Authors want to know how to generate more publicity for their book.
This blog post by national publicity pro, Annie Jennings, introduces some book marketing concepts and ways of thinking about your book’s PR and messaging to enhance your book marketing experience.
There is simple answer to the question about how to get more publicity and it is this:
Be everywhere at all times.
I know this sounds funny at first but think about it. In this fast-paced, competitive environment there are many ways to reach your potential reader but yet there are challenges along the way such as how to get anyone’s attention these days when everyone is trying to get everyone’s attention?
The goal is to stay open-minded about the best way to reach your target readers because there are so many ways to market and promote a book. Not every marketing strategy will work exactly as you wish it would and some of your marketing straegies will work better than you thought they would.
The key to getting more publicity is to ask yourself another question and it is this:
How can I get up close and personal with my potential readers?
Nothing sells better than letting people in. Letting them into your life, letting them get to know you, like you, trust you and believe you. Appearing in front of your audience gives them a glimpse into whether or not they would enjoy your book as much as they enjoy listening to you.
Getting up close and personal includes giving talks, holding parties, doing book readings at appropriate venues, starting a podcast, creating a Youtube TV show, going on radio talk shows, being asked to contribute to an online media outlet either as a commenting expert or posting a blog if the venue allows.
With online media placements, radio talk show interviews and TV appearances, the important to know is that each media outlet has a format, that is a profile of the type of guest and subject matter they cover. Some media outlets can be just news or political or feature or a combination. They can be simply general interest (in that they like lots of topics) or focus sole on business or finance issues.
The question now becomes how do you qualify for the profile of the media outlet so that the media outlet is able to work with you.
Many authors forget about playing what I will call “the match game” and blast out a press release across all media platforms with no strategic planning. The authors do not offer the specific idea that fits with the format of the show or media outlet they are pursuing.
Producers and journalists are very busy and unfortunately do not have the time to wade through hundreds of these email blasts in search of an idea that will work for them.
They have their own ideas and seek to work with established publicity professionals as they know that the person being presented has been vetted to be someone who has the appropriate credentials for their area of expertise and matches the profile of the outlet. They know the PR firm has created a pitch or idea that matches the profile of the show. The media also know that lots of other details have all been worked out in advance by the publicist saving hours of the media’s time.
To summarize, don’t blast the media but target the media that is exactly right for you.
Read over the media site or watch the TV or online show or listen to the radio talk show to discover why you are a good match for the media outlet. Next, build the idea you will pitch to the outlet. Now, this part can be challenging and where the services of a publicist can help you. Publicists know to write up a pitch whereas the author generally has no experience in being a publicist and knows very little of the skill set needed to actually secure a booking.
Learning the hard way by getting a lot of no’s to your pitch can be disappointing and discouraging and might stop you from feeling terrific about your accomplishments of writing a meaningful and valuable book. This is where working with a publicist is a good thing. The idea is to do what you can do yourself if you are working with a budget but hire a seasoned professional with a rich history of media bookings that you would like for yourself.
Getting publicity for your book with traditional media is hard work!
As publicists we find appearing on radio talk shows to be extremely effective in getting your message out, building up your influence, crediblity and clout, getting up close and personal with an audience showcasing your personality, knowledge and talent. Nowadays, major advertisers would pay a fortune to get someone’s attention for a minute but yet, as a guest on radio shows your time on the air, that is, your segment is about 8-10 minutes long. That’s you, the host and the audience together for about 10 full minutes. Wow! Huge for creating a relationship with your listener.
How do you make the most of your publicity efforts?
Be ready. Be prepared. Know your message. Know why you matter in today’s world. Also, know how to make your important points conversationally and in about 20-30 seconds per answer.
Our authors love that we provide unlimited media training with our radio publicity campaign. We offer this service free to all of our radio campaign authors so we can prepare our clients to access the tremendous benefits of being on the shows and be a great guest for the show, the listeners and for themselves. Radio is guest friendly and they allow the responsible promotion of your book.
Radio publicity is one of the top ways to get out in front of your target readers!
Book sales happen when you reach your target audience with a book that would interest them at the time however, your audience evaluates you as you are appearing before them deciding if they like you, believe in you and want more information. And now, with e-book prices inching up, readers are becoming more selective as the price rises.
Let’s go over some of the benefits of using radio talk shows, big brand online media and TV shows to promote your book.
Annie’s radio publicity, TV and online major big brand media authors and clients report that they experienced outcomes important to them such as broadening their audience, creating a stronger brand, being associated with major media to build an influential bio, creating a competitive advantage and much more including being able to:
- Build outstanding confidence in their presentation skills by appearing on radio and TV shows
- Enhance their credibility and standing in their area of expertise
- Experience the pleasure of knowing they increased awareness and influenced lives
- Promote their books, products and websites while on the radio show
- Reach deep across the country from coast to coast from the comfort of their home or office (shows are “phoners”)
- Get up close and personal with their listeners to build a relationship
- Obtained media assets that they can leverage on their website, on their social media, in their newsletters all to create credibility and influence.
Why not reach out to Annie Jennings PR to find out how to complement your publicity efforts with media that you would be unlikely to book for yourself. Our firm has worked with thousands of authors and booked tens of thousands of media placements. Our professional publicists have long-term, meaningful relationships with the media while the Annie Jennings PR firm brand is trusted and respected by the media.