Book publicity, at its core, comes down to several key
areas:
·
Connections
·
Contact list
·
Expert author credentials
·
A quality book
·
Past media experience
·
News cycle, calendar and timing
·
Well-written pitch letters and emails
·
Phone follow-up
·
Being assertive, communicative, personable, and
interesting
Let’s take a quick look at each area – what’s needed and
what you can do to bring about success.
1. Connections
This amounts to who you know and who they know. You need a grass roots approach, to build up fans and supporters who will rabidly support you. Start with friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, people from your past, and people your kids or spouse are affiliated with. Think about organizations and memberships, from the gym and church to professional or educational affiliations. List everyone, get their contact info, and connect via social media. Then start asking them to help you with introductions to others and by sharing your blog posts and links related to your book.
This amounts to who you know and who they know. You need a grass roots approach, to build up fans and supporters who will rabidly support you. Start with friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, people from your past, and people your kids or spouse are affiliated with. Think about organizations and memberships, from the gym and church to professional or educational affiliations. List everyone, get their contact info, and connect via social media. Then start asking them to help you with introductions to others and by sharing your blog posts and links related to your book.
2. Contact List
You need an accurate, targeted, and detailed media contact list. Often, you need to probe beyond what’s listed in a database or the media outlet’s website. For instance, just contacting the book editor at a publication is not enough. You might also try the features editor and other editors, columnists, reporters and freelancers connected to other relevant sections. Additionally, only emailing people is not enough. Other than bloggers, calling people will be helpful.
You need an accurate, targeted, and detailed media contact list. Often, you need to probe beyond what’s listed in a database or the media outlet’s website. For instance, just contacting the book editor at a publication is not enough. You might also try the features editor and other editors, columnists, reporters and freelancers connected to other relevant sections. Additionally, only emailing people is not enough. Other than bloggers, calling people will be helpful.
3. Expert Author Credentials
You can’t make a resume up, though you can loosely define what makes someone an expert. Your schooling, professional experience, personal experience, and hobbies can help qualify you s an expert in something. But I caution – the further your background is removed from what you write about, the harder it is to position you as credible to the media.
You can’t make a resume up, though you can loosely define what makes someone an expert. Your schooling, professional experience, personal experience, and hobbies can help qualify you s an expert in something. But I caution – the further your background is removed from what you write about, the harder it is to position you as credible to the media.
4. Quality Book
Yes, let’s not overlook a basic fact: the book must be well-written, edited properly, be interesting or useful, and be better than most books in its genre. Really take a hard look at how you match up against the competition and figure out where you have a competitive edge.
Yes, let’s not overlook a basic fact: the book must be well-written, edited properly, be interesting or useful, and be better than most books in its genre. Really take a hard look at how you match up against the competition and figure out where you have a competitive edge.
5. Past Media Experience
Media begets media. Once you get a link or clip to a media appearance, you can use that to leverage more media.
Media begets media. Once you get a link or clip to a media appearance, you can use that to leverage more media.
6. News Cycle
There are different windows of time to pitch the media, such as timing your pitch for an upcoming holiday, honorary week, an anniversary, or something currently in the news.
There are different windows of time to pitch the media, such as timing your pitch for an upcoming holiday, honorary week, an anniversary, or something currently in the news.
7. Pitch Letters
When you email the media – or mail letters – personalize them, be short and to the point, be creative, and say things in a way that has conviction, personality, and immediacy.
When you email the media – or mail letters – personalize them, be short and to the point, be creative, and say things in a way that has conviction, personality, and immediacy.
8. Phone Follow-Up
You need to follow up on your emails and pitch letters with calls, especially to non-online media.
You need to follow up on your emails and pitch letters with calls, especially to non-online media.
9. Be Assertive
Nothing comes to those who wait. Go out there and make things happen. Be a talker, a schmoozer, a people person. Be aggressive and be positive. Your energy will carry you.
Nothing comes to those who wait. Go out there and make things happen. Be a talker, a schmoozer, a people person. Be aggressive and be positive. Your energy will carry you.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST
When pitching your book to
online media, follow these steps:
Your book is great! But does
it suck?
Patent advice from
bestselling author
Writers must think like the
media to get coverage
Ready for your million-dollar
book launch?
How to publish for profit –
really!
How to keep on top of book
industry news, trends, resources
Attitude adjustment for those
promoting books
24 tips to pitch the media
27 tips to pitch the media
like a pro
Is your book pr bipolar?
Brian
Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and
not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book
promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted
by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014
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