Last Updated on June 25, 2021 by sellboxc
The point of those short testimonial blurbs from experts or famous people is to convince you to buy the author’s book. She must be an expert! Look at what everyone is saying about her book!
If you are shopping for a print book they can be invaluable. Sometimes placed on the front cover, certainly placed on the back cover, and often included in the front of the book, they are like a marketing brochure that travels around with your book. Without an online storefront the shopper often needs help relating to a book and opinions matter; the more well-known the writer, the better.
But what do we do with eBooks?
While I think blurbs can be helpful I think that self-publishers must always be mindful of their time. Generally speaking, certainly if you are not a well known author, you should spend as much or more time lining up what we commonly call Amazon reviews. Speaking from experience it is relatively easy to get someone to give you a short paragraph about your book. In fact, if you know them well enough they may prefer that you draft suggested wording.
Now ask that same person to write a review on Amazon. Even when you gift them your eBook I’ll bet it won’t be easy. There is something about the public nature of online reviews that makes otherwise generous people think twice about committing their name to your cause.
Here are the 3 places I would put my eBook’s blurbs:
- Immediately following your books cover image. I suggest no more than 5 or 6 here. You want to find a balance between convincing people why they should buy your book and keeping them from evaluating your book’s content. eBook samples are about 10% of the total and that’s what will ultimately convince someone to buy. Don’t frustrate the shopper by making them click incessantly.
- Above your book’s description in the online bookstore. I’ve seen some books whose description is not even visible due to the lines and lines of blurbs. If you have some truly well-known testimonials or your book is a qualified best seller, stack them up. Otherwise limit it to 2-3. Don’t forget you can change these at any time and you have a space limit.
- Marketing materials you use to sell your eBook. Don’t feel you need to jam every testimonial into the book or the description. Save some for your website, a postcard , a bookmark or email blasts. This keeps your message fresh.
One place I’d be careful about junking up is your cover. Digital covers are pretty small as it is and adding a quote can dilute your cover’s effectiveness. Chances are you’ll find a better use in one of the other 3 locations mentioned above.
Just remember that less can be more. One to three good blurbs can be more effective than two pages. Also don’t forget about the importance of online reviews.
Here are a couple other articles you might find helpful. As always, if you are planning a project we’d love to talk to you about helping you publish. Click the Explore menu above or contact us.
Getting People You Know to Review Your Book-What should you expect?
eBook Samples are Sales Material: Book Front Matter for Print and eBooks
photo credit: keristars via photopin cc
