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: