Companies,
c-suite executives, and entrepreneurs spend billions of dollars annually in
hopes of building a brand, garnering media attention, and raising their
profile. There’s no better way to do this than to write a book and promote
it. This is not easy, but it’s far
easier to do than to line up media interviews for a commercial-like press
announcement about an ordinary product release or to gain interest in a new
corporate initiative. Trust me, I know. I’ve helped scores of company founders, CEOs,
executives, and professionals use a book to gain much-desired media coverage
for their company and personal brand.
Getting media coverage for a book allows
you to:
·
Pitch
other journalists and broadcast producers you wouldn’t otherwise reach out to because
they cover books and not the usual business and consumer world.
·
Promote
an idea, a thought leader, or a message that is less commercial than promoting
a widget, a service, or a brand initiative.
·
Tie
your client’s message to news of the day.
·
Make
the book the focus of a story, rather than a company.
Of
course, whatever media coverage you get for the book will directly and
indirectly help the company grow.
Favorable media coverage for the book
allows you to:
·
Highlight
your company’s story and accomplishments in a new light.
·
Take
control of the conversation.
·
Showcase
the human side and the intellectual capital of your company.
·
Build
up positive press clippings.
·
Not
only sell more books, but get book readers to feel more engaged with the brand.
·
Get
consumers to click on your web site or social media.
Many
business leaders and companies seek to get media with product launches,
contests, charitable partnerships, expansion announcements, publicizing the hiring
of elite talent, huge advertising campaigns, polls, white papers, and other
activities, and each can play a role in garnering media exposure. But a book is like 10 of those things in one.
A book:
·
Has
a much longer shelf-life than a new hire announcement.
·
Comes
off as being filled with information and ideas, not a story about a widget or
service.
·
Is
a product in itself but it is a valuable tool to generate leads for a company.
·
Allows
for a longer dialogue with the media and is not just a brief conversation.
·
Influences
both the media and consumers.
·
Generates
interest from outlets you normally would not be associated with, such as
bookstores and libraries.
·
Is
a great calling card to get booked for speaking gigs in front of organizations,
government agencies, or other companies.
·
Serves
as one more legitimizing credential in an executive’s resume.
·
Gives
you something to Tweet about and feed your social media.
Whereas
the media may not always interview a chief marketing officer at a company about
a new product, that same radio show, blog, or publication will be much more
receptive to interviewing an author, accepting a guest post or bylined article,
or running a book excerpt.
So
how does one go about getting a book written, edited, published, distributed, promoted,
and marketed?
There are many ways to get published,
including:
·
Self-publishing
and print-on-demand.
·
Traditional
publishing.
·
Hybrid
publishing.
How you determine to publish your book
could come down to factors that include:
·
Budget
availability.
·
Deadlines
and timing.
·
What
kind of distribution you need.
·
Your
desire for a traditional publisher.
·
Your
ability to persuade a publisher or literary agent to publish it.
The
economics and complexities vary based on how you publish your book. On the one hand,
self-publishing can be faster than the traditional route – plus you keep the
lion’s share of the profits and retain full editorial control of your book –
but you also don’t have the big publishing brand behind your book, your
distribution can be limited, and you don’t have the benefit of the publisher’s
team to sell rights or offer professional guidance. A customized plan will be
needed, as every company and author will have different needs or goals that
need to be addressed.
You
can release a book, say in hardcover, and then a year later release a paperback
version, perhaps revised, to get a second crack at media coverage. You can also create an audiobook and sell it
as a digital download. If you think your
message would be of interest overseas, you can sell the translation rights into
any language and build up a presence in Asia, Latin America, Europe and
elsewhere. You can then promote your
book in those places.
However
you publish and regardless of the format you release your book in, the key to
success comes with promoting the book, which could easily begin four months
prior to the book’s scheduled release – and continue until at least three
months post-launch date.
Using
a PR firm that specializes not only in book publicity but one that executes
great campaigns for CEOs-turned-authors, is very important.
Books for companies help not only with
getting media coverage, but they also potentially assist in:
·
Raising
a stock price if the company is public.
·
Generating
interest from potential investors or partners.
·
Retaining
and recruiting quality talent.
·
Helping
to foster goodwill and a positive image of the company.
·
Qualifying
you to apply to book awards, possibly furthering and elevating the exposure for
your company and brand.
Writing
a book – and promoting it – can be a fun and rewarding experience. Many
lawyers, financial advisors, and health care professionals -- as well as CEOs,
entrepreneurs, and corporate executives – have discovered the true value from
such an experience. And the good news is that you don’t have to pen a
best-seller to reap the rewards of such a venture.
Do
you have a book in you? The media awaits you!!
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Brian Feinblum’s views,
opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his
employer. 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 2017©. Born and
raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book
marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs
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