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Get the Media's Attention
The countdown is on: start your book promotion now or let the other fall titles grab all the media attention! The scramble for this fall's book promotion is already underway.
Whether you're a new author, new publisher, or just someone who's been in this business a long time, you probably understand the reality here. It's the challenge of grabbing the consumer's attention to let them know about your book and that it's available for purchase.
With 172,000 or so books published every year, it takes real know-how and promotional intensity to make sure your book stands out from all the other new books being released.
You need that promotional intensity because, with deep pockets, your competition is very serious about how they play the book promotion game.
So, in order to win, you need to know two basic rules.
Rule 1: The Media is the Path to Consumers
The big publishers know, by long experience, what great media exposure can mean to the success of a new book…to its make-or-break introduction…and to whether or not it will "grow legs."
The game to win is getting on the air and in the news, as soon (and as often) as possible. And ahead of everyone else.
Considering that fall is the year's prime publishing season, you need to start planning to land media exposure like yesterday. Why? Here are three good reasons:
First: Every book publicist and publicity department at publishing houses are, right now, either preparing to pitch the media or have already started.
Second: What many book marketers don't realize is that there are a finite number of media opportunities available for guest interviews. It's not like buying advertising time to promote your book where your money is all that matters.
Third: There are a finite number of media opportunities for specific topics! Let's say your book is about real estate investing, and there's a similar new book just released from the big boys. Since the morning news shows are slated to only do a couple of stories, at most, about your topic, the race is on to secure those slots. Whether it's just you (the author) or a big publishing house, it will still come down to who got to the producer first with the best pitch.
Rule 2 – Know the Media Timelines
Timelines? That's how long it usually takes for each of the different media to "bring you to the public." For example…
1/ Magazines. They have the longest lead time—publications often schedule 3 to 9 months "out."
2/ Book Signings. If book-signings are part of your strategy—and they should be—you need to work these well in advance of the media. Particularly if your book is a fall release. Competition for book-signings is fierce this time of year. We like to start as early as 3 months in advance.
3/ Local TV. We find it best to pitch producers 4 to 6 weeks in advance. Yes, some producers ask us to call back closer to the date our author will be in town… but even in this case, we're still there first with our pitch and have hopefully left a positive enough impression to land the segment.
4/ Radio Interviews. Two weeks in advance is a good rule of thumb. Sometimes producers will want you sooner, but this depends on the timeliness of your topic.
5/ Newspapers. We pitch local newspaper journalists one to two weeks in advance, not earlier. Daily papers are looking for "news" and unlike magazines, they're not planning their columns months in advance.
As you can plainly see here, you need to start your campaign plans right now, right in the middle of summer. That's the case whether you're handling your own book promotion or hiring professionals like us to do the job.
And, if you are looking for professionals to help you—keep us in mind. For nearly twenty years now, we've been getting authors, publishers and a host of other clients life-changing media exposure each and every week.
The difference between us and many other PR firms is our slogan: Guaranteed Media Attention. We guarantee what we'll do for you. If you pay for talk radio interviews, you'll get talk radio interviews. If you pay for TV coverage, you'll get TV coverage. Period.
Want to win the game this fall? Want to win the game this fall? Call us. But call us soon. In fact, right now would be great. You can reach either me or my business partner and husband Steve at 727-443-7115 ext. 202. Or email me at mfriedman@event-management.com.
Warmest regards,
Marsha Friedman, President
P.S. The last thing I want to do here is intimidate you with all this publicity game stuff. Just know that we can help you get the publicity you want for your book this fall. No kidding. A single, humble author can beat the big publishing boys to the publicity punch this fall. And all you have to do is contact me right away.
EMSI
1127 Grove Street
Clearwater, FL 33755
727-443-7115
727-443-0835 fax
www.event-management.com
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
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