Word Association Publishers

If you’re watching the presidential campaign at all, you can’t help but notice the energy the candidates and their staffs put into getting publicity.  Celebrities make much about running from the press and maintaining their privacy.  That, however, is definitely not the case when they have something to sell—be it a film, a TV series, a book, or themselves for the highest office in the nation.  A huge percentage of what you read, see, and listen to began with a release of some kind being sent to the media.

 

Publicity, of course, is getting yourself photographed and written about in newspapers and magazines, talked to and about on radio, and interviewed, taped, and discussed on television.  Real publicity is free—otherwise it’s called advertising.  While paid ads have impact and sell product, they don’t have the same reach as publicity.

 

When you write and publish a book, you must map out a publicity campaign and work it for all it’s worth.  Publicity such as a feature story in the newspaper or an interview on radio, can entice the public into buying your book like nothing else can.  That means they’ll be going on-line, phoning, and visiting book sellers to buy your book.  That makes book sellers make certain they keep your book in stock and on it goes.

 

Getting publicity takes effort and imagination.  We believe in beginning with a well-written, informative, even tantalizing news release that will show a reporter or talk show host that the subject of your book is enticing and that you would be an engaging interview.  The release should be sent out to every local newspaper, magazine, radio, and television station in your region.  It should be part of a press kit that contains a cover letter which introduces you as the author and sells the media outlet on what an interesting, timely, newsworthy, subject you and your book would be as an interview or feature story.  Pay attention to what’s in the news at the moment and, if your topic or area of expertise fits in, be certain to emphasize it. 

 

We published a book some years ago that dealt with performance enhancement drugs.  The book was released just weeks before the summer Olympics.  That was good in and of itself, but as it happened, there was a major doping scandal.  Often it doesn’t even have to be a big story—only a small hook will do.  Another of our authors wrote a fascinating little book about her adventures as an undercover shopper who helped retailers get a clear view of how their sales, merchandising, and customer service personnel were doing.  The book was released a few months before the big Christmas shopping season, making hers an excellent sidebar story. 

 

If you pay attention to the media, you’ll see all kinds of examples of experts being called upon to give depth to a news story.  Many of these experts first became known to the media because they wrote a book.

 

In some cases, a complementary copy of your book should accompany the letter and release.  In the case of magazines, since they often require as much as a three month lead—you can provide them with a pre-publication copy of your book. Media outlets understand that a pre-publication copy is not the final version and may contain errors.  Often pre-publication copies don’t even have a finished cover.   Once you have sent press kits to the media in your area, follow up with a phone call asking if your kit arrived.  Here’s where salesmanship, charm, and tenacity comes into play.  Ask who you might speak to about being the subject of a story or an interview.  Remind the reporter, producer, or talk show host how your subject or expertise ties in with what’s currently in the news or with the particular season, or maybe just let them hear how good an interview you would be.

 

Certainly, you should never be rude or overly familiar.  Instead, be warm, good-natured, cooperative, and well-mannered.  Be certain that you’ve done your homework.  Have some knowledge of the media outlet you are approaching.  If  you get a rejection, ask if you can phone again in a few weeks.  If you are accepted, spring into action.  Unless they offer to interview you on the spot—in which case, just agree to it and do the very best job possible—get busy and parlay one interview into several more opportunities.  Here’s how.  If a print or broadcast outlet has set a date to interview you and you know in advance when the article will appear or the interview will air, immediately try to schedule a book signing or two for one to three days afterward.  That way you can be sure to promote your public appearance in your interview.  Book signings are no guarantee that anyone will want to buy your book.  But we’ve had authors enjoy crowds showing up at their book signings—all because they were promoted in their print or broadcast interviews.

 

If you’re an author who has had success getting publicity for your book, we’d love to post your story.