The Art of Acquiring Blurbs

So, how do I do it? How do I get blurbs from such amazing people as Butch Hartman, D.J. MacHale, Katie MacAlister (who also writes as Katie Maxwell), Christopher Moore, Erica Orloff (who also writes as Liza Conrad), Douglas Rees, and Nancy Baker? Well, sit back, get cozy, maybe grab a pen...because I'm about to tell you, so that you can acquire blurbs from people whose work you greatly admire and don't believe it's possible to garner the attention of. You can do it. Trust me.

First off, you should make a list of your favorite authors (or, as in the case of Butch Hartman, your favorite non-authors that you truly admire). Don't leave off any name, no matter how big and important they might be. Now, go over the list. Do you absolutely adore each and every one of them? Or are you thinking of contacting them just because they're a big name? Cross out the names of people who you wouldn't give up a kidney to get a blurb from. Now, happy with your list? Good.

The next step is finding their contact info. I have yet to go through an agent or editor, preferring to approach the potential blurber directly. After all, why put an obstacle in there? Why not attempt to cement a personal relationship with your potential blurber? After all, you love these people, right? (Otherwise, why are they on your list?) So, hop on Google and search, search, and search again until you have email addresses where you can contact them. (If you absolutely can't find an email address, you can resort to snail mail, but I've found it's easier to get their attention by email) Add the contact info to your list. It's time to write the perfect blurb request.

Now, each blurb request should be personalized and, if you can't personalize them, then they should cover a broad view of the deep love you have for these authors (or non-authors, as the case may be). Below is a truly terrible example of what you'll write:

Dear Mr. Perfectblurber,

First off, let me say that I've been a fan of your "Dark Elves of the Dark, Dark Forest" series since I was ten years old. It was your series that really began my romance with reading. From that love of books sprang my passion for writing, and I am anxiously awaiting my first book's debut in January 2007 (titled "Dark Elves are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup"/ Perfectbook Publishers). It is an honor to make your acquaintance, even if only in email.

I know that you must be very busy, but if you wouldn't mind taking a look at my book and, if you enjoy it, saying a few kind words, I would greatly appreciate it. Of course, if you can't, I completely understand.

I'll post a description of my book below to give you a better understanding of what my book is about. Thanks for considering!

Very Best,
Beggy McWriterson

"Dark Elves are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup"

In the land of PatheticStory, a black king rules over the hearts and dinner plates of his impoverished residents. No food can be found and the king's palate is screaming for the taste of a long forgotten delicacy, elf meat ala tomato sauce. Too bad Woody Springfoot, a short elf with an even shorter temper didn't know this before he wandered into town, a ketchup bottle strapped to his belt...

Terrible story? You betcha! Terrible letter? Yes. But it's there to give you the gist. Be professional. Be honest. Be kind. And don't think that just because a writer has hit the NYTimes bestseller list twenty times over means they feel above you in any way. Writers are good people. And the really successful ones? Well, they want you to succeed too. We're all in the same club.

So, send out your email (which has been written, rewritten, and eventually—one would hope—perfected) and don't hold your breath. Writers are busy. Sometimes it takes months to garner a response. And if by chance, they say no, be gracious. Thank them for considering, tell them how much you're looking forward to their next book on Dark Elves. Be kind. It's not easy to say no.

But if they say yes...don't pester them while they read. And if they give you a blurb, thank them repeatedly, tell everyone you know. Appreciate their time and effort.

Because someday you may be on the other side of that fence, wishing people were as kind to you.

That's it. Nothing up my sleeves. No strings, no wires. Not even a lovely assistant (unless you count Google). I'm kind to people. And maybe a little funny.

Now go get those blurbs.