Much of the book-publishing world still remains a mystery to me, even though I’ve been in it (or on the fringes of it) for so long. For many years I wondered how “book blurbs” came to me—the term referring to quotes from other authors, usually placed on a book’s front and back cover, or in the front matter, detailing how much those authors appreciated that particular book. For example, Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World, provided the following blurb for Titan Books’ UK paperback edition of S. L. Coney‘s Wild Spaces, perhaps my all-time favorite novella: “I loved it and can’t stop thinking about it.”

The mystery became a little less murky once I started convincing publishers to pick up my work. For someone like me, an indie author, book blurbs come into existence simply by reaching out to authors whose work you respect and admire, and asking them if they would consider reviewing your story and, if they like it, please provide a few kind words about it to entice future readers. For my most recent novel, Find Your Way Back to Me, I reached out to six authors whose work I adore and asked them for blurbs; five of them were kind enough to agree. I have never particularly enjoyed or been very good at asking other people for favors, so it took a lot of nerve to reach out to folks who have had far greater success in this business than I have. What I learned, though, is that most people are innately kind and eager to help—including those have tasted the rarefied air of bestseller-dom. That’s especially true in the horror community, which some folks might found surprising, though it’s certainly no surprise for those who belong to the community.

If memory serves, the first author I reached out to was Ken Jaworowski. I interviewed him for a July 2023 magazine story about his debut novel, Small Town Sins, a phenomenal thriller set in Pennsylvania’s Rust Belt. (Ironically, it was a blurb from the great Willy Vlautin—author of The Night Always Comes and The Horse, among others—that made me realize Jaworowski’s work would likely appeal to me.) Both of Jaworowski’s novels to date, including this year’s fantastic What About the Bodies, explore the complexity of human nature and the sometimes painful choices made by people who live in a small town that’s down on its luck. Much like Vlautin’s novels, Jaworowski’s work will always have a home in my collection.

With each new book I’m fortunate to put out into the world, I have learned something—often several somethings: about myself and humanity, about the architecture of storytelling, about subjects I previously had no knowledge. With Find Your Way Back to Me, specifically as it relates to fielding blurbs, I learned that when in need, all you have to do is ask; more often than not, the world will give you the answer you want.