Another approach may be to do your own thing. Tireless self-promotion can generate attention for your title and get the desired outcome you seek. This won’t be free, but it will be less money than hiring someone to work on your behalf. The biggest cost factor will be your time.
This is the time to pool your resources and call in favors from friends, family and associates. If you have people whom you can delegate tasks, you’ll cover a lot more ground than on your own; even if you have five people to do one thing on your list, that’s five less things you have to do yourself.
• Elements of A Press Release/Kit:
o Your personal/company stationary or letterhead
o Immediate release date
o Contact information: Whom do you want the press to contact for interviews or more information?
o Title, ISBN, Retail Price, Publisher, Date of Publication (2-3 weeks after warehouse receipt)
o Author Bio
o Synopsis of the book
o Table of Contents
o Highlight key items (Does your book profess 10 easy steps to…? Does the protagonist transform his/her life? How?
o Include a sample chapter
o A prior speaking schedule, if you have one, or an upcoming potential speaking agenda will be beneficial, reinforcing your commitment to the sale of the book. This will also act as social proof for the demand of your message and/or book.
o If you’ve written other books, list them and mention any favorable reviews or endorsements.
o DVD of TV interviews or speaking engagements
o Have you written any articles, essays, op-eds? Have you been interviewed by any print outlets on the topic of your book or a previous book? If so, include a sampling.
o Most media outlets will accept an electronic press release or press kit (EPK), but be sure to check.
o Sending a hard copy back up along with the actual book will facilitate attention and give you another reason to follow-up.
• Hiring someone to write your press materials:
o You may wish to consider hiring someone to write a press release for you, if this is not, something that you feel you can do well enough.
Most publicists would be happy to do this for a fee. Scan the Web and I’m sure you’ll find someone capable.
• Distribution of your press release to the media:
o Start by contacting all the local media. This includes local television stations, cable television, radio, newspapers, and magazines.
o You can find a listing of all of these outlets by searching the Internet (ie: http://www.mylongisland.com/media).
o Once you’ve made contact and have been directed as to how to submit a press release or book an interview, you’re on your way to building a “grass-roots” campaign.
• Timing is everything, as it seems, in all of life and pitching your book to the media is no different.
o Who are you targeting? Print (magazines, newspapers), TV (local, cable or national), Radio (local, public, sponsored, national), Internet (bloggers, specific sites, other social media outlets)-they all have precise timing protocols.
• Print:
o Long lead magazines work six-nine months out. If your book is releasing in May and it’s perfect for a Christmas oriented publication, you need to approach the magazine in March or April, at the latest.
o Newspapers work on a shorter lead-time, just by shear nature of the production of their product. That said, allow at least a month or more for local papers and a few months for national papers.
• Broadcast TV
o Depending on the show, plan on pitching at least two-three months prior to publication.
o Local or cable shows, have a much shorter lead time and may offer to interview you with a month’s notice.
o It’s a challenge getting national media attention, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. Contact the shows’ producers that have a “fit” with your book’s subject matter. Utilize the same method of contacting, as you will with the local media.
• Radio
o Radio stations can respond even faster than TV. Plan to contact them, though, at least a month in advance.
• Internet
o While the Internet is instantaneous, again it will depend on who you are pitching. If it’s a blogger, a site or other social media outlet-they all have their own specific criteria for interviews and mentions.
• Hiring someone who has an extensive, targeted media list for your topic may prove to be very sensible and one who will distribute your press release:
o PRW http://www.press-release-writing.com/content-basics.htm, has an excellent reputation. They also provide handy guidelines for writing your own press release and have sample releases on their site.
o Today, many PR agencies are using RSS feeds. Look into http://www.pr.com/rss-feeds for more information on this process.
• If you’d rather distribute the press release yourself, explore some of the media resources, below. There is a fee for access, but one national media hit may pay for itself in book sales.
o www.us.cision.com
o www.MediaContactsPro.com
o www.tvaproductions.com/html/mediaoutlets
o www.burrellesluce.com
• Indirect Means of Securing Media Attention:
o There are circuitous ways of generating publicity that include appearances at your local bookstores, schools, libraries, hospitals, nursing homes, day-care centers, churches and just about anywhere you can create a “story” that ties-into your book’s topic. Be creative, think outside the pages, send an e-mail “news alert” to the local press about your upcoming appearances. (Be sure to get permission from the hosting venue prior to contacting the press, some may not allow media on the premises.)
Tip 4: Media Response Expectations
o Bear in mind, there are hundreds of thousands of books published annually and all are seeking some publicity support. Be patient, as your press recipient is overwhelmed with submissions. If you maintain consistent, gentle follow-up, chances are you will receive a response and possibly a favorably one at that.
o One way to cut through the slush pile and rise to the top is to have a “news” tie-in with your book. As we said before; the media is looking to build a story so they can maintain their followers.
o Let’s say, you’ve sent your EPK out and breaking news happens that directly correlates with the topic or subject matter of your book. Contact the press immediately and flag your book as a MUST read, now. They and you will be happy you did.
Good or bad, press is usually good, as it spreads the word about your book like wildfire. The saying goes, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” In addition, the most amazing thing about all publicity is it’s FREE!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment