It's funny people say 'create quality backlinks' except you don't create backlinks you rely on others to do that for you. Sure you can reach out and ask, but don't be surprised if you are greeted with big f-you. It also depends on your niche and the type of competition you have.
You might have fantastic quality content with a lot of people linking to you but links from the likes of social media, and forums are pretty much certain to be no-follow.
Good luck.
