You may be surprised to learn that well-known authors actually want to endorse books, especially books that are up and coming in their same genre. It is good for them to keep their names relevant, to keep in front of their audience, so they want you to ask them to endorse their books. So here’s the thing.
The top A-list authors who are currently on the New York Times bestseller list or are killing it, they’re not the ones we wanna ask. You wanna ask the authors that were on the list three years ago, five years ago, even 10 years ago, but still have name recognition because they’re looking to keep their name out there and relevant.
So start there. I’ve been doing this for years with my own career. I’ve had dozens of big name authors endorse my work well before I even had any kind of audience. So the secret is in how you ask and how you reach them. So how you ask, you start with, “I loved your book.” Give it a compliment. Make sure they know you read their book, and then let them know, “My book is coming out three months, six months,” whatever it is.
If you self-published, do not mention that. Just let them know the book is coming. If you’re with a traditional press, certainly mention that. If you have a large following, great. Absolutely mention that. If you don’t, leave that out. Just say you have a large promotion plan. If you’re investing ad dollars in promoting your book, $5,000, $10,000 or up, mention that.
Large m- uh, marketing budget goes a long way. And then remove the friction. Give them the manuscript. Don’t make them ask for it. Give them a link. “Here’s the manuscript. You can download it here. I’d so appreciate your consideration.” Now, how are you gonna get ahold of them? Here’s the big secret: social media DMs.
You guys, everyone reads their social media DMs, t- including big name authors and celebrities. So hit ’em up through DMs. You can also try through their websites. A lot of people answer their emails. You’d be surprised. And here’s my other tip. Do it on a Saturday [00:02:00] morning. Inbox is quiet. They’re probably drinking some coffee.
Hit ’em up on a Saturday morning. I’m telling you, this works every time. Good luck.
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