The Art of Getting Book Endorsements

And my time at Sharjah Book Fair!

Good morning Scribblers,

Many thanks for all your kind messages about burnout - and I feel my trip away did help me relax! Slightly jetlagged, I’m back from Sharjah Book Fair (and I landed to the awful American election news, deeply depressing)! As this was my first international book fair (where publishers go to sell translation rights), I made sure to explore the country in my free time. I was struck by how friendly and accomodating the UAE is, but also by how extreme the traffic and smog is. The buildings and cars were literally dripping with condensation from the air con levels.

It was really uplifting, however, to make connections with publishers from Europe and South Africa in particular. Hopefully relationships which will continue to grow!

With climate change on my mind, we had this gorgeous quote through for John Ironmonger’s upcoming climate novel: ‘The Wager and the Bear’, in which a climate denying PM and an activist find themselves on a moving glacier… with a very hungry polar bear.

Events!

Final call for… (still in airport mode):

A talk on psychopaths and the history of the thriller genre, I’ll be at Stockport Central Library on Monday 18th November 2024 at 6:00PM! Free talk and a mini reading from The Dark Within Them… I’m assessing numbers next week with the library so do register if you’re interested this weekend.

Plus an online empowering author session with Alice Fowler - pitching to journalists and marketing your book! Tickets

Now onto today’s marketing deep dive…

When I begin the promotional journey with an author, one of our first exciting steps is brainstorming the perfect endorsers for their book. Sometimes the author has a few titles under their belt and knows exactly who to approach in their industry. Other times, we start from scratch – diving into the genre, exploring recent bestsellers, and consulting our trusted book reps about which authors might be the perfect match.

Why Are Endorsements So Important?

There are certain writers I hold in such high regard that if I spot their endorsement on a book cover while browsing a bookshop, I'll likely buy that book on the spot. That's the power of a great endorsement! It can be the deciding factor that pushes someone to add that book to their online cart or take it to the checkout counter.

For non-fiction writers, especially in self-help or smart thinking genres, endorsements are particularly crucial. They help establish your credibility by showing that other experts in your field believe in your work.

Endorsements also give booksellers valuable insight into what your book is all about before it even hits the shelves.

Getting Those Coveted Endorsements