Blurbs!

The Scoop on Blurbs by Cindy Jones, My Jane Austen Summer

How to Get Blurbs for Your Book by Shennadoah Diaz

Dear Sir or Madam (Use your prospect’s real name—no mass letters here):

I admire your book/s [Title], so when I knew it was time to start requesting endorsements for my forthcoming book [Title], you were at the top of my list.

Like yours, my book is [genre x]. Description and tag line about the book.

To help with your decision, I have enclosed an Advance Reader’s Copy and sample endorsements for you to review. I thank you very much for your time and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
Author

Six writers tell all about covers and blurbs doesn’t give much advice about blurbs, but certainly casts a harsh neon glow on some of the less savory aspects of traditional publishing — like the complete powerlessness of the author to change a cover she hates, and the power of Nameless Suits, at the last minute, and for no apparent reason, to take away a cover she loves.

Scalzi’s blurb policy and tips from a guest on Nathan Bransford’s blog.

Many authors have tales of woe to tell about trying to solicit or evade being solicited for blurbs. They speak of heartfelt humiliation, degradation and guilt. But the best blurb story of all is from the author of Praying for Sheetrock and There is No Me Without You, Melissa Fay Greene:

Twenty years ago, as I searched for blurbs for SHEETROCK, I didn’t know my children were watching. I hadn’t assumed it made an impression on anyone. But one spring evening in 1991, I was caught in a vast gridlock of rush-hour traffic on Buford Highway with three Girl Scouts, including nine-year-old Molly, in the backseat.

We sat bumper-to-bumper for two, five, ten minutes, in a sea of motionless traffic, while a traffic light went from green to red, to green, to red on the horizon, and a rush-hour pan-handler began working the lanes of cars. This man had a plastic bucket and a piece of cardboard with him. He tapped on drivers’ windows and showed them his cardboard, which probably explained that he was homeless. The three little girls in the backseat followed his progress.

“What is that man doing?” asked one of the Girl Scouts. I opened my mouth to explain the concept of “panhandling,” but before I could get a word out, Molly offered: “I’m pretty sure he’s trying to get blurbs for his new book.”