By Guest Blogger, Lynda O’Connor, Publicist
www.oconnorpr.com
Click Here to listen to Lynda’s interview with Jennifer at 9:00 am EST on the WomensRadio
So, you’ve written the book and found a publisher. Now what? For many authors, the writing and editing are the easy parts. But getting your book reviewed? Writing press releases? Getting on radio and TV? Hiring a publicist? Not all publishing houses have their own in-house publicity departments, and if they do, their staffs have been slashed. It’s up to you, dear writer, to beat the pavement and get the word out about yourself.
Egadds, how does one do this? What are the steps? Why does an author need public relations? PR will get you in the news. It gets your message to your audience and informs them who you are and what you are writing about. Through interviews in newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and the internet, you can discuss what your book is about and why it is important to read.
There are lots of books on PR and you should go to the bookstore and look. I love John Kremer’s “1001 Ways to Market Your Book”. Lissa Warren’s “The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity”, Steve Weber’s “Plug Your Book”, and Penny Sansevieri’s “Red Hot Internet Publicity” which will all help you. Read, read, read. These books will give you a lot of ideas on how to promote your book.
When you start a book campaign, begin with your hometown. Contact the local radio, TV, newspapers and magazines. Look to www.radiolocator.com and get the websites of the radio stations in your town. Contact the producers of the show and tell them why they should have you on. Write a press release, have a professional photo made of you, write your bio, and scan the cover of your book. You may want to include a testimonial of someone who read your book and liked it. The more prominent the person is who writes the testimonial, the better. Send this press material to the show producers along with a note selling them on you and your book.
Try to find a media directory. Go to the library or call your local public relations association to see if they have one.
Do you need to advertise? Are advertising and PR different? Advertising is great, but expensive, and it doesn’t endorse you as much as public relations. You pay for advertising, but PR involves news, which is more credible. A media outlet will only put your book in their publication or on their broadcast if they believe that a story about it will educate their readers and audience. A well-structured PR campaign can result in the author being exposed to more detailed information than they receive with an ad.
Call your local newspaper and ask for the Book Editor or the Feature Editor. The Book Editor may review your book because you are a local person and they like local stories. Personally, I prefer to call the Feature Editor because they can do a whole story about you.
Is it scary to be in the news? You may ask, “Who am I to be on TV?” Remember that the media is looking for good stories, and it is up to you to MAKE YOUR STORY GOOD. What is unusual about you and your story? Think about your hobbies, your life. The more off beat it is, the more the media will like it. Also, make your story relevant. Tie it to a current event in the news.
Once you have a commitment to be interviewed, prepare for it. It will be less scary when you know what to do. Watch or listen to the show you will be on. Listen for the tone of the show. Is it funny? If so, be prepared with a few jokes or funny commentary. Get the name of the host, and use it on the air. It will seem that you and the host are friends and it sounds more informal. You can even practice with a friend. Put together a media kit and email it to your reviewer. Have your website ready and refer your site to your host. Put some questions and answers into your packet. If you know what questions the host will ask, you will be more comfortable. The host has to know about you so that their interview will be better. Follow-up with your interviewer to make sure that he has everything that he needs.
After you are in the news, leverage your appearance by reflecting on your performance. Watch and listen to what you said. Was your pace OK? Did you talk too fast or too slow? Were you boring on the air? Did you say the name of your host? Think of how you could have done better and improve next time.
Before your appearance, send out a notice to your friends that you will be on the air or in the papers. Put a notice on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Tell your local community paper that you will be on the air and they may put it in their Calendar of Events.
Make sure to write the host and producer a thank you note and ask them if they can recommend you to other shows.
The next time you pitch the media, tell them where you appeared last. If CBS News had you on in Minneapolis, maybe NBC will want you on in Chicago.
Public relations is hard work, but it works. If you need a public relations professional to coordinate and guide you through the process, you may want to Google book publicists and go through the list. Call some of them and see who you like. This is important because you will be working closely with the person. Make sure they are trustworthy and experienced.
Good luck and be ready to have the time of your life. Having a best-selling book can take you to places you never thought you would be. Have fun with it!
Click Here to listen to Lynda’s interview with Jennifer at 9:00 am EST on the WomensRadio