In a
world of millions of books, where authors, publicists, and marketers compete by
the minute for media attention, how is one to gain notice?
Having
been involved in promoting well over a thousand books, I can tell you what
really works when seeking to capture the mindshare of the news media—and you
may be surprised by what you hear from me.
First,
you need to think like the people you are contacting. How can you fill their needs and do so in a
quick, painless, and convenient way? It’s not about you -- it’s about what a
specific individual wants, likes, or needs.
Everything you say must be filtered in a way that clearly and directly
appeals to what you believe they are looking for.
Second,
timing is important. Know when that person is super busy or on deadline and be
aware of when competing promoters and opportunists are contacting them. Give them advance notice on timely topics or
upcoming events – and then remind them as you get closer to a targeted date. Send emails on the weekends -- most don’t – or
early evening. Make calls when the media is not on the air or up against a
deadline. Don’t bother leaving
messages -- page them or find out when they’re available to talk.
Third,
don’t just offer yourself up as an expert on a general topic, such as dieting
or relationships, but rather take a targeted issue and spice it up with a claim,
question, or tip-filled email. For
example, your subject line could be this:
How women can shave 10 pounds in a week!
Or, it can be: How safe is it to
lose a ton of weight fast? Or, it can
be: 7 steps to losing fat safely and quickly.
Who knows, maybe you need to be more provocative or more specific. Let’s try these:
“Does
weight loss guarantee sex gain?”
“Oral
fixation on food can be transferred to the bedroom.”
“6
tips for losing weight, gaining sex satisfaction.”
Four,
be aware of what the media outlet or journalist typically covers and present
your story the way they’d see it or report on it.
Five,
know more about the reporter’s personal life.
Check out his or her social media and biography and keep that in mind
when touching upon things the reporter may personally relate to, from marital
status to hometown to race, religion, charities, schools, etc.
Six,
keep your emails relatively short and don’t attach anything to them. Avoid spam filters by avoiding certain words
in the subject line, like “free” or anything too sexually graphic.
Seven,
be clear in what you can talk about and be specific about things you would
say. For instance, if you have a book
about pets, you can say you’ll discuss how a family should go about finding the
pet that’s right for them or you can declare something like: "Why some people should never get a dog" or, :These are the 5 dog breeds young families must avoid."
Eight,
every communication or contact with the media should be done politely but
assertively – and always with confidence.
Don’t ask them if they’d like to interview you. Instead, say, “I’m scheduling interviews on
September 1, from 7 am EST to Noon EST.
Which time works for you?”
Nine,
always look to relate your message to what’s in the news, on the calendar, or
an honorary day/anniversary. Remember,
your pitch is not book-centric, but rather story-centric or expert-centric. The key difference is about what you lead
with and how you come off to the media.
Lastly,
be available and ready to go. If the
media returns your call or email, respond ASAP and make your schedule flexible
to fill their needs. Sometimes the first
source available wins.
Though
the media is burdened with solicitations and competition is fierce, they are
always looking to hear from someone new or with a new way of saying something
old and standard. Why not you?!
To learn more on how to promote books, read my greatest blog posts
from the past five years and 2,000 posts:
2016 Book Marketing & Book Publicity Toolkit
2015 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
2014 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
Book Marketing & Book PR Toolkit:
2013
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