by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
The word ‘blurb,’ which is what publishers used to mean ‘endorsement’ has gradually changed in meaning to ‘book description,’ so I’ll use ‘endorsement’ to be clearer. Regardless what you call it, endorsements have been a source of chagrin for authors for ages. It’s tough asking for them and it can be tough to deliver them. But the general feeling is that they’re good for visibility. Do they help? Who knows? They definitely don’t seem to hurt.
I’ve written endorsements for a long while. I learned not to feel awkward about them when a bestseller in my genre told me in an email that she felt terribly inept blurbing and that she never really knew what to say. That’s when I knew that everyone has that feeling.
For the writer giving the endorsement
Know when it’s due.This is also key to deciding whether to take on the endorsement.
Know your limits. Take an honest look at your calendar. Are you facing deadlines (either self-imposed or publisher-imposed)? Are you already committed to endorsing other books? Do you have a vacation or holiday approaching?
Be honest if it’s not your thing. It likely is someone else’s. I’ve turned down requests before because I knew I wasn’t the best person for the job…why would a SF/F reader think the endorsement of a cozy mystery author is worth anything?
Be pithy. This is not the time to go on and on. Short and sweet usually works best.
Alliteration and assonance can help with punch.
Give variations on the theme. A short and long blurb can help. Usually I’ll give permission to mix and match elements from several options or to cut the endorsement to just a word or two, if needed.
Be sure to designate how you’d like to be attributed. This is probably not the time to be modest. If you’re a bestseller, go ahead and include that…it can only help the writer who needs the blurb.
Pay it forward. Most of us received endorsements as new authors. It’s good to return the favor.
For the writer asking for the endorsement:
Give a due date. Be specific in what you need. Is this a review or an endorsement? Is it going on the cover? On Amazon’s editorial review section? On your website? All of the above?
Give the book’s genre, word count, and offer the text in different formats. Let the endorsing writer know exactly what they’re in for and allow them to read it in Kindle, epub, or PDF formats, if possible.
Provide background on the project, yourself, and why you thought of the writer to endorse. Although not strictly necessary, it’s nice. You don’t have to have read the endorsing writer’s books, but it’s nice to let them know why you thought of them. And I like to know a little about who’s asking for the blurb…are they just starting out? Trying to reinvent themselves? Just went indie?
Make sure you know how the endorsing writer wants it attributed/credited. Maybe they’re wanting to promote their latest book or a particular series.
Bonus tip: For me, I like to know what marketing direction a writer is trying to go in. Are they playing up the romance in the cozy mystery? Billing it as a humorous cozy? Trying for edgy? This can help with the direction my blurb goes in.
Do you ask for endorsements? Give them? What tips have I missed?
Tips for Asking for and Delivering Endorsements: Click To TweetPhoto on Visual Hunt
I’m still not clear on what an endorsement (blurb) is. Is this what appears on websites or on book covers.
The internet is such a wonderful tool on which to self promote, but promotion can be exhausting. I watched a Youtube vid yesterday of an author who said he misses the day when all he had to do (mostly) was write a book. He also has a toddler running around these days so his alone time has lessened. :)
Teresa C.
Hi Teresa!
You’re right; it’s so confusing. It can be either for a website/retail site or cover. It’s important for the asking author to lay out exactly what they plan on using the blurb/endorsement for because it really determines the length/tone of the endorsement. If it’s for the cover, there’s not a lot of space. It needs to be punchy and more like sales copy. If it’s for an author website or the editorial review section on Amazon/other retailers, it can be longer and less like an ad.
Whew! Having a toddler makes *everything* different in life!
What a helpful post, Elizabeth. Whether or not endorsements actually sell more books, they’re a part of the process of publication in a lot of cases. It’s good to have some guidelines for asking for them, or for writing them. And I agree: if endorsements are not something you do or ask for, say so kindly but clearly.
Not everyone will want to endorse books (it can be tough to find the reading time if you already have a lot of TBR books). It’s always good to be clear, for sure.
It does help a book to have endorsements from other authors, especially in their genre. (Although we’ll take outside the genre, too.) The by-line is important. Just don’t make it longer than the blurb. LOL
I’ve seen some long bylines! :) Good tip.
These are great tips! It’s helpful to know exactly what to include – in the text and in the request.
Do you consider reader reviews a form of endorsement? Those are what I put on my website.
I definitely consider reader reviews a form of endorsement. Because getting permission can be tricky, I’ll frequently just use a snippet of their customer review and credit them as “An Amazon Reader.”
Hi Elizabeth – succinctness is an art; I looked up ‘assonance’ – brought another word into my vocabulary range. This post is so helpful – as we learn so much … great ideas here too. I’ve just commented on an English publisher … who has an interesting approach – especially bearing in mind their topic – cheers Hilary
That’s the best thing about blogging and visiting blogs–so many opportunities to learn. I always learn when visiting yours! Thanks for coming by.
Great tips! I’ve definitely considered endorsements from my favourite authors when trying a new-to-me author
That’s good to hear! Thanks for coming by, Jemi.