Requesting Book Endorsement Blurbs

Guest Post by Laurie Buchanan

When it came time for “book-endorsement-request day” for my book, The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace (She Writes Press, Berkeley, CA, 2018), I sent seventeen email requests and quickly received back five YES’s and one really cool turndown; a funny, personal email from none other than Seth Godin. He wrote:

“thanks Doc

alas I’m too swamped to take this on, I’m sorry

good luck with your work”

My pie-in-the-sky requests included a few of the people I quoted in my book: Brene Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, Cheryl Richardson, Mary Morrissey, Bill Gates, Stephen Hopson, Tara Brach, and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong.

I don’t shy away from requesting an endorsement. After all, my book is a billboard for their publicity. Of the seventeen requests I sent, I’ve received five YES responses! Here’s how I did it:

FINDING ENDORSERS

For the still-living people I quoted in my book, I found their email address (sometimes a difficult task) and sent them a brief note letting them know I admire them and why. I was specific about the quote I used and then asked if they would be interested in reading my book for potentially offering an endorsement blurb.

TIMING

Not wanting to rush anyone, I gave them a two month window for providing an endorsement blurb.

BREVITY

I let them know I was looking for something short—no more then two sentences—for use on the front or back cover.

SAMPLE EMAIL

Mr/Ms _______

I included one of your quotes in my second book, The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace. The publisher is She Writes Press (Berkeley, CA).

“I typed their quote here.”

This book isn’t about being in business; it’s about the business of being. Spotlighting the intersection of workplace and spirituality, The Business of Being helps people thrive in business and life.

The foreword was written by Dr. Lynn Schmidt, leadership development expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning co-author of Shift Into Thrive: Six Strategies for Women to Unlock the Power of Resiliency.

I’m hoping that you might consider reading the manuscript for the purpose of writing a brief (less than 100 words) endorsement blurb that will appear on the cover.

Your schedule permitting, I need to have the endorsement in hand by August 1, 2018.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Laurie

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So rip that bandaid off and get it over with! You’ll be glad to check one more item off your pre-publication ta-dah list.

Foe the past 15 years, Laurie Buchanan, PhD, has been working as a holistic health practitioner and transformational life coach, helping clients turn their intentions into action. By embracing the philosophy that “whatever ou are not changing, you are choosing,” she supports individuals in bridging the gap between their current selves and their desired goals. As a seasoned writer, Buchanan has contributed to various publications and runs a popular blog, Tuesdays with Laurie, where she shares positivity and thought-provoking questions with readers worldwide.