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What would it take?

   Tips-linkedin-endorsements-skills

In a recent post by Rel Mollet at RelzReviewz, she asked about the opinions and influences of book endorsements: http://relzreviewz.com/bookish-question-of-the-week-13/#more. Comments ranged from appreciation to disdain and much in between.  

What would it take for you to give an endorsement of someone's novel? Would you look forward to writing the recommendation of a friend's story if given the opportunity? Would you be honored if it showed up in the "credits" or possibly on either the front or back cover?

What would you do if you didn't like the novel you were asked to endorse?

 

Father, help us to help each other and to be honest and kind in the process. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

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6 responses to “What would it take?”

  1. Brenda Anderson Avatar
    Brenda Anderson

    Personally, I don’t usually read endorsements & give them little to no weight in choosing a book. Taste is too subjective.
    As for your questions …
    a) What would it take to give an endorsement? I’d likely write one for a close friend, or I’d write one for a novel I loved.
    b) I would look forward to writing a recommendation for a friend, not that my name would carry any weight, I’d just appreciate being asked to help them out.
    c) It would be a thrill to see my name on the front or back cover! (Because that means my books sold enough to lend credence to an endorsement.)

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  2. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    And if you didn’t like the book you were asked to endorse, Bren?
    My answers mirror yours.

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  3. BK Jackson Avatar
    BK Jackson

    Do they do endorsements for fiction? I pay attention in non-fiction but can’t say I’ve ever noticed that in fiction. I’m not really sure endorsements are relevant in fiction, honestly.
    And being such a persnickety sort, I’d be much more likely to write an endorsement for someone’s non-fiction title.
    As to what I’d do if I didn’t like it…wow, that’s hard. That’s the proverbial rock and a hard place. Guess I can’t honestly know what I’d do till faced with the situation, but given that I don’t edit for anyone unless they’re willing to take my honest assessment, I would apply the same principle to endorsements. Tough call.

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  4. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Oh, yes, Brenda. Some novels have literally PAGES of endorsements from many sources. Annoying.
    It would indeed be a hard place to decide if you were going to endorse a book you didn’t like – especially if a friend’s.

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  5. Brenda Anderson Avatar
    Brenda Anderson

    Those pages of endorsements are rather annoying. Apparently some people must read them, but they don’t interest me in the least.
    Now, to answer your question, what would I do if I didn’t like the book I was asked to endorse? Oh boy… I did run across this problem when I used to write book reviews. I found I didn’t care for most of the ARCs sent to me.
    For an endorsement, I guess I’d focus on what the author got right, focus on the story’s strength.

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  6. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    I think I’d have to mention it wasn’t my kind of story but then do what you proposed, Bren, and focus on the positives. Then it probably wouldn’t be used so I’d be off the hook, so to speak.

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