Requesting Endorsements for Your Book
How do I request endorsements for my book?
If you want people to say nice things about your book but you don’t know how to ask them to do it, this message is for you. Making an endorsement request is a sensitive, delicate ask. You don’t want to say the wrong thing. What if it’s not about what you say but how you say it?
A great endorsement is one step closer to getting a potential reader to buy your book.
One of the best compliments your book can get is a great endorsement. Whether it’s on the cover of your book, collected in the interior, or used for marketing, those words give a huge boost of credibility to the author and give the content credibility with the reader.
Recently a client of ours asked about best practices for requesting endorsements. He had a HUGE list of asks and was trying to figure out how to manage it all. It was super complicated. The quickest way to get someone NOT to endorse your book is to make it complicated. Simple and easy will get the job done. So how do you make the ask?
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“Getting people to say nice things about your book
starts with a clear and simple ask.”
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The best way to request an endorsement for your book is to be clear about what you are asking. Here’s an example: I’d love for you to read my book, and if you like it, please share any kind words you have about it with me. I’d love to have your endorsement on this project. It’s super easy to make it really complicated. Resist the urge to make it complicated!
This second part is key: be hospitable. That means providing a clean copy of the manuscript in your email and asking them if they’d prefer a print version mailed to them. You want it to be as seamless as possible. A lot of our clients have success when they also provide a few sample endorsements or other endorsements they’ve already received. Here’s what people are saying about my new book. Remember, making the request simple and easy will net you better results.
Here’s a quick pro tip: Tell them in your email that YOU will follow up with them soon. Don’t put it all on the endorser - they are busy, too!! Doing the follow-up can make all the difference.
Here’s the final part of how to request endorsements for your book: Give them a deadline. It can be as easy as this example: In order to include your endorsement, I will need it by (Insert due date). If you need more time than that (Remember: hospitable!!!), let me know so I can help. Without a deadline - that ticking clock - requests like this fall by the wayside. Tell them when it’s due.
Here’s the struggle a lot of authors have: who should I ask? Quality beats quantity. You don’t need a dozen names, but you do need to ask the right voices. The best place to begin is your network. A Stephen King endorsement is probably going to be hard to come by unless you’ve got an in with Mr. King. So think about who’s in your network and your publisher’s network for making the best ask.
But what if you’re self-publishing? If you are, it’s okay that you don’t have a publisher to lean on here. If you work to cultivate a generous and supportive platform and network, you’ll have everything you need to request endorsements from other authors in your genre. Just don’t forget that 2-3 great endorsements beat 6-12 mediocre ones. If you make the ask of a fellow author, offer to do the same for them for their current or next book.
Asking for endorsements will be tricky and difficult only if you don’t make it clear and simple. Be hospitable and don’t forget the due date. Sharing your book is not easy - it takes a lot of courage and hard work. Give your book the support it deserves by making the best endorsement request possible.
Take Action: Talk to a professional
If you feel like you need guidance and encouragement in your author journey, you can schedule a one-on-one consultation with one of our agents. We can help you focus on what you can control and offer the type of feedback and inspiration to get you to your publishing finish line. One-on-coaching is open to everyone and we would love to help you reach your full potential using our unparalleled experience, hard-won wisdom, and industry-leading strengths. Schedule a one-on-one meeting today!
