The following post started as a draft more than a decade ago, when I was actively promoting my books. I’ve not asked another author for a blurb in years, but I likely will start that process in the next few months.

I know of a writer who has blindly asked a book signing’s featured author to endorse the writer’s work, resulting in the author agreeing to look at the manuscript. I would imagine this is done after the event concludes and the aspiring writer gets a moment of the author’s time to make the pitch. Maybe they hit it off? If that works, who am I to say don’t do it?

But I take the approach that you don’t want to put an author on the spot to say yes or no. Think about it: when someone asks you out of the blue to do something that takes up your time and that you weren’t expecting, how do you feel? More often than not, you feel put-upon, but you say yes out of a sense of obligation.

I want an established author to read my work because he or she wants to, not because of undue pressure.

That’s why writing a professional pitch (yes, another damned query letter), to me, is more desirable. It allows the recipient author to sit back, ruminate, and make an informed decision. I emailed a blurb request to a New York Times-bestselling author of numerous books. I didn’t expect to even hear back from the author. Not only did I hear back, but the author specifically stated it was my professionalism (and the premise of my book) that initiated the reply. The author told me to check back in a few months to see if there was an opening in the author’s schedule.

(I’m trying not to be gender specific because I don’t want the author to be hit with requests that he/she might not want.)

A few months passed, and I noticed the author was appearing at a book signing not far from where I lived. Rather than simply show up and say, “Hey, remember me?” I again wrote the author, said I knew about the appearance, and that I’d like to attend to officially introduce myself. I heard back almost immediately: attend!

I did. I bought a copy of the author’s book at the appearance, got an autograph, and made a friend (not a buddy-buddy, let’s-drink-beers friend; but I’d like to think a writing friend who couldn’t have been kinder to me). The author said to send the ms. And eventually, I was provided with an excellent blurb. I couldn’t have been happier. The author told me that whatever I was doing, to keep doing it.

Another thing to keep in mind: don’t be a pest. If an author agrees to look at your manuscript, state a deadline for when it would be ideal to receive the blurb, and that you’ll check back at the start of the deadline’s month to see where things stand. (Seeing that my release date was 18 months off at the time of my signing a contract, I had a seven-month window to get blurbs–although there’s always wiggle room, especially if Stephen King manages to get back to you. Dream big, baby!) My point: don’t write the author every month, much less every other week, to see if the author has tackled your manuscript. Just don’t. ###

I wrote that more than 10 years ago and it still makes sense to me, and I’ll be following my own advice soon!