why they would be the perfect fit.

While your publisher might be willing to assist you in finding authors to write blurbs, it’s always best to reach out on your own first. Not only does receiving an email from an author rather than a publicist feel much more genuine, it helps establish a meaningful connection with that person. You can usually find contact information on an author’s website or through Twitter.

Consider asking for your publisher’s assistance if you feel like you’re not getting anywhere. They might be able to reach out to other authors who have published with your press to ask for a blurb on your behalf.

Your email to a potential blurber should only be a few short lines. Introduce yourself to them, reference their work, and provide a brief synopsis of your book, including the title, the publisher you are writing for, and your publication date. Acknowledge how busy they are and express your gratitude.

Then close your email with a clear timeline so they know how long they have to read your book and can immediately decide if they will be able to fit it into their schedule. Do not ask blurbers to edit the book for you, catch mistakes, rewrite passages, or provide general feedback and suggestions. Remember this is unpaid labor.

Even though you are hoping your book will resonate with your potential blurber, they might not have the time to read every single page. Make it as easy as possible for them by offering to send them both a bound advanced reader copy and a PDF when possible. Some people prefer to read on their screens, while others require hard copies.

Then highlight five of the most important chapters for them to focus on to make the process go quicker. Finally, make sure to give people ample time to read your book and write a blurb. The minimum should be six weeks, but longer is better.

There is nothing worse that asking someone to take the time to blurb your book, and then having them find out that you didn’t use it after the book has been published. Not all blurbs will make it onto the cover of a book, but there is usually room on the first page for additional blurbs.

If for some reason you cannot include the blurb in your book, you can still ask your publisher to put it on your Amazon page, and you can and should share it widely on social media. You can even use the Canva App to make Instagramable posts of the blurb or create a reel in which you read the blurb.

Once you receive your blurb, make sure to send a thank you email. You can also go the extra mile and send a handwritten note or a small token of appreciation, but this is not expected. It is however standard practice to send a free copy of the book to each blurber once your book is published.

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If it’s signed it’s even better, but most blurbers know that the publisher is usually sending them out directly. The benefit of this is that when you send your published book to someone who has written a blurb, they are more likely to post about it and share it with others, which means more publicity for you!

Asking for a blurb can feel awkward and challenging, but by making connections well in advance of your launch, networking with other authors, doing your homework on the author you are approaching, and being considerate of their time and effort, you will increase your odds of landing the perfect blurb.