Finding Endorsements And Testimonials For Your Book

So, you've begun writing your book, or you have a book that's already out. You decide that what you need are endorsements and testimonials. They grace the covers of the best sellers you pick up in the bookstore. You know that you read them when you look at a book. Well, so do your potential readers. And it's an accepted fact that endorsements and testimonials do help sell books. So, how do you get one for your book?

First, let's look at the differences between testimonials and endorsements. A testimonial is given by a reader; an endorsement is given by a celebrity or someone who can influence sales. The cover quote I have from Clive Cussler on The Samson Effect is an endorsement, one responsible for nearly 1/3 of my overall book sales when it first came out. Endorsements are generally stronger for your book than testimonials, but that is not to say you should underestimate testimonials. They can still have a tremendous effect on the sales of your book. For example, books are bought all the time based on what readers are saying about them in reviews on Amazon.com

So, where do you find these endorsements and testimonials?

Testimonials are much easier to find. You can solicit them through your newsletter or website ("I would love to hear what you think about my book.") You can contact readers you know who have read your book and ask for their testimonial. I personally rarely use the word testimonial. I usually ask someone something like, "Do you mind letting me know what you think about my book? I'm posting comments on my web site (or in my book when it's published)." You can place these under the heading, "Here's what readers are saying about The Samson Effect" or something along those lines. I have even given away copies of my book for a promise of a comment or testimonial.

Securing endorsements can be a little harder, but they are well worth the effort. A good endorsement can sell more books for you than you may ever believe. Some of the things you assume to be true about acquiring endorsements may not be true. Here are my tips on how to secure endorsements for your books.

1. Shoot for the stars. You may be tempted to think, "Wow, I could never get Oprah to give me an endorsement." You may be right, but what do you have to lose for trying? Not a thing. And if for whatever reason something resonates with her and your book, then you have hit the proverbial jackpot. The same is true for all your A-List, Wish List Endorsers. Make that list, research their contact info, and be prepared to make first contact.

2. Don't overlook the power of local celebrities. "Mayor of XXX City" still looks good on a book, even if it's a city the reader isn't familiar with. If your book is about someone struggling with a certain disease, then a few doctor endorsements can be powerful for the person browsing the book. If you wrote a book on Landscaping Designs in the American Southwest, then a local radio host who has a weekend show on gardening can prove to be a boon for you. A book on leadership skills can be boosted by a word fitly spoken by a CEO of a company, and that CEO doesn't have to be a Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet. You get the idea.

3. Send the initial contact as early as possible. Once you have your list and contact info (search their websites, people finder tools, etc...) and send the initial contacts. Ideally, you will have wanted to have developed a relationship with them by this time. It would be nice to send out a request for an endorsement if you had already introduced yourself to them, commented on how much you love their work, and have sent a few comments on their blog or website. If not, you can include that in your initial contact. 6 to 8 month before you need the endorsement is not too early to contact people about this. You can assume that the higher the profile of the endorser, the busier they may be. If your book is already published, then you have a little breathing room; but these later endorsements make great fodder for your website, bookmarks, e-mail signatures, just about anywhere you can put them. There is a wonderful article by Gregory Kompes on using these endorsements entitled, 10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Book Endorsements.

4. Know what to send them. When you start to get responses in and you narrow your endorsements to the ones who have taken you up on your request, make sure you know what to send. They may want a few sample chapter or the whole manuscript. Some people like to write their own endorsement while others like to be given one to sign off on. If you are not sure if someone wants to write one them self or sign off on one, you may want to include a few "sample" endorsements and let them know they are free to look at them for ideas, to modify, or as a springboard of ideas for their own. Also, make sure you give them a deadline on when you need their comments. Oh, and don't forget the postage-paid Fed Ex for them to send your endorsement back to you in.

5. Be patient. Don't expect to see the enveloped returned to you the week after you sent it. Maybe not even the month after you sent it. As you approach your deadline, a friendly reminder may be warranted. Just remember, all that waiting will be well worth it when you get the endorsement. When I received Clive Cussler's letter, I gingerly carried it with me everywhere I went for a week until my wife pried it from my fingers, made me a copy to show people, and put the original under glass.

Encouraging Thoughts To Remember

Most celebrities like the publicity they will get from being quoted on a book cover or in a book. Most are savvy enough to know that being quoted on your book will extend their own exposure. You make a mistake by thinking that someone is "too big" to want to be quoted on your book. You never know unless you ask.

Many experts are good people who know that they have an opportunity to really help someone out. As long as you have written something good, you will be surprised at how many people will be happy to lend you their name. You may run into the stereotypical elitist snob who looks down on you, but those are so rare that they hardly warrant mentioning.

If someone does not provide you an endorsement, it does not automatically mean they hated your book or look down on you. It may mean that the book just did not resonate with them. More likely, it is because their schedule is just too full to take the time to evaluate a book and provide a write-up. They also may be considering many requests similar to yours and the truth is they just don't have time to read all those manuscripts. Still, other may have personal publicists who handle all requests like this whose job it is to pick and choose which endorsements to present to them. That's why we send these requests to a lot of people.

More good articles on securing celebrity endorsements.

Here are four more articles I found that have more good tips for you to look at.

Diane Eble's Getting Great Endorsements and Testimonials for Your Book

Susan Kendrick's Testimonials: What to Send Someone When You Request Their Endorsement for Your Book

Larry James' Hot Tips for Getting Book Endorsements

Penny C. Sansevieri's How to Get Celebrity Endorsements


Concluding Thoughts

If you are fortunate enough to be published by a large publishing company, chances are they will do a lot of this work for you. They have the relationships with authors and their business model knows that they can use their authors to help each other sell books, especially for a first time author. For the rest, I hope these tips can help you find that perfect endorsement for your book.

Tony Eldridge