GET STARTED!!
  • Download an overview of our capabilities
  • Download our tips guide
 856-489-8654
Smith Publicity
  • Book Publicity Services
    • Book Marketing Services
    • Business Book Marketing Services
    • Non-Fiction Book Marketing Services
    • Self-Help Book Promotion
    • Fiction Book Marketing Services
    • Children’s Book Marketing
    • Book Marketing for Publishers
    • eBook Marketing Services
    • Book Promotion Services
  • Author Resources & Education
    • Resources for Authors
    • Our Webinar Series
    • Our Readiness Quiz
    • Our Blog
    • Our Podcast
    • 110 Book Marketing Ideas to Sell Your Book In 2023
    • Glossary of Book Marketing and Publishing Terms and Industry Services
  • About Us
    • Smith Publicity Company History
    • Testimonials
    • FAQs
    • Staff
    • Photos
    • Book Marketing Scholarship
    • Full-Service Public Relations Agency
    • Giving Back
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Smith Publicity Blog
You are here: Home1 / Smith Publicity Blog2 / Articles3 / Book Marketing with Bylined Articles: Advice for Nonfiction Authors

Book Marketing with Bylined Articles: Advice for Nonfiction Authors

June 14, 2011/in Articles, Non-fiction Book Promotion /by Smith Publicity

Write Bylined Articles to Promote Your Book

Calling all nonfiction authors: If your goal is to sell books or attract new business, bylined articles are an effective book marketing tactic to reach your target audience with a controlled message showcasing your expertise.

First, what is a bylined article? It is an article written by you and published in widely-read media either online or in print as a magazine or newspaper. An author promoting her book and herself by writing and publishing a bylined article.Full credit goes to you as the author, along with a nice blurb about you, your book, and your business or professional practice, if applicable.

When people read your article, it gives you credibility, continues to establish you as a leader and expert in your field, differentiates you from your competitors, and opens new opportunities for you. They may include offers for regular article submissions, requests to provide expert commentary, consulting projects, speaking engagements, and invitations from publishers for your next book. All of these have happened for our clients, including an author who received more than $500,000 in new business due to a media campaign that started as book PR.

Once you have written an article on a topic of interest connected to your expertise, you or your publicist pitch it to targeted media for placement. Often your photo or even book cover may accompany the article.

Follow These Tips to Write a Successful Bylined Article

1. Pick a topic with valuable information for your audience. The article cannot be about how great you are or how excellent your book is. Although it might be the case, you need to select a topic related to your book and expertise to inform, educate, or inspire readers. The goal is to give readers insight into your thoughts, ideas, and advice, entice them to learn more about you, your company (if applicable), and buy your book.

Here are examples:

  • A business relationship author wrote an article on tips to remember people’s names, and the target was general business audiences,
  • An author with a specialized target audience wrote an article on the tax benefits of oil investments
  • A successful female CEO and author wrote an article: Women You’re Unique. You Lead Differently from Men, and that’s a Good Thing— Especially in the World of Business!

2. Include lessons learned/case studies. Showcase your expertise by including case studies where there was a real-life challenge and how your advice resulted in a positive solution. Readers will learn from the lesson, and you will shine as an authority. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Look at the chapters in your book and isolate one point to write about. Again, the goal is to entice people to learn more about you which then promotes your book.

3. Know your media outlet. If you have a particular news site, blog, or print publication in mind, read the type and style of bylined articles they publish. If your relationship self-help book can be helpful to teens, women, and newly divorced women, write an article specific to one audience. Don’t make it generic. If your entrepreneurial book can be helpful in particular industries, write a piece just for them—the family business, a graphic designer, a financial planner, etc.

4. Choosing the optimal article headline. Again, look through your news sites or magazines for article headlines that grab your attention. Use active, not passive words. Highlight benefits, not features. Examples of weak and strong headlines:

  • Fabulous Diet Tip that Makes a Difference!
    Or better …
    5 Ways to Visibly Reduce Body Fat in 30 Days
  • Use a Back-Up Storage Drive With 1TB of Memory
    Or better …
    Never Lose Another Computer File Again
  • Investing Your Money For the Future
    Or better …
    10 Tips to Save NOW for Your Toddler’s College Education

5. Know the length of an article. A good rule of thumb for the length of an article is between 700 and 1,200 words. Again, if you have a specific outlet in mind, check particular submission guidelines for the outlet.

The Book PR Value of Your Published Article

Once published, showcase your articles as part of your resume, in your brochures, as handouts in your presentations, on your website, etc. It gives you credibility—as featured on HuffingtonPost.com, as featured in TIME magazine. Plus, online articles never go away and will turn up when people search for you online. Although bylined articles take care and thought in creating, the benefits of showcasing your book and expertise are priceless.

by Sandra Smith, president of Smith Publicity

Sandra Smith is the president of Smith Publicity. Hundreds of authors/publishers turn to Smith Publicity to build a brand, create awareness for their titles, spark book sales, and open doors to new opportunities. Smith Publicity has conducted thousands of successful book publicity campaigns since 1997. The firm has secured coverage for authors on virtually every major broadcast, newspaper, magazine, and online outlet.

 

Tags: book marketing, bylined article
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://www.smithpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ooooooooluke-southern-9yCYGgPe5Kg-unsplash-1.jpg 1333 2000 Smith Publicity https://www.smithpublicity.com/wp-content/uploads/smith-publicity-logo-crop.jpg Smith Publicity2011-06-14 14:19:552021-11-23 20:08:35Book Marketing with Bylined Articles: Advice for Nonfiction Authors
You might also like
Podcast Episode: How to Market Your Nonfiction Book
Mike Onorato Vice President of Publicity Services, Smith Publicity, Inc. Preparing Your Book Marketing Campaign for Success
Choosing the tight subtitle for your book can help with book sales. Online Book Promotion Opportunities for Success
Online Book Promotion versus traditional book marketing; a detailed infographic by the professional book publicists at Smith Publicity Infographic: Online Book Marketing vs Traditional Book Marketing
Smith Publicity answers to some commonly asked questions about book marketing. 15 Frequently Asked Questions About Book Marketing & Publicity
Choosing the tight subtitle for your book can help with book sales. Tips About Book Subtitles: How to Write Better Ones

Recent Posts

  • smith publicity book marketing team meeting about book publicity.Increased Exposure:
    The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Book Publicist
  • Headshot of Smith Publicity president Marissa Eigenbrood. Book Publicity company executive.What Leadership Means to Smith Publicity: A Word from President Marissa Eigenbrood
  • Sandra Poirier Smith was promoted to CEO of Smith Publicity, and Marissa Eigenbrood was promoted to President of Smith Publicity in January 2023.Smith Publicity Executive Promotions
  • Smith publicity reviews, and common complaints from media outlet being discussed.Smith Publicity Reviews the Most Common Complaints Media Have About Authors
  • Industry Innovations: The Role of Expert Commentary in Book Marketing
  • January 2023 behind the scenes book marketing webinar graphic. The team at smith publicity discusses book promotion trends in 2022, predictions for 2023, and answers marketing questions.Book Publicity: Look Behind the Scenes with Smith’s Experts – Book Marketing Webinar
  • What’s in an Edit?

Relevant Pages

  • Home
  • Book Publicity Services
    • Business Book Promotion
    • Children’s and YA Book Promotion
    • Fiction Marketing Services
    • Non-Fiction Marketing Services
    • Author Promotion Services
    • Self-Help Book Promotion
    • Book Publicity and Promotion for Publishers
  • Marketing Resources for Authors
  • The Ultimate Guide for Successful Book Marketing
  • Download Our Book – Publicity Tips Guide
  • Glossary of Marketing and Publishing Terms
  • Contact Us

Find Us

Smith Publicity, Inc.
1415 Marlton Pike East
Suite 402
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034

(856) 489-8654
Privacy Policy • Sitemap

Follow us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • pinterest
  • instagram
  • linkedin
  • rss

Smith Newsletter Signup

To sign up for event updates and a monthly newsletter from Smith Publicity, register here.

We respect your email privacy

© Copyright 2023 - Smith Publicity, Inc.
  • Author Promotion Services
  • Book Publicity Services
  • Smith Publicity Blog
Scroll to top