33 Ways Authors Tie Their Story Into The News

 

There are dozens of ways to pitch your book to the news media and in social media. Certainly, you want to highlight the merits of your book and let the contents sell itself. You can also link a story idea to your background experiences or credentials, if they are relevant, timely, or interesting. You should explore these33  tie-ins as well:

Holidays or Seasons

Craft a message that links your book to a holiday. Perhaps your book involves romance, sex, relationships, dating, etc. Link a story to Valentine’s Day. Maybe you wrote a book about careers. June is a good month to tie into, as a generation of new workers graduate school. Or maybe you have a diet book and January’s New Year’s Resolutions is a good tie-in. Look at the calendar and look at holidays or periods of time (i.e. Sept is back-to-school, March is spring cleaning, November is the holiday gift season, etc.).

Honorary Days, Weeks, Months

There are special days to honor every food, hobby, illness, and facet of life. Consult www.brownielocks.com to find a long list of these days.

Anniversaries

There may be a special anniversary coming up that relates to your book. For instance, let’s say your book focuses on an event. Is this the 10-year anniversary of that event? Perhaps you wrote about something historical – like the 100^th anniversary of the Women’s Right to Vote. Perhaps you wrote a biography of someone famous. Is it 50 years ago that he or she died? Or maybe this would have been their 200^th birthday? Think of how many years have passed since some mile marker pertains to what you wrote about – and use this as an excuse to push a story.

Best-Sellers

If your book becomes a best-seller, that becomes a story angle. Perhaps other books on your subject matter have become best-sellers. You can try to piggyback on their fame and show how your book is different/better. Awards in other fields and industries may tie into your subject as a timely excuse to link your book to something in the news. Maybe a Nobel, Grammy, or Oscar was given to someone that your book can be used for comment on.

Awards

If your book wins an award, push that in your pitch to the media. Perhaps other books on your subject matter have become award-winners. You can try to piggyback on their fame and show how your book is different/better.

In The News

Pay attention to what is making headlines, internationally, nationally and locally. Can you link your story, thematically, to anything you see out there? For instance, if your book discusses the history of war or peace, tie into a current war or peace movement. Perhaps your book is about divorce and you see a famous couple got divorced. Or maybe your book is about wealth and being an entrepreneur and a story comes out showing how Jeff Bezos surpassed another billion-dollar benchmark in his wealth. Associate yourself with the news. It’s called newsjacking.

Corona

This is the hottest story in 2020. It will be with us, in some form, in 2021, too. However, you can make your message corona-connected, do it.

Legislation

If the government proposes, passes or defeats legislation relating to your subject matter, look to comment on it and tie it to your book.

Trends

Whatever is popular online or in the real world, feel free to comment on and tie your story to.

Studies

If any studies are released, say by a college or government or major organization, and they relate to your book’s subject matter, craft a story to connect them.

Polls/Surveys

What do polls and surveys say? They give us a statistical snapshot of how people act or think. If they comment on things that you speak about, find a story idea to link them together.

Predictions

Look back at past or current public predictions from others and tie your book into those predictions. Or maybe you want to make predictions of your own.

What-If Scenario

Come up with an interesting what-if scenario and show how your book may answer or shed light on something that people have wondered what-if about.

Lobby

You can lobby or advocate for something – a change in a law, demand for some accountability by the government, or a change in a business’ practice. Make a demand in a press release for change.

Question Authority

Do you raise questions that allege wrongdoing by authorities? Are you able to reasonably drum up claims against trusted individuals? Do you use the power of asking questions to turn your book into a source for a news story?

Breaking News

Do you have something to say that exposes a secret, sheds light on a news-worthy event, or provides a legitimate claim about news-worthy people?

Celebrities/Politicians/Athletes

Like influencers, celebrities, actors, musicians, athletes, and politicians are popular for a reason. And their fame and notoriety can be helpful to selling yourself if you can latch on to their coattails, either to praise or vilify them. 

Inventions/Products/Services

Did Apple announce a new iphone? Did a new company suddenly burst on the scene with a cool gadget? Did Amazon offer a new service? Comment on new products/services/inventions if it connects to your book somehow.

Crimes

Did you commit a crime? Know someone who did? Suspect someone has done so? Comment on anything you experienced, witnessed, know about, or is in the public domain as it relates to crime. People love a good story about criminals and their crimes.

Weather

Could your story have a weather link? Weather means disaster: hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, heatwaves. They cause death, destruction, accidents, fires, food shortages, droughts…and alter the landscape for building, traveling, etc. Can you connect to any of that?

Social Media - Blogs, Podcasts, Video, Posts, Tweets

If you determine there is a popular or important video, tweet, post, podcast or blog out there, feel free to tie yourself to it. Attack the posts of others or show how your book further discusses whatever that popular post says. You can also use your won generated social media content to help create interest in your book or a news worthy story. How? Well, if your social media connections total tens of thousands or more, mention that in your pitches. The media likes to know that an author can bring their social media followers along for the ride.

Events

Online or in-person events, conferences, conventions, etc. are good excuses to craft a story that connects what they did with what you write about. For instance, if an annual conference took place about child safety, and your book covers parenting in general or specifically child safety, well, chirp about it now. Further, you can create your own event and stir up news coverage.

Movies/Songs/TV Shows/Games

Anything that people are familiar with or talk about can be a good reference point for you to craft a story that links your book to. Did a show just feature something that relates to your book? Was there a breakthrough in what a show discussed or the type of actor/actress it hired that ties to your book? Did you want to criticize Hollywood for not covering a topic that it should be – which is coincidentally the subject of your book?

Influencers

Do you have a comment or story about an influencer – or what he or she said or did? Internet influencers are like celebrities in music, sports, or Hollywood. Use gossip, facts, or theories to stake a claim that connects your book to them.

Profession/Industry

Does your pitch relate to a specific profession or industry? Sometimes you can take a general topic, say a book about rising up the corporate ladder, and specifically send out story ideas that target a profession. So now your story is: How to rise up the corporate ladder at entertainment companies. How to rise up the corporate ladder at accounting firms. How women can rise up the corporate ladder. How the real estate industry stifles eager corporate ladder climbers.

Religion

A good controversial area, along with sex, politics, race, gender, and money is religion. If you can involve religion in your story idea, do so respectfully, but go for it.

Non-Profit

Do you have a non-profit angle? Maybe you donate some book proceeds to a non-profit? Maybe you criticize or support certain non-profits? Maybe you launch your own?

Common Every Day Events

Sometimes you need to align your media pitch to fit in with what millions of people do daily, from chores, to commuting, to being sick, or saving for college.

Myths

Debunk myths or assert why some myths are true.

Rules/Laws

Challenge, criticize or support current or proposed laws or rules (such as those at a school, business, or public facility) and act as an advocate and stir up some controversy.

Tragedy

Exploit a tragedy. Yepp, you heard me. That is part of your publicity playbook. People are rubberneckers. Tell us about pain, loss, or death – we will listen. If you aren’t discussing your own tragedy or that of another close to you, tackle a publicly known tragedy and insert yourself into it.

Top 10 Lists

Come up with your own interesting Top 10 list on something relevant and interesting – or comment on existing lists and show what role your book plays in terms of what those lists cover.

Advice

Can you offer sound advice that helps resolve an issue, solve a problem, or help others address a concern? Offer it up!

Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

The Ultimate 2021 Book Marketing Guide

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-ultimate-2021-book-marketing.html

Don’t Pardon Book Industry Scoundrels, Failures & Losers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/dont-pardon-book-industry-scoundrels.html

Authors Need to Know Why They Write Books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/authors-need-to-know-why-they-write.html

Authors Want Their Drop-The-Mic Moment

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/authors-want-their-drop-mic-moment.html

Do Writers Know The Power They Wield?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/do-writers-know-power-they-yield.html

The Rights, Responsibilities, & Resources Available To Writers Today

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-rights-responsibilities-resources.html

How Authors Should Build A Platform

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-authors-should-build-platform.html

Brian Feinblum, the founder of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, can be reached at  brianfeinblum@gmail.com.  You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby 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. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.