The Catholic Writers Guild

Your Author Toolkit: Endorsements and Reviews

We’ve all picked up a book and flipped to the back cover only to be either delighted or dismayed to find not a handy synopsis of the contents, but a series of quotations extolling said content. The names beneath each quote bear titles such as “Chair of Theology Department at Prestigious University” or “Best-Selling Novelist.” As both an editor and buyer-of-books, I deal with these endorsements, also called blurbs, on a regular basis. 

But from the author’s perspective, what is the point of endorsements? How does one go about obtaining them? Are they a good marketing tactic? Are they more or less valuable than book reviews? Let’s talk about that. 

What’s the point?

The purpose of blurbs is to entice people into buying your book. These days, endorsements tend to appear not only on the back cover, but also on the Amazon page for the book, and frequently on social media ads. An “endorsement” is a quote from someone your audience trusts and respects, saying that your book should also be trusted and respected. Or, in the case of fiction, someone your audience enjoys saying that they (the audience) will also enjoy this book. 

What makes a good blurb?

In essence, an endorsement is someone picking up your book and yelling “Hey! You guys should read this!” An effective endorsement is from someone who is on a stage surrounded by thousands of adoring fans. A less effective endorsement is from someone who is merely shouting into the parish hall and then blushing under awkward stares.

And there we have the important bit: endorsements are only effective if they come from someone whose platform is significantly bigger than yours. Forgive my bluntness, but your parish priest, your cousin’s aunt who teaches high school English, or even your favorite theology professor are likely not good endorsers. You should absolutely seek out a few good blurbs, but you should do so by scouring your first, second, and third-degree connections until you can get direct access to three to five A-listers. 

Please note, A-listers are defined as “the people your audience looks up to and trusts,” and who those specific people are depends on who your target audience actually is. That might mean the podcaster who has a comparatively small platform but completely owns your topic niche, or a novelist in your genre who is popular among your ideal readers.

That’s not to say that your parish priest, cousin’s aunt, and theology professor aren’t essential to  your marketing strategy, because they are! Your biggest fans are just that, your biggest fans — and they have a specific role to play. Two words: Amazon reviews. (Four words: Goodreads reviews also appreciated.)

Endorsements vs. reviews

Online reviews are a game-changer. No, I don’t love the corporate behemoth of Amazon and its myriad moral and ethical issues. But Amazon is what it is, and the fact remains that Amazon and Goodreads reviews are some of the best ways of garnering interest in your book and getting people to actually spend money. Online reviews are a peer-to-peer conversation, allowing for a prospective reader to feel personally invited to read. And a good review, or heck, even a “bad” review, means that people are reading, and they have opinions. This is the perfect place for your cousin’s aunt, because she can review as a reader rather than trying to be an influencer.

As a consumer, the value of a bad Amazon book review is that often I want to argue with the reviewer and/or see if my opinion differs. So while our authorly egos might take a blow from criticism, it’s not necessarily off-putting for a prospective reader.

Whether an endorsement or a review is most effective is an open question. Each marketing piece is different and serves its own unique purpose. To use our earlier metaphor, if blurbs involve shouting into a room, online reviews are more like passing a stranger in the bookstore aisle and saying “Hey! I’ve read that one, it’s really good!” And if your prospective reader is surrounded by half-a-dozen people warmly chatting about how good the book is…well, I for one would be hard pressed not to buy.

Now what?

Once you’ve identified the right people, how do you go about actually collecting blurbs? If you’re working with a traditional publisher, brainstorm potential endorsers and discuss with your editor what process he or she prefers. Some publishers will seek out endorsements on your behalf; others will ask you to provide them on your own. If you’re self-publishing, you’re on your own, and the following advice definitely applies.

It’s best to make the request short and sweet. Any A-lister you are reaching out to is well-used to being asked for endorsements, so you don’t need to feel awkward about making it. Your email should include these points:

• Greeting
• Introduce yourself and your connection to him
• Explain in one sentence the nature of your book
• Explain why you think this book fits with his platform (“Given that you are such a dynamic speaker on the topic of …)
• Ask if he would be willing to read and potentially endorse your book
• Tell him your deadline for gathering blurbs for the interior or back cover, and if he can’t make that deadline, that you’d still appreciate being able to use the blurb in digital marketing

Possible responses

You might get a reply from your chosen endorser, and you might not (A-listers are busy and often not great about email responses.) If you do get a reply, it might be positive, or she might turn you down either because she is too busy or because she has a blanket policy of not endorsing projects. Whatever happens, remember that this is primarily a business decision on her part — it’s not a judgment call on the value of you or your book. If she is open to reading and potentially endorsing your book, ask whether she would like a digital or hard copy. Send either one promptly. Follow up with a gentle reminder if your deadline passes and you haven’t heard back (e.g. “Just wanted to check in and see if you still had time to take a look at my book!”)

When you’ve got a blurb

• Thank your endorser for his or her time and kind words
• Confirm how he would like his name to appear, and what title or tagline to include after it
• Ask for his mailing address
• Send him copy of your book after it has been released

And one last note — yes, you can copy edit the endorsements you’ve received. Trim down to just one or two sentences, correct spelling or grammar errors, etc., but do not make any substantial changes to content or tone.

Best of luck in all your authorial and marketing efforts! May your blurbs be swift and helpful, and your reviews plentiful.

 

Copyright 2023 – Rebecca Martin