Use these Valuable Tips to Seek and Secure Endorsements for Your Manuscript

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

Oxford Languages defines "endorsement"as an act of giving one's public approval or support to someone or something.

Once we land that book contract and work through the editing process, a note hits our email box. Please send us a list of endorsers for your work. It's an exciting time, and then suddenly, it becomes a real challenge, especially if you are a debut author. When the time arrives to seek out these endorsements, we suddenly realize how short our reach is into the publishing industry. 

Even in seeking endorsements, there are general rules one should follow and specific things you should understand if an endorser says, "no."

Etiquette for Seeking Endorsements

• Always ask future endorsers what their endorsement policies are. Sometimes endorsement policies are set by publishers or agents. If a writer's career has been successful, it may very well be that the author's publisher will restrict what books that author may endorse. It protects their assets, for lack of better words. Judy Author is successfully turning out books. Her publisher or agent may be very particular about what she puts her seal of approval on. They do this to protect her readership. For example, my agent asked a very respected author in my genre to endorse my debut novel. She read it, loved it, but said no. She said no because her readers were "soft readers." They loved romance and not conflict. My novel was a hard read emotionally. Though she loved my novel, she knew her readers would be shocked. It made perfect sense for her to decline. 

• Books that fall short. This is always a touchy subject, but the truth is, with more and more authors able to self-publish on their own through Amazon, book and story quality can falter. This is not a slam against self-publishing but a nod to lack of experience, knowledge of the craft, and impatience. Books roll off the press that do not meet quality standards. Authors must be particular about what they endorse. Again, it's a readership issue. If you put your signature of approval on a book that falls incredibly short on the writing craft, then your own readers begin to question your work.

• Sometimes busy authors just don't have time. Please be understanding to those authors who work on tight deadlines. To fairly endorse a book, the author is required to read it, make an assessment, and then write the endorsement. This takes time, and when an author is bound to a deadline, time may not be available.

• Remember, it's not personal. Sometimes we receive politely worded endorsements, but the reader doesn't care for the book. The endorsement is very "generic." It's nice, offers a compliment on the writing, and offers encouragement, but it's not the blow-me-over endorsement we expected. I retort with this: you can't please everyone all the time. Accept the endorsement, get feedback if you feel you need it, but be gracious and thankful to the endorser. They have, after all, taken the time to read the book and do the endorsement. It's not personal if they aren't in love with this particular book.

• Always send a complimentary copy of the book to the endorser. There was a time that publishers sent "real books" to endorsers. These days with the strides in electronic communication, manuscripts can be sent in pdf form. Folks can read on their devices, and it costs little to nothing for the publisher to send. Common courtesy and good manners dictate that you send them a copy of the book. The nice thing is they can donate their copy to their local library after they've read through it. Win-win.

• What about that person who never sends their endorsement? Well, there are always those who life just happens to, and they either let it slip past or forget. I generally send the manuscript with a deadline date and then send a reminder of the deadline at the halfway point. I let it go after that. Again, it's not personal.

Step-by-step Process for Asking for Endorsements:

1. Network. This is where you meet folks who can endorse.
2. Send an email and ask about their endorsement policies. Invite them to endorse.
3. Receive acceptance to endorse.
4. Ask how they prefer to read – on a device or the page. If they need a printed copy (and some do due to impairments or even age), print it, have it spiral bound at your local office supply store, and mail it. Otherwise, send a pdf and include a deadline with both.
5. Mail a reminder at the halfway point of the deadline.
6. Log endorsements in a file and forward them to your publisher.
7. Send a complimentary copy of the book with a thank you note and permission to pass the book to their local library. Ask endorsers to add their endorsement to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Lifeway.com and CBD.com under the review section. Include a link to add if possible.
8. Be prepared to return the favor when you are asked.

Endorsements are necessary and will make the process easier when handled professionally. Write well. Do good work. Go the extra mile, and your endorsements will shine.

TWEETABLE

Use these Valuable Tips to Seek and Secure  Endorsements for Your Manuscript, insight from author @CindyDevoted on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. She is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries and the executive editor for www.christiandevotions.us and www.inspireafire.com. Cindy is the lead managing editor for SonRise Devotionals and also Straight Street Books, both imprints of LPC/Iron Stream Media Publications. She is a mentor with Write Right and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference held each February at the Billy Graham Training Center, the Cove, Asheville, NC. Cindy is a best selling, award winning novelist. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.