One
of this best marketing tools available to all authors is the testimonial. You have seen thousands of testimonials over
the years. Book covers – front and back -- are adorned with them. So how should
authors go about getting them, who should they approach, and why are they so
important?
Let’s
start with what should be obvious.
Authors get testimonials because:
1.
People
expect to see them – if they are absent, an alarm goes off.
2.
If
you get the right ones, you’ll make a positive impression on consumers, the
media, and those that you seek to impress.
3.
They
can be used in a number of ways, including on your website, in your social
media, in your media press kit, and your speaker’s kit.
The
very act of reaching out for testimonials is a marketing initiative in
itself. By telling high-profile people
about your book you not only give yourself a chance of securing a useful
testimonial, but you also allow for yourself to be introduced to people who
could possibly help you in other ways, such as buying books or introducing you
to groups or people who may buy the book.
When
pursuing testimonials, do the following:
·
Seek
them out beginning six months before publication date, so there’s time to get
their testimonial onto the book cover and into pre-launch marketing materials.
·
Try
to get as many testimonials as possible, provided they are of a certain value –
it’s about quantity and quality.
·
Remember,
it’s not what they say about your book but who they are – people buy off of
brand recognition.
·
Be
persistent and vigilant – reach far and wide to experts, professors, leading
executives, politicians, non-profits, best-selling authors, and anyone with a
name or position of authority..
·
Connect
with people that you know to see if they can help introduce you to successful
or famous people that they know.
·
Ask
those whom you already know to write a testimonial.
How
do you get the right wording for your testimonial?
You
write it.
Yes,
you give them suggested blurbs to choose form – never give the same blurb to
more than one person. They are short on
time and appreciate it. Send them a summary of the book, a paragraph about
yourself, and if requested a partial or complete advance review copy.
The
testimonial should be a third-party’s validation for why the consumer,
journalist, store, librarian or some other entity should buy, read, or embrace
your book.
You
may already have testimonials for yourself, your work, past books, or from
speaking appearances. You can use them
for your book even if the testimonial doesn’t directly reference this new book.
Good
Luck!
DON”T MISS THESE!!!
No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019
Toolkit For Authors -- FREE
The Commandments of Author Networking
Does Book Publishing Use A Fixer Like
Ray Donovan?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.