Tag: Reviews

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The Intentional Writer

Endorsements, Reviews and Testimonials

The intentional writer

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

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.

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Authorpreneur

Supercharge your Reach: Part 2—Reviews

Every indie author knows that standing out from the crowd is an uphill battle. And, like most battles, it  won’t be won by sheers numbers of dollars or manhours. Instead, authors are most likely to succeed if they implement effective marketing strategies.

When I mention marketing, many authors immediately think of digital advertising—Facebook, Google or Amazon ads to name a few. While these may still generate some sales, unless you have hundreds of dollars to pump into the system daily, the return on your investment is likely to be minimal. Believe me, I’ve been there.

The truth is, as most of us in the marketing industry recognize, digital advertising is no longer as effective as it was in previous years. According to a December 2019 article from Statista, about sixty percent of U.S. based internet users disliked ads in video clips while forty percent indicated the same for ads on websites (Guttmann, 2019). Online advertising can actually turn people away from your product or service. Especially if it pops up on their screen while they’re enjoying what they’re watching.

So how can indie authors hope to gain a foothold in this challenging climate?

One way is to focus on gaining favorable reviews from professional journals and industry leaders.

While I realize some authors may think that getting a positive review from organizations such as Publisher’s Weekly or Library Journal is impossible, I would counter that argument with a single question—why is it out of reach? If you believe in your book and the finished product has a professional look, and feel, it should be worthy of being submitted to industry leaders.

Many trade publications are open to submissions from indie authors, with some going so far as to create dedicated channels through which they can submit their work. As the publishing industry continues to rapidly evolve, industry leaders are recognizing the value in critiquing and, in some cases, making a profit from indie authors by charging them for a review.

Now, to be clear, I am not advocating paying for a review from a trade organization. That is a personal  decision that each author must make after weighing the pros and possible cons. While a paid review is certainly an option, many journals such as Publisher’s Weekly do accept submissions from indie authors for unpaid reviews. While there is no guarantee that a trade journal will accept your work for review unless it has been purchased, the potential gain that can come from a free review definitely justifies the time and expense in submitting your work for their consideration.

So, how can a positive review help indie authors supercharge their reach?

One of the most obvious ways is by an increase in sales. When Publisher’s Weekly praised In the Shadow of Your Wings by calling it “ . . . an immersive beginning to a series that will appeal to fans of war dramas,” I immediately noticed a huge uptick in sales and overall readership that lasted well beyond the initial publication date of the review. I did not pay for it but, as I urged other authors to do previously, I submitted the novel for PW’s free consideration. The results spoke for themselves.

Moving beyond immediate sales, a review from a trade journal increases your credibility as an author. This credibility is invaluable. Libraries often use an endorsement from a trade journal when deciding whether or not to add your book to their collection. But in addition, favorable reviews can pave the way

for public speaking engagements which, as I’m sure you’re aware if you’ve read my previous article on winning stages, is worth its weight in royalties.

What trade journals should an author target?

When deciding which journals might be most beneficial, look at the works that they have already reviewed. Many of the larger publications cover a range of topics/genres but, if your work is aligned to a more specific audience, you may benefit from a smaller journal that reaches a solid targeted group.

Also keep in mind the respective deadlines of your journals. Some require submissions several months ahead of the publication date, so be sure to plan accordingly.

While the changing mechanics of the publishing world may seem daunting, persistent authors can turn these changes to their advantage, using them to supercharge their reach.

If you want help identifying a useful trade journal or would like to discuss your overall strategic marketing plan, book a call with me online. I’d love to help.

JP Robinson gained experience in the marketing field doing promotional work for multi-million dollar medical facilities and non-profit groups over the past decade. He is an international speaker, educator, and prolific author of both fiction and non-fiction.

JP also conducts writing seminars in various parts of the country and heads Logos Publications, LLC, an emerging publishing and book marketing team.

When he isn’t writing or teaching, JP loves spending time with his wonderful wife and children.

Categories
Guest Posts

8 Ways to Market Your Book and Get Reviews

Book reviews are critical as a social buy-in for your book and to market your book through higher placement online, for getting ad copy quotes, and for boosting your author brand. It can be daunting starting out as an author and trying to get reviews. These are 8 different ways to market your book and get good reviews.

1. Use a Call to Action (CTA) in your book.

This is a simple, easy, and effective way to get some reviews because you just need to include it once and then move on. On the last page of your book once published, include a short CTA requesting that if they liked the book, readers leave an honest review on their favourite online reading site or store.

2. Have a free ebook online.

The best way to get a lot of reviews is obviously to have more people read it. If you have a free copy of the ebook online, you’re more likely to get downloads and therefore reviews. If you publish it with certain companies, you can make ebooks free for only certain days of the month as a promotion. You can also make it permanently free on Kobo or iBook sites and Amazon will eventually price match it.

3. Email your mailing list.

You should have a mailing list with all of your readers’ email addresses. As Penelope Ludlum, a marketer at Writinity and Last Minute Writingexplains, “once you have it set up, you can email them and ask for honest reviews of your book. You can set this up so they go out automatically, even when a new person joins your mailing list.”

4. Have a street team read in advance.

Once you have a big enough group of readers and followers, you can ask your readers if any want to be a part of your advance reader team. These people would receive the book early, read it, then review once published. For this option, you have to be clear that you want their own opinion without anything offered in exchange or you’ll be violating some online platforms’ terms of service.

To set this up, send out regular emails asking for volunteers, perhaps as one of your automated messages. You can name the team with a special name to create a sense of camaraderie and community. This team is also great at doing a final review of the book for anything that the editors may have missed.

5. Reach out to book bloggers in your genre.

This strategy is free to follow but it can be time consuming. Many book blogs have reviews of books in a specific genre, so you can research to find the right bloggers for your genre and who accept books for review. Once accepted, book bloggers will review your book on their own platform in addition to Goodreads and Amazon. Be sure to review the site’s submission requirements so you’re not wasting your time submitting somewhere that won’t accept your novel.

6. Research Amazon reviewers.

Similar to the previous point, you can research book reviewers on Amazon and reach out to them and ask them to review your book. To do this, find books that are similar to yours and then read through the review section and each reviewer’s profile to see if they’ve provided their contact info or website. Then, send a polite and personalized email asking if they would be interested in reviewing your book and explain how you found out about them.

7. Use social media.

Pick a couple of social media platforms and become familiar with them, without trying to use them all. Then, Robert Woods, a blogger at Draft Beyond and Research Papers UK, says to “engage in conversations with followers, asking them what they’re up to, or asking their opinion on something unrelated. As part of these posts, you can ask for reviews with a link to your book’s page, but you certainly don’t want to be only posting about that.”

8. Join a Goodreads group.

Some Goodreads groups allow for contributions from authors whereas others are for readers only. Look for one that meets your criteria and your genre, and get used to the culture before diving in and asking for reviews.


Ashley Halsey, a professional writer at Lucky Assignments  and Gumessays.com, is involved in many marketing and professional projects. She enjoys helping entrepreneurs and small businesses develop their customer base and increase customer loyalty. She attends business training classes and travels in her spare time. 

Categories
Things Every Writer Should Know Writer Encouragement

Getting Reviews Part 1

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Many authors, both new and the more experienced, get discouraged when hunting for knowledgeable readers to do advance reviews for new books. It’s all part of the marketing package that authors are expected to develop on their own: Finding folks to read and review their new book “baby.” It’s enough to prod some of us into the fetal position!

I inwardly cringe when I see a fairly new release wallowing on Amazon with a handful of reviews. It makes me want to buy their book and pray I can give it a four or five star review to show the author that I understand all the work that went into birthing their release. There are not enough hours in my day, however, to rescue all the forgotten books destined for an early demise. Readers like to see reviews, and lots of them.

So what’s an author to do? There is really no magic here. It takes planning months ahead—long before your book releases—to gather potential supporters who will help you out. Think of it this way: You would not wait to announce the upcoming birth of your newborn a couple of days before the due date. You would send out notes, allow your friends to give you baby showers, and rev up enthusiasm for the long awaited arrival.

And so it is with a book release. Invite your friends and others to be in on the celebration.

Caution: Do not allow your cat to post reviews on Amazon
Caution: Do not allow your cat to post reviews on Amazon

Start with your social media contacts, who are already excited about your writing. Expand your list to include other authors who write in a similar genre. Gather experts in the field of your topic. Think outside the box.

 

Private message them (or email them if you know their address) to see if they are interested in reading and reviewing, possibly endorsing your upcoming release. Give them a brief synopsis of the book and tell them the genre. If they say “yes,” ask them for their email address so you can send the PDF to them. Never send a PDF to someone who has not agreed to read and review. Unsolicited PDF’s in my inbox = rudeness. Be polite and gracious.

If there are any edit issues because you are sending it early (before final final edits!) be sure to apprise them of that.

Next month I will do Part 2 of gathering reviewers early. Come back in March for a very important letter that you should include with your PDF. In the meantime, start gathering your list of potential reviewers.

 

Green Typewriter courtesy of Just2Shutter via freedigitalphotos.net