Friday, February 17, 2012
Celebrity Endorsements and Blurbs
Don't ever, ever let your publisher acquire a celebrity endorsement for your book who requires a monstrous fee to do so. Example: Ralph Nader told my publisher he would write the forward for $2,000, and then changed his mind after it was done, demanding $4,000. Did his name help sell my book? Survey says "No." Instead, write a humble and polite letter to SEVERAL of your favorite authors (same genre) and ask them if they would be so kind as to endorse your work with a few kind (blurb-worthy) words. 90% of the time the favor will be forthcoming and free, and if you get several endorsements, you can have your favorite pick. Will the other endorsing authors get mad at you if you don't use their lines? Nope, they've already forgotten about you.
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This is certainly, true Lisa. Provided, of course, that you pay only in ARC copies or tear sheets and postage. Any blurb or celebrity endorsement that costs the publisher, who deducts from the author, offsets a certain amount of royalty that could otherwise be earned. Also the key is finding a celebrity who has the time to read and evaluate the book, and this can be difficult to acquire.
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