Under Contract
Today was “book-endorsement-request day” for my next book, The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace (She Writes Press, Berkeley, CA, 2018).
I sent seventeen email requests and have already received back five YES’s and one really cool turndown; a funny, personal email from none other than Seth Godin. He wrote:
“thanks Doc
alas I'm too swamped to take this on, I'm sorry
good luck with your work”
My pie-in-the-sky requests included a few of the people I quoted in my book: Brene Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, Cheryl Richardson, Mary Morrissey, Bill Gates, Stephen Hopson, Tara Brach, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong.
I don’t shy away from requesting an endorsement. After all, my book is a billboard for their publicity. Of the seventeen requests I sent, I've received five YES responses! Here’s how I did it:
FINDING ENDORSERS
For the still-living people I quoted in my book, I found their email address (sometimes a difficult task) and sent them a brief note letting them know I admire them and why. I was specific about the quote I used and then asked if they would be interested in reading my book for potentially offering an endorsement blurb.
TIMING
Not wanting to rush anyone, I gave them a two month window for providing an endorsement blurb.
BREVITY
I let them know I was looking for something short—no more then two sentences—for use on the front or back cover.
SAMPLE EMAIL
Mr/Ms _______
I included one of your quotes in my second book, The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace. The publisher is She Writes Press (Berkeley, CA).
“I typed their quote here.”
This book isn’t about being in business; it’s about the business of being. Spotlighting the intersection of workplace and spirituality, The Business of Being helps people thrive in business and life.
The foreword was written by Dr. Lynn Schmidt, leadership development expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning co-author of Shift Into Thrive: Six Strategies for Women to Unlock the Power of Resiliency.
I’m hoping that you might consider reading the manuscript for the purpose of writing a brief (less than 100 words) endorsement blurb that will appear on the cover.
Your schedule permitting, I need to have the endorsement in hand by August 1, 2018.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Laurie
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So rip that bandaid off and get it over with! You'll be glad to check one more item off your pre-publication ta-dah list.
Thanks, Laurie!
Nancy — Now is the time. It's not too soon at all. My next book doesn't come out until July 10, 2018, and I'm finished with my requests and only waiting on one promised endorsement.
Hi Laurie, Given the two month window you gave your potential endorsers, now is not too soon to contact folks for a book that comes out June 2018?
Thank you for this article, Laurie! I love the email you used - it's the perfect length and you hit on all the right points. Awesome!
I found out a few weeks ago I got my #1 "pie in the sky" cover endorsement from Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison (author of "An Uniquiet Mind" & numerous other books) for my memoir "Birth of a New Brain - Healing from Postpartum Bipolar Disorder."
It was an amazing moment to receive her endorsement. It was hard-won - she rarely endorses books, but I persevered without being too much of a pest.
I wrote her a one-page letter from the heart. It helped that my topic (technical name: bipolar, peripartum onset) is unique and it has never been written about at length before. I knew my topic might pique her interest since she's an expert on bipolar disorder.
It helped that I mentioned a little about my credibility in this subject area, depsite it being a memoir. I briefly noted some of the professional relationships I've developed with some of the top bipolar and perinatal professionals in the world over the past decade.
I wanted my book to have the utmost credibility, and I've long considered Dr. Jamison to be the Mt. Everest of front cover endorsers! (I didn't write *that* in my letter, LOL! That would be too over-the-top - pun intended!)
So if you're on the fence about contacting your top choice, I say "Go for it!" -- do everything you can to stand out in a good way! ;)
I wish you the very best with your book! :)
Dyane
Congratulations, Laurie!
You're our WM6M superstar. Keep going, you're an inspiration to us all! - Sharon
GREAT post, Laurie. Thanks so much for posting. This is helpful for me. I need all the help I can gather as I'm approaching blurb-request time!
Kristin - Will do. I'll let you know when it's ready.
Hi Laurie! This is a great post! Would you mind adding to it or creating another one with some tips for our members? Then I'll feature it in an upcoming newsletter!