Writing an Endorsement

Have you ever written an endorsement for a book? I've written two now, and so I thought I'd share my experiences. I'm not talking about finding an endorsement for your own book. I haven't had that experience yet, but this is about being asked to write one for another author. 

Some books have endorsements, more nonfiction, but I have two series here that are children's chapter books that use them. (Magic Tree House, Imagination Station) Do you read endorsements? I usually do. And it's great to have professionals and well-known celebrities to endorse lesser-known authors.

I'm definitely not well-known, but I feel comfortable endorsing topics or genres I'm familiar with. So my first endorsement I wrote was for an author friend who contacted me. She emailed me the manuscript. My son and I read the book since it was for his age group, and both of us wrote short blurbs similar to samples in the series. Plus, the publisher had a form to fill out which was helpful. Some publishers will tell you a word count; otherwise, just keep the endorsement to 1-3 sentences. My son is supposed to get a free copy of the book when it comes out :)  

This second endorsement I wrote was for someone I didn't know at first. Through connections, I was told she needed someone to endorse her upcoming book. So I emailed her, and we hit it off! She emailed me samples from her forthcoming devotional book, and from that I wrote a small blurb of 55 words. Her publisher doesn't have a form, and so I checked other endorsements of similar books that I had on hand. Also, when I read her manuscript, I jotted down notes of what I liked and felt while reading her book. 

So what did I learn? 
1. Writing an endorsement is sort of like writing a pitch! You're trying to get people to read the book and praise it in the least amount of words as possible. Try it!
2. Be willing to write endorsements for others. You might have to find your own "endorsers" someday. 
3. It helps you think like a marketing professional. 

So check the next book you read for endorsements!

---