A
lot of book publicity is basic and obvious.
Sure there’s a place for strategy, but when you break it down, there are
common sense things that one must do. So let’s review these core things to make
sure you have them covered and then we can start to address add-ons.
To properly promote a
book in 2017:
·
Send out advance review copies to book
reviewers at leading print publications as well as select TV shows, such as the
network morning shows or long-lead magazines.
· Get some reviews
with established media. You can pay some of these outlets, including Kirkus Reviews, PW Select, and The Foreword.
·
You should create a website for you and
your book before you start any kind of marketing outreach (about six months
prior to your scheduled release date).
·
If you plan to secure speaking
engagements, start early and act months and months in advance. Bookstore signings need to be scheduled at
least two months ahead of when you hope to do them. Libraries need at least a month’s advance
notice. Organizations that hire speakers
book at 6-12 months in advance.
Organizations like a chamber of commerce, church, or local non-profit
may require three to five months lead time.
They usually won’t pay you, but they’ll afford you branding
opportunities and an introduction to people to buy your book.
·
Draft your press kit materials before you
send out advance review copies and post portions of them on your website.
·
Think of ideas for bylined articles for specific
newspapers, trade publications and magazines – or guest posts for online
media. Write these pieces up and build
up a collection so you can get them out closer to the publication date of your book.
·
Start on social media way before your book
is up – then ramp it up as you get closer to publication time. This means you need to build your well before
you’re thirsty – get on Facebook, Twitter and wherever else you feel your
target readership resides. Build up a
network of followers early on and accelerate the process as your book comes
out.
·
Interview PR firms five months prior to the publication date and select one with enough advance time so they can do all of
the appropriate pre-publication work properly.
·
Don’t forget to ask prominent people for
testimonials and endorsements way before pub date. Put their comments on your book cover, press
materials, web site and marketing materials.
·
Apply for all appropriate awards on
time. Don’t limit yourself to one or two
and don’t plan on accepting a Pulitzer either.
·
Get on Goodreads and Net Galley.
·
Post to your blog regularly and use social
media to promote it.
Once
you do all or most of these things you’ll need to keep at them and hope your
persistence, timing, creativity and luck catch you a break. Of course, you can also brainstorm with
others and craft a unique, personalized strategy to get attention for your
book.
As long as you thoroughly attack the basics, you’ll be ahead of most authors.
As long as you thoroughly attack the basics, you’ll be ahead of most authors.
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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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