[Publishing Tips] Getting Promotional Blurbs - February 9, 2009
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Publishing Tips Newsletter
presented by Five Rainbows Services for Authors & Publishers
affordable solutions for writing and publishing projectsGetting Promotional Blurbs
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Walt's Notes
I’ll admit to being a bit disappointed in the results from our short, online survey about book videos/trailers. I posted it here, on my blog, on Twitter, and on the Self-Publishing Yahoo Group.
And got a whopping 38 responses.
I guess there might not be as much interest in how people think about book videos/trailers as I thought. At least, not as much interest among writers and publishers. Maybe this is just another case of everyone jumping on the coolest, new bandwagon in town, without really knowing whether it will take them where they want to go.
Nevertheless, here’s a summary of the results:
· Only 21% admitted to having watched book videos
· Likewise, only 21% admitted to actually searching for them (yes, the same 21%)
· Only 10% admitted to buying a book after watching a video, although 71% said they might if they found a suitably compelling video
Here are a few of the comments:
“Book videos can be entertaining but tell me very little about how well written the actual book is.”
“As we have seen on YouTube, you never quite know what is going to trip someone's interest. It's always worth a try.”
“More and more I find good videos and will base my purchasing decision on a video.”
“A good book video might not compel me to buy the book, but it might interest me enough to look for more information about the author or the story.”
“It does seem like using apples to sell oranges.”
“I think it's a great way to push the envelope and get those visual people on board!”
“Most are not done very well, i.e. too long or boring.”
“Most of them appear to be ‘death by PowerPoint.’”
“I chose a book for the story regardless of the video.”
“They're certainly not essential, but I think they do help give it exposure on web searches.”
Two people offered links to videos for their own books as examples of books that they believe have increased sales (you can view them and decide for yourself):
Red Hot Property by Devin O’Branagan
Two Brothers: One North, One South by David H. Jones
I have also seen two book videos recently that struck me as quite effective, despite not being something I’d be likely to buy and having very different “feels” to them. There is a common element between them – both of them help you understand the book’s content and the author’s “voice” (I’m talking about writing voice). Here are links to them:
A La Cart by Hillary Carlip
The Laptop Repair Handbook by Morris Rosenthal
What Do You Think: You can still take a short (three question) survey about book videos and voice your opinion, or you can just email me with your comments on the above videos or anything related to book videos, publishing, writing, etc.
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Getting Promotional Blurbs
In the book industry, a blurb is what most other businesses call a testimonial…only usually shorter. Usually just a sentence or two that capsulizes one angle or topic in your book.
There is a difference of opinion on the ultimate sales value of blurbs. Some believe that customers pay little attention to those glowing words of praise. Others think well-chosen blurbs can help to turn a “maybe” into a “why not?” or, at least, a “let me check this out further.”
There are basically three types of blurbs found on books—those from other authors, those from experts, and those from well-known reviewers.
To whom will you send your requests for blurbs? Start with those lists you just created. How many people you know are experts in a field related to your book? Do they know anyone who might be an expert? From which of those authors you listed would you really like to get a promotional blurb? Are there any other celebrities you consider really good blurb candidates? Those are the people you want to start contacting.
So, how do you convince people to endorse your book with pithy and relevant (and quotable) comments? There are basically three steps:
1. Write a really good book1. . (After all, who wants endorse a so-so book?)
2. Ask for the endorsements you want. (The worst that can happen is they say no, right?)
3. Follow-up…follow-up…follow-up.
Remember, people like to see their own name associated with good books.
Let’s assume the first step is done. Put on your thinking cap and prepare for some brainstorming.
Identify the six people you would most like to have endorse your book. For fiction, these would probably be well-known authors who write in your genre. You want names that your potential readers will recognize.
Do you know any authors already? If they write in your genre, they should go to the top of your list. If they write in a very different genre, prepare to contact them and ask if they know other writers who do.
Ask everyone you know if they know any writers. Would they be willing to contact said writer(s) on your behalf or allow you to use their name when you contact the writers?
Do you know anyone in the entertainment business (particularly Hollywood)? If their name is well-known, add them to the list of potential endorsers. If not, prepare to contact them and ask if they would consider forwarding your manuscript to others.
For the people you know or to whom you’ve been referred, contact them by whatever method seems best—phone, email, or letter. Treat all contacts the way you would if you were networking to try to find a job.
When you draft the cover letter to accompany the galley (whether a mailed printed copy or an emailed e-galley), include one or two proposed endorsements that are the style and length you would like from them. Just be sure to tell them they’re just suggestions that can be ignored, used as a starting point, or edited as they see fit.
When somebody provides you a nice blurb, be sure to send them a thank-you. Even if you communicated solely by email up to this point, I strongly recommend sending a nice handwritten thank-you card, noting that you will send along a copy of the book from the initial print run as soon as you have them. People write very few handwritten thank-yous these days, so doing so will make you stand out from the crowd.
Do blurbs help sell books? You can find just as many experts who will argue they do as you will those who will argue they’re almost a waste of time.
Here’s our philosophy on blurbs and reviews:
· Reviews from the big pre-publication reviewers can help sell to libraries and bookstores, so try to get them and then use them effectively.
· Blurbs from well-known people, particularly those who are recognized experts in your book’s subject area, might influence buyers.
· Too many blurbs quoted on the book from too many celebrities with no real connection to your book’s subject might actually create skepticism in your prospective buyer’s mind.
· A careful selection of meaningful blurbs might help sales and is highly unlikely to hurt sales.
So, we recommend that you try hard to get some good blurbs to use but don’t overdo it. And try hard to get blurbs that indicate the blurber/reviewer has actually read the book.
This is not something that will happen overnight or even in a week or two. Therefore, get started on it as soon as you have an edited manuscript for them to review.
Note: This is excerpted from our Promotional Blurbs for Your Book Instant Guide. This Instant Guide includes much more information plus online and offline resources to help you get those blurbs. Subscribers to this newsletter can download it f*r*e*e at <http://www.FiveRainbows.com/samples/500220.pdf>.
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Do you have a question or comment on the above or something else related to publishing, writing or book design and marketing? Email me at Walt@FiveRainbows.com and I may include it, with my answer, in an upcoming newsletter.
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February 8th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
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