Dear O'Abby: How do I get blurbs? And do I need them?

Dear O'Abby,

I'm publishing my first novel early next year, and looking at other books in my genre, they all seem to have blurbs from other authors on the cover.  Is this something I need to do, or is it one of those "nice-to-have" things that aren't actually that important?

If they are critical, how do I go about getting them?

Best wishes,

Blurbless

Dear Blurbless,

I wouldn't say blurbs are essential, but they do give another layer of authority to the fact that your book is good.  Not everyone reads them, of course, but certainly, having a great quote on your cover from an author well known in your genre can elevate your book in the eyes of readers.

In terms of getting them, it's really just a matter of asking.

If you're with a publisher, there may be other authors in their stable who you can reach out to.  Your editor may even have an idea already who might be a good fit.  If you're self-publishing, you're going to need to do this on your own.

Find the authors you think would be a good fit and reach out to them.  Make sure you give them plenty of lead time and be gracious and polite if they decline the request.  Reading a whole book is a big time investment, and not everyone has that kind of time.

Make sure you choose writers whose work aligns with yours.  A horror writer is unlikely to want to blurb a romance, and if they do, the blurb is likely to confuse readers more than if there wasn't one there at all.  A writer whose work is similar to your own is far more likely to be interested in reading your book and therefore blurbing you.

Make sure you're clear when you need the blurb, and offer to send the author a copy of the book when it's published.  Small tokens of appreciation go a long way.

And that's really all there is to it.

X O'Abby