Finding the Right Book Publicity for Your Book
How to Get Publicity for a Book
by Corinne Moulder, Director of Business Development (Originally Published on IngramSpark)
Finding the best publicity for your book begins with pitching it to the right media — those who would most likely be interested. Just as no author can write a book to please everyone, the same thing goes for media. There is no doubt that a plug on Good Morning America or a review in The New York Times is a significant accomplishment for every author. But if your readers aren’t tuned in to that show or reading that newspaper, you’re not likely to see any increased visibility that could lead to sales. So how do you know what book publicity is the right fit for you and your book?
1) Identify the Media Outlets Your Target Readers Follow
From the start, have in mind hat media to target for your book marketing and publicity. It follows from your book topic itself. Long before completing your manuscript, you should have in mind your target audience. Whether it is middle-grade students, adult romance readers, CEOs and executives, new moms, or baby boomers, knowing your target reader is the first step for both publicity and sales.
Once you’ve settled on the consumers for your book, you can begin to research and identify the media that they consume. For children’s books, for instance, the consumers are parents. In the book PR world, it translates into strategic outreach to parenting magazines; mommy, daddy, and parenting bloggers; family and lifestyle magazines; and women’s interest print media. On the other hand, if you’ve written a business book, we know business people to be heavy consumers of podcasts; thus, we place significant emphasis on securing business podcast interviews. They allow authors to speak about their topic and book to thousands of people looking for ideas and insights.
2) Check How Other Authors Publicize Their Books
If you’re an author/aspiring author, you’ve most likely identified the writers in your genre who you aspire to be like. It’s essential to know your competition and to set author goals to succeed in ways that others in your genre have thrived. Whether you’re in awe of an author’s writing capabilities, his/her ability to be a star on social media, or the sheer range of outlets that have reviewed his/her work, analyze how it happened. By better understanding successful writers in your genre, you’ll make better plans for yourself. It’s crucial to identify the media outlets that have reviewed and shared information about their books and are receptive to works in your genre.
3) Many Types of Media is Useful for Publicity
All book publicists understand it’s common for authors to have stars in their eyes about guest spots on the today show and featured mentions in The New York Times. Of course, both are great, but they are examples of mass media that may not be as beneficial. The truth is, identifying smaller market or highly focused media outlets that are smaller in circulation is often better for authors when it comes to exposure for their books than national outlets.
A business trade magazine and its website that are specifically geared toward construction company owners would be a prime fit for a finance author whose book offers financial tips for small businesses. While the trade may only reach 2,000 readers, these are 2,000 readers who want and need the knowledge—much more than the millions of individuals with diverse career backgrounds who may tune in to Good Morning America. While it’s essential to aim high and set goals, don’t discount the fact that building awareness among your core readers in highly focused outlets gives you footing to achieve more significant feats.
As professional book marketers, our team at Smith Publicity understands that how to publicize a book is one of the chiefs concerns of most authors and publishers. We’re here to help make the process more effective and beneficial. We share a substantial amount of information about book publicity and marketing on our blog and website that are open to all without cost.