How Authors Can Be Provocative To The Media

Any dope can write a book or blog post, but only a few will get the lions share of media attention.  Why?

Is it because they wrote a great book? Not necessarily.  

Who says a book is great? How can the media see a book is great until someone convinces them to read it? 

No, media coverage is not often doled out in proportion to how great a book is, whatever the standard that’s used to define greatness.

Is it because an author is already famous? Certainly fame begets fame. The media is more open to listening to a known entity than an unknown one but the media also wants fresh voices and is certainly looking for new, unique, and interesting faces.

Is it because the book actually reveals secrets, breaks news, or says something about news makers? 

Some books definitely get covered by the media if they are books that already feed information to pre-existing funnels of interest. If the media is already covering Trump, the Olympics, or global climate change, your book, if it adds to or even changes the discussion, will get a serious look.

Is it because a book is popular or a best seller? 

Absolutely. The media follows what people like and feeds it back to us.  But there are only so many best-sellers out there.

Is it because the book is controversial or warns us of something, predicts a huge event, sites a major trend, or profiles an up-and-coming star? Perhaps.

But what really gets media coverage is a provocative spokesperson and that could be you.

Are you:

·         Crazy?

·         Outrageous?

·         Accusatory?

·         Funny and entertaining?

·         Insightful?

·         Confrontational?

·         Inspirational?

·         Abusive and nasty?

·         Extremely funny?

To be provocative you need to say and do things that challenge the norm, upset people, and turn things upside down. You need to give off a certain aggressive, energized vibe. So what goes into a provocative message?

·         Your specific word selection.

·         The tone and sound of your words.

·         Strong images to support your statements.

·         Lots of energy, enthusiasm, and emotion expressed.

·         Challenge things/make demands.

·         Be accusatory, demanding or revealing.

·         Sell hope against the odds.

·         Sound borderline drunk, nuts, or even hostile.

·         Be dramatic and sensational.

·         Tell jokes that are sure to offend.

To be provocative you have to imagine that you are the hero to a traumatic moment or you are the victim of an elaborate scheme. You live in the extremes – nothing is mediocre, normal, or grey- it’s all clearly black or white.  

You are divisive, confident, and strong. You agitate and make others feel uncertain of what you will say or do next. You operate without anything tying your hands or holding you back, yet what appears to be spontaneous is scripted.  You are in control – but you seek to stir chaos around you.

Can you be provocative?

Yes, you can stimulate, excite, or provoke a debate. You can ignite a powerful dialogue that is worthy of media attention. Push, prod, and get loud.

Give it a try.

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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.