When you publish a book, it is necessary to consider how to get reviews. However, have you also thought about getting endorsements for your book? There is a difference between a review and an endorsement.
You see, a review is from a reader or a fan and an endorsement is from a respected leader or celebrity in your field or niche. Having an endorsement from someone respected in your field can lead to increased credibility for you as an author and your book.
In this post, I will share with you the steps needed to successfully get endorsements for your book.
7 Steps to Successfully Get Endorsements
1) Make a List
The first step to getting endorsements is to make a list of who you would like to ask. At this stage, don’t limit yourself. Think of anyone and everyone you would like to endorse your book.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Colleagues in your field who are also successful.
- Experts you admire and/or follow.
- People who endorsed books similar to yours.
Once you have your list, narrow it down to the people you want to contact.
2) Plan Ahead
Make sure to give your potential endorsers plenty of time to respond to your request, read your book, and write the endorsement. I would recommend giving them at least 4-8 weeks advance notice of your preferred deadline.
3) Get Creative
In order to get the attention of the person you are asking to endorse your book, you may need to get creative. Felicia Slattery recently had success using a short, but creative video that you see below.
Felicia states she wanted, “Michael Port to write the foreword to my upcoming book, Kill the Elevator Speech: Stop Selling, Start Connecting. After seeing the video, although he promised himself no more forewords, Michael is giving it serious consideration. Woo-hoo!!”
And it worked!
Just a month after she uploaded her video to YouTube, she made this announcement on Facebook…
“HE SAID YES!!!!! I am THRILLED to announce that New York Times Best-Selling Author, the FABULOUS and brilliant Michael Port agreed to write the foreword for my upcoming book!! My heart is beating out of my chest with gratitude! Huge thank you to Lou Bortone for helping me make the video “ask.” I have to go pinch myself to be sure this is for reals…. !!”
Take a lesson from Felicia and brainstorm creative ways to approach the people you want to endorse your book.
4) Ask
Now it is time to ask those you listed above if they would be willing to endorse your book. [pullquote position=”right”]In order to get the endorsements, you have to put yourself out there and ASK.[/pullquote]
First, you will first need to find their contact information.
Here are a 6 ways to try contacting them in the order I would suggest:
- Find their website and look for a contact form. This is usually the most reliable way to contact them.
- See if they list their e-mail address within their books or training materials.
- Find their e-mail address via their Google Plus profile. Some people have their e-mail address listed publicly on their profile. Google also has other ways to e-mail G+ contacts.
- Private message them through their personal Facebook profile (not page) if you are friends. If you are not their friend, your e-mail will end up in their “other” inbox unless you pay Facebook $1.
- Private message them through their Facebook page.
- Make an initial contact with them on Twitter.
Once you have a way to contact them, you will want to draft your e-mail or message. Be specific in what you are looking for and include your time frame. And remember to be creative!
If you are not sure what to say in your e-mail, check out these two sample e-mail templates. (simply scroll down the page until you see them)
5) Ask What Version They Prefer to Read
Do not assume every endorser will be okay with a digital copy of your book. When possible, ask them which version they prefer (i.e. PDF, mobi, epub, print, etc.). This will ensure more success as they will be reading your book in the format and method they prefer.
6) Follow-Up
If they agree to endorse your book, make sure to follow-up 1-2 weeks before the deadline. Many times they will get busy and forget so a gentle reminder can be helpful.
However, I do not recommend more than one or two follow-up messages at the most. If they do not respond at that time, I would let it go. The last thing you want to do is end up on their “most annoying” list!
7) Show Your Appreciation
Make sure to thank those who write endorsements for your book. Consider sending them a print copy once your book is ready.
Have you gotten endorsements for your book? If so, what techniques worked best for you? Share your success stories and any questions you may have in the comments below.
This article was originally published on The Future of Ink and is reprinted here in its entirety for our Magnolia Media Network readers.
