Endorsements, Reviews and Testimonials

When I’m considering a travel destination, a purchase, or even a new recipe to try, I usually read reviews before making my decision. I bet you do, too. Which proves that reviews and testimonials are powerful tools in today’s market.

That’s why they’re important for us as writers, teachers, or speakers. Endorsements, reviews and testimonials are three ways to prove the validity and worth or our work.

What’s the difference?

While endorsements, reviews and testimonials are all similar, here is my attempt to define the differences.

• Endorsement: a statement given by an expert or professional that gives validity to a product or service. A person of note endorses the product by citing why it is beneficial or legitimate.
• Review: An opinion from a customer about a product or service. A reviewer can focus on anything from the features they like/dislike to a discussion of the plot, to how well something lasted (or didn’t).
• Testimonial: A statement from a customer about how a product or service benefitted them. Instead of being focused on the product or service, it is focused on the personal benefits of using the product or service.

Why do I need endorsements?

Endorsements are commonly included with a published book, either on the cover or in the front matter. These endorsements may also be used on book sales pages and other marketing materials. They validate the worth of your book. While savvy consumers may not trust them as unbiased reviews, they do serve an important role by showing that knowledgeable people endorse the content.

If you are a Christian author of fiction or nonfiction, you should get a few endorsements from ministry professionals to prove to readers that the theological content of your book is sound. In addition, nonfiction authors should include endorsement from persons with experience in their topic, while fiction authors should get a few endorsements from other published authors (preferably in a related genre).

Endorsements are often collected before a book is published, although authors can also gather more after publication.

Why do I need reviews or testimonials?

These are what potential buyers want to read before making a decision to purchase your product (or not). Consider two books on Amazon: One is rated 2.5 stars and another is rated 4.6 stars. Which one are you more likely to buy?

Or consider this scenario: Both are rated 4 stars, but one has three reviews and the other has thirty-six. Which one are you more likely to buy?

Reviews are critical for your book’s success in today’s e-commerce  world. That is why book launch strategies include getting reviews ahead of the launch date so when your book goes live, there are already at least a few positive reviews for potential buyers to read.

Since testimonials focus on how the consumer benefitted, they are not critical for fiction authors. Here are some areas where testimonials are useful for authors.

• You write nonfiction and want to prove your book helps people facing a certain problem
• You are a speaker or workshop teacher
• You’re involved in additional ministry efforts (coaching, counseling, etc.)

How do I get endorsements, etc?

By asking.

Who can I ask?

• Friends, family and peers. Anybody can read and review your book, although Amazon frowns on close family members posting reviews.
• Your pastor or other church staff
• Friends or acquaintances who have relevant expertise
• If you don’t know anyone with expertise, try friends of friends
• Someone you interacted with while researching your topic
• Authors and writing professionals whom you’ve met at writing conferences or other writers’ groups.
• Audience members. Pro Tip: Every time you give a speech or teach a workshop, ask for testimonials from both the audience and the event planner.
• Customers who use my ministry or services

How do I ask?

For reviews, simply ask anyone who has read your book to post their honest review.  Assure them that reviews don’t need to be long. One or two sentences that explains why the reader enjoyed the book is sufficient. You can offer a few sample sentences to assist friends in what to write a review if you like.

If you want to use a review in your marketing materials or website, ask the reviewer for permission. Alternately, ask some friends to write reviews for the sole purpose of you using them in your website/marketing.

Here are some things to include when asking for endorsements and testimonials.

• If you are asking someone you don’t know well, mention how you met them.
• A deadline for submitting the statement, if applicable.
• A brief explanation of where the statement could appear (in the book, on your website, marketing materials, handouts, etc)
• Ask them how they would like their name and title to appear. For testimonials, you can suggest they add a description such as “satisfied customer” or “a weary young mom.”
• Ask them for permission to shorten their statement as needed for space constraints.
• Thank them for taking the time to consider your request.
• You may want to include some examples of how to word a testimonial.

A final note. If you receive testimonials or endorsements that are too long or awkwardly worded, you may consider editing the statement and then submitting the edited version to the endorser for approval.  

I hope these tips help you gather the endorsements, reviews and testimonials you need to help your writing succeed.

Lisa E. Betz is an award-winning mystery author, entertaining speaker, and an unconventional soul. She combines her love of research with her quirky imagination to bring the world of the world of the early church to life. She infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her second novel, Fountains and Secrets, was recently named a finalist in both the Golden Scroll and Christian Market Book Awards.

She also blogs about the joys and challenges of living an authentic, purpose-filled life. Lisa and her husband reside in southeast Pennsylvania with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in the Livia Aemilia Mysteries. Lisa directs church dramas, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit her Quietly Unconventional website at lisaebetz.com or check her Facebook page at LisaEBetzWriter.