It is so exciting to know your book is coming out. A new book
(first or subsequent) is a massive achievement and you deserve all of the
fanfare you can muster. So how do you get
that sought after attention and get your book noticed?
First of all, don’t wait until your book is actually
available before you start promoting it. From the moment you finish the book
and are ready to start sending it out, write blog posts that will help raise
interest in the topic AND YOU. Bear in mind that these are not sales pitches,
instead they raise someone’s curiosity about your book — for instance if your
story takes place during the Great Depression then posts about that time period,
perhaps local history, would make someone take notice. If you have an email
list, be sure to send our an email blast to all of your subscribers just before
your book is released.
Just before your book is available be sure to send out a
press release to all of your local media to announce it… don’t forget to send
it out to media in areas that are pertinent to your book as well and also to
the town you grew up in. Much of my book Hostage Heart takes place in Louisiana
and talks about devastating flooding after a hurricane, it was featured in a
New Orleans bookstore. Contacting your birthplace, especially if it’s a small
town, gives a sort of “Hometown girl does well” fanfare. Notify causes that are
relevant to your story; Bartlett’s Rule, a story about rape survival, was
bought to distribute in a women’s shelter for domestic violence victims. Use
every opportunity to publicize your new book whether it’s fiction or
non-fiction.
When writing a press release use a standard format, keep the information
concise and factual, don’t rely on lots of adjectives or flowery self-praise.
Unless you have an established name as an author, focus (especially in the
headline) on your book and not you. If you have advance reviews you can include
short quotes in the release. Targeted media outlets (relevant history,
hometown, etc.) should have releases that cater to the specific interest. Check
out the press releases on a site such as www.prweb.com and study their
formats for examples. Since many news outlets take info emailed to them, paste
your release in the body of the email and if you are sending an attachment make
sure it is saved in .txt format. Some media offer you the opportunity to upload
the article yourself, study other content and emulate the style. Be sure to
include WHERE your book is available.
Remember that the more often your book’s name is put in front
potential readers and the more interest you stir up the more likely it will be
that people buy, read and review your book.
Writing Exercise:
Write a blog post about your current WIP (or the most recent book you’ve
read if you don’t have your own work), keep it to approximately 350-words and
be sure to highlight a feature about your book (history, location, cause, etc.)
Writing Prompt: List
10 to 15 reason WHY you wrote (or will write) your story, this is called the
backstory. Was it inspired by a real life incident, did you fall in love with a
previous character, are you fascinated by local folklore?
Challenge Assignment:
Study samples of press releases. Write a complete press release about
your next book (it doesn’t have to be real). Compare it to published press
releases and make changes if necessary.
