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7 Tips for Getting Book Endorsements

December 26, 2017 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Mary Walewski (used with permission)

book testimonialsWhen you’re publishing your first book, it’s easy to overlook getting endorsements. These are the blurbs on the front and back cover of your book. A great book blurb – or endorsement – by an expert in your field, a known author, or even a celebrity can give your book a seal of approval and help sales.

Getting a book blurb or two sounds easier than you think now that the experts you want to contact have websites and are on social media. No more contacting publishers or agents – your prospects may have assistants helping with their online profiles, but at least you can skip a few of the middlemen.

Here are my top 7 tips for getting book endorsements:

  1. Start your prospect list early – ideally when you’re still writing the book. At least, be working on your list when your book is still in editing. Visit your prospects’ websites and look for a contact page or email. Friend and follow them on social media.
  2. Your list should consist of people your audience would know and respect. Look for fellow authors in your genre, experts in your field, and celebrities who have a connection to your topic. Don’t count on the big names to respond – but you never know.
  3. Outline a general query letter for your prospects, then customize it for each person you’re approaching. You have a better chance of snagging an endorsement of your favorite authors if you show you’re a fan of theirs. Also include info on how you’ll be marketing and selling your book – nobody wants to endorse a book that nobody will see. If your book sells, your endorser benefits too!
  4. In your letter, include sample endorsements for your prospects to edit as they please. Some may choose to write their own, and that’s great.
  5. After they say yes, ask them whether they’d like a paper copy or an ebook, the entire book, or just an excerpt. You can have ARCs – advance reader copies made through your local POD publisher or even at the local office supply store.
  6. Ask four times as many prospects as you think you’ll need. You only have room for 1 blurb on the front and maybe two more on the back. If you get more, put them on the inside front page. Whatever you do, don’t NOT use a good blurb. If someone goes to the trouble of reading your work and writing an endorsement, use it.
  7. Give your endorsers a reasonable deadline and follow up tactfully. Don’t be a pest – remember, they’re doing you a favor! Lastly, after your book comes out, send your endorsers a copy of your book with a nice inscription and a thank you note.

Mary Walewski of Buy The Book Marketing is a book marketing consultant for indie authors and publishers. You can contact her at https://buythebookmarketing.com.

What tips have helped you? Please add to this list below.

Filed Under: Editors and Authors Tagged With: ARCs, better writing, book blurbs, book publicity, book testimonials, Buy The Book Marketing, Mary Walewski, nonfiction book editor, professional book editing, request book endorsements, request testimonials, write endorsements

Adventure Author Making a Splash

October 19, 2015 by Barbara McNichol 1 Comment

Note from Barbara: I just received this email from adventure author Heidi Siefkas whose wonderful books I edited. I’m excited to share her publicity and news about her upcoming live writing retreat in South Florida. Details about her books and retreat are linked on the CBS-Miami website. 

Take three minutes to listen to Heidi’s fun TV interview about how she reinvented her life, wrote about it, and turned it into a new career.

Dear Barbara,

Aloha from Fort Lauderdale!

It has been a busy fall with the second book launch. I’m making a splash with my post-traumatic growth story, Life 2.0, and adventure is my meditation. Check out this feature that recently aired on CBS Channel 4 Miami.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/10/18/focus-on-south-florida-south-florida-writing-retreat/

Thank you for being a part of this journey. On Saturday, I will be co-hosting a writing retreat and sharing my path, highlighting your editing business as well as my publisher’s, Wheatmark.

Here’s to looking up!

Heidi

Heidi's follow-up book

Adventure author's first book

Heidi Siefkas is author of When All Balls Drop and With New Eyes. 

Filed Under: BME in the News, Writing Workshops Tagged With: adventure author, book publicity, Hiedi Siefkas, memoirs, nonfiction book editor, post traumatic growth, travel books, Wheatmark, Wheatmark publishing, writing workshop

Book Testimonials to Grow Your Sales

February 15, 2015 by Barbara McNichol 2 Comments

Pam Lontos, CSP, MA

Pam Lontos, CSP, MA

By Pam Lontos, CSP, MA

 You are writing a book to sell online, on your website, at your speeches, or in bulk to corporations. What can you do to boost sales? People don’t believe ads or what you say about your own book. You’ll need testimonials from satisfied readers to place in every marketing piece you create.

One of the main reasons people don’t buy a book is fear of making a wrong decision. There are so many books in the marketplace and it’s sometimes hard to choose. So when they see that an author is endorsed by someone else, that fear is minimized.

How to Get Testimonials

  • Choose from your own satisfied clients who represent your target demographic.
    Choose clients who exemplify the best-case scenario for your service or offering then say, “I’d love for you to share your thoughts on my book. Would you please write a short testimonial?”
  • Offer to write the testimonial for them. People often turn down requests for testimonials because they are too busy or don’t know what to say. In that case, offer to write the testimonial for them. Ask them what it is they’d like to say about the book and offer to let them review what you write. Most people will leave the testimonial as is, happy they didn’t have to take the time to write it themselves.
  • Look through your past notes and correspondence. Chances are you’re sitting on a pile of testimonials and don’t even know it. Go through past emails and correspondences from clients, friends, and readers. Are there a few nice sentences in some of their messages? If so, ask the person if you can use their words in your marketing materials.

How to Write Testimonials

  • Show results. Testimonials need to specifically show the results a person experienced from reading your book. For example, “Joe Smith’s health book helped me end my 20-year battle with migraines.” or “The suggestions in Mary’s book helped me save over $2,000 in marketing costs last month.”
  • Keep it short. Each word of the testimonial should have value. If someone writes you a page-long testimonial, edit out any words that don’t directly address the end result. This doesn’t mean you can change the meaning of their quote; but you can edit out the parts that don’t contribute to the meaning. For example, if someone writes a full page about how your book helped them save 30% on their HR costs, you can condense it to one sentence. “This book saved us 30% on our annual HR costs.” Often, the more words you take out, the stronger the testimonial becomes. It’s also easier to read and stands out more.
  • Use big names whenever possible. Whenever you give a speech to or consult with a large company or association, try getting the president to give you a testimonial. This is not to say you should ignore the comments from the audience or employees, just don’t forget to get the big names on your testimonials list, as well.

How to Use Testimonials

  • Include testimonials in your marketing pieces. For print, it’s best to have testimonials stand alone from the text, rather than try to weave them into the ad copy. Other marketing pieces that should feature your testimonials include: your website, brochures, direct mail pieces, postcards, billboards, newsletters, social media updates, and, of course, the back of your book.
  • Create a testimonials file. Each time you receive a kind letter from a client or reader, highlight the parts that state benefits and scan or save the letter into your computer in a file called Testimonials. Additionally, you can create a page on your website where you feature all your testimonials.

The Ultimate Sales Tool

It’s always better when someone else sings the praises of your book, so let your clients and readers sell it for you. Testimonials are the ultimate sales tool, so remember to use them in all of your materials.

Pam Lontos, CSP, is the president of Pam Lontos Consulting. Pam consults with businesses, speakers, authors, and experts in the areas of marketing, publicity, and speaking. Pam is a past vice president of sales for Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting where she raised sales 500% and she founded PR/PR Public Relations. She is the author of I See Your Name Everywhere: Leverage the Power of the Media to Grow Your Fame, Wealth and Success. She is also a former professional speaker. For a free 20-minute consultation, call (407) 522-8630 or email Pam@PamLontos.com    www.PamLontos.com.

 

Filed Under: Book Writing Tagged With: book publicity, book sales, book testimonials, nonfiction book editor, Pam Lontos, professional business book editing, selling your nonfiction book

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