This week, Lynn H. Blackburn joined me on Book Talk, and one of the things we discussed was endorsements. We’ve endorsed books by each other (I endorsed her Unknown Threat because I’d read and loved her Dive Team Investigations books, and she endorsed Lethal Intent.). While we were talking about why we endorse, I thought you might find it interesting, too.
If I’m taking the time to endorse a book, it’s because I think my readers will enjoy it. Because I read widely and don’t stick to one genre, that means I endorse authors and books that might surprise you. However, it’s one of the reasons I started doing Book Talks ever Tuesday night on Facebook. I love to read first. And I love to help connect readers with potentially new to them authors. As a reader, I’m always looking for recommendations on new authors to try, and so are many of you that I talk to.
I also make the time to read for endorsement (and review) as a way I can support other writers. I’m reading all the time, so I might as well make it count. Lynn and I agreed that because we want to be cheerleaders of other authors. We’ve each had authors who told us we could do it and they believed in us. This is a way for us to do the same for others. However, if we don’t like a book (or it just doesn’t hit it), we will choose not to say anything rather than pull down someone else. It’s one of the things that makes Christian fiction a beautiful place to write.
Bottomline, if I endorse a book it means I think my readers will like it. Even if it’s outside my genre, I only endorse books that I think have elements that my readers will enjoy. That usually means a sweet romance, some type of mystery/suspense, and rich characters in a setting that has a strong sense of place. It also means it help my attention throughout and I couldn’t walk away from the characters even when I couldn’t read it in the moment.
Yesterday, when I asked over on my Facebook page whether endorsements mattered to help you find new authors, the response was mixed. Some readers use endorsements if they’re on the fence about trying a new author. Others rely on other elements like back covers and reviews. I’d love to know: Do you check endorsements before buying a book from a new-to-you author? Also, how did you discover the last new-to-you author?
If you want to watch our conversation, you can do so here.
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I actually felt led astray by one endorsement: an author I really liked endorsed an author I had not heard of, so I tried the new author’s book. I felt the book was one of the worst I had ever read. That made me wonder if authors endorse each other just as a favor, whether their books were good or not. I don’t think that’s the case with most authors, though.
I might glance at a book’s endorsements just to see if there’s one from any author I am familiar with. But recommendations from fellow readers I know and trust and reviews on Amazon and GoodReads carry more weight with me.
I don’t read endorsements. I feel like authors are required to do them and so it doesn’t always come across to me as legitimate praise of a book. Now, if that same author is gushing about the book on social media (not just a simple “check out this new book” because y’all are very good at sharing each other’s books), I’m more likely to pay attention. Most of my new-to-me author finds come via social media. Bookstagram is great for that. I also watch what friends are reading on GoodReads. Sometimes all it takes is an amazing cover for me to decide to give the book a try.
I’ve certainly had mixed results from following endorsements, so I rarely read them anymore. I don’t object to them entirely–I can see it being a marketing strategy for a wider net of readers. But if I have to flip past more than one page of endorsements in a book, it feels like the publisher is trying too hard. On an e-book, where you only see one page at a time, it can feel really excessive–I’ve had e-books with five pages of endorsements, and at that point I’m more likely to get annoyed with them.
I do like to read endorsements. I think it is helpful if the endorsement is from an author in the same genre. The bigger the author name, the more weight it carries. But I also take into account reviews from say publisher weekly or something – even though I KNOW those are difficult to get.
Sometimes the more hype the book gets, the less likely I’m going to read it right away, as I usually wait to see how it plays out as it releases. Same thing with big movies. Sometimes there is such a thing as over-hype lol.
Other times, If I know and love the author already, I’ll preorder. And honestly, a well written, engaging description that grabs my attention and checks the boxes of the elements I love in a book (everyone has their favorite book-ish elements) will carry more weight than an endorsement.
I read endorsements and like to see if I agree after reading a book.
I discovered the last new to me author through a book club selection.