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GATHERING
TESTIMONIALS & FOREWORDS by Dan Poynter
More than 300 titles are published each day.
There is no way anyone can know and rank them. That is why the book industry
relies so heavily on blurbs.
A blurb is a short sales pitch or review
of a book usually printed on the jacket or in an advertisement. The word was
coined by Gelett Burgess, a Boston-born humorist and author [1866-1951).
Testimonials, endorsements and quotations or “blurbs” sell books
because word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful forces in marketing. Anything
you say about your book is self-serving but words from another person are not.
In fact, when readers see the quotation marks, it shifts their attitude and
they become more receptive.
Harvey Mackay placed 44 testimonials in
the frontmatter of Swim with the Sharks; he had endorsements from everyone from
Billy Graham to Robert Redford. Did these luminaries buy a book and write
unsolicited testimonials? Of course not. Mackay asked for the words of praise.
http://www.mackay.com
Your mission is to get the highest-placed, most
influential opinionmolders in your field talking about your book. You have more
control than you think over whom you quote, what they say and how you use their
words. The easiest and most logical time to gather blurbs is following peer
review of the manuscript. Testimonials are not difficult to get if you follow
this two-step process.
Most testimonials are superficial, teach the
reader nothing and lack credibility. —Ron Richards, President, Venture
Network.
Step #1. Send parts of your book out for peer review.
Smart nonfiction authors take each chapter of their nearly complete manuscript
and send it off to at least four experts on that chapter’s subject.
Step #2. Approach your peer reviewers for a testimonial. Now the
target is softened up. You are not surprising them by asking for a blurb for a
book they haven’t even seen. In fact, since you matched the chapter to
their individual interest, they have already bought into the project and become
familiar with your work.
Now, draft the (suggested) testimonial
yourself. In order to get what you need and in order to control the blurb,
draft a suggested testimonial. Then include a cover letter like this: I know
you are a busy person. Considering your position and the direction this book
takes, I need a testimonial something like this: . . .
Drafting a
testimonial is a creative act; it takes time and careful thought. Editing is
easier than creating. Your endorser does not even know how long the blurb
should be. So, provide help. Some 80% will just sign off on your words, 10%
will add some superlatives and 5% will get the idea and come up with something
much better.
Forewords are approached in the same manner as
endorsements. What you get back from the writer is just longer. Gather
testimonials by putting words in their mouths.
Dan Poynter
does not want you to die with a book still inside you. You have the ingredients
and he has your recipe. Dan has written more than 100 books since 1969
including Writing Nonfiction and The Self- Publishing Manual. For more help on
book writing, see http://ParaPub.com. © 2003
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