Book promotion is essentially reaching your target market with your message. With so many book marketing and publicity strategies, the question is, which ones to choose?
Below we go over some of the strategies that I feel work the best for your overall book publicity efforts.
What is the best way to launch a book promotion strategy nationally?
Book promotion starts with getting booked on radio talk shows. In my experience with working with hundreds or more authors, getting booked on talk radio interviews is the first step. The radio talk shows are conducted over the telephone making it easy to sweep the nation with your message. There are no travel expenses and basically you just need a high quality land line so the interview quality is top notch and of course, a great conversation lined up.
Get booked on talk radio shows for book promotion
Authors will want to  get booked on the biggest radio shows for book promotion possible in the major markets or cities across the country.
Why? Because they offer the most exposure and opportunity to reach thousands of people with your message in one phone call. Most interviews are about 8 – 10 minutes in length and this is plenty of time for authors to showcase their ideas, thoughts and commentary on various topics related to their book’s content.
The idea is to share your message nationally by appearing on the biggest shows possible. Each city generally has a 5,000 – 50,000 watt radio show that broadcasts to the heart of the market. These are the shows that have the most listeners. However, they are the hardest to get booked on as a guest.
In addition, these shows are fast moving, content rich shows that usually have conversations that are meaningful to the profile of their audience. The key is to create your conversation around socially relevant issues that match the profile of the show.
Radio shows for book promotion help book TV shows too!
Radio experience can set the stage for TV appearances as well. Another benefit of being a guest on lots of radio shows is the experience you develop transfers nicely to TV. Â Since radio talk show interviews are phoners, you get the opportunity to focus on your messaging and build up a rich history of being a media guest. TV shows look for experienced guests who understand how to have a high quality conversation in a short period of time. Radio certainly gets you ready to be a great TV guest.
The more people who hear your message, the stronger your book promotion and book marketing becomes.
Another great aspect of appearing on radio and TV shows is that you reach people immediately and this gives you your best shot at selling books. The audience gets to experience you “up close and personal” and this give you an advantage in your overall publicity strategy. And radio shows are very friendly in allowing you to mention your book in the interview. Â In addition, you can mention your book in your intro. Â And especially if your book is related to the topic under discussion as it positions you as an expert.
To summarize, begin your book promotion strategy with radio talk show interviews then move to book marketing on TV shows. Next you can get media placements on major online media outlets that are the new print.
All radio shows for book promotion roads should lead to actually reaching your audience. At our firm, Annie Jennings PR, we refer to this as active publicity – that is, reaching your target market directly. Passive publicity is when you send out a press release blast through a service. And in our experience it’s possible nothing could really happen for you. So, keep this in mind, anytime you can appear directly in front of your audience, the better.
Highlights
- Building national exposure starts with a strong radio publicity foundation on the phone. No travel is required, and one interview alone can reach thousands of listeners at once.
- Guests who log real hours on radio walk into TV publicity appearances already camera-ready. Producers notice a guest who already knows how to deliver a tight, engaging answer.
- Working with an experienced book publicist means every pitch gets matched to a show’s actual audience profile. That kind of targeting is what separates a booked guest from an ignored pitch.
- Real publicity services put a message directly in front of the right audience, not just into an inbox. A press release blast alone rarely produces any real result at all.
- Meeting an audience up close builds the kind of trust that drives real author publicity results. People buy books from voices they have actually heard, not from names they only recognize.
- A complete book promotion plan moves in stages, from radio to TV and finally to online and print outlets. Each new stage builds on the credibility earned in the one before it.
- Consistent media exposure compounds an author’s overall book marketing results over time. More listeners and viewers translate directly into a bigger, more engaged readership.
- Annie Jennings PR is often recognized as a leading national book promotion firm for authors ready to go national. Clients appreciate having a clear, proven sequence instead of guessing where to begin.
- Read more real publicity strategy insights on JenningsWire, the online magazine founded by Annie Jennings. It regularly breaks down exactly how to sequence a national book promotion campaign.
- See more Annie Jennings PR reviews from authors who built their platform one media stage at a time. In conclusion, the strongest book promotion plans always start with a single phone call.
Blogs of Interest
- Testimonials are one of the most persuasive tools in an author’s book marketing toolkit. Read more: Book Marketing Tricks Of The Trade: Using Testimonials.
- Authors everywhere are embracing publicity that only gets paid for real results. See the full strategy: Guaranteed Performance Publicity Is All The Rage. Authors LOVE IT!.
