Anna Featherstone will be presenting a workshop at SPN’s Independent Publishing Conference 2022 on the topic of publishing timelines. The workshop will cover the various writing, publishing, marketing, distribution and leveraging tasks authors need to attend to, and when, to give their book the best chance of success. Below is an extract from Featherstone’s Look—It’s Your Book, a self-publishing guide for Australian writers.
Look—It’s Your Book! Chapter 44: Book Publicity
The best way to make your book newsworthy is to write a newsworthy book. But there are many things you can do along the way to increase your chances of media coverage. For example, think about and create publicity opportunities as you plan and write your book, not just as you’re sending it to the printer.
For Small Farm Success Australia, I interviewed farmers from every state in Australia, not just so it would be relevant and interesting for readers everywhere, but because I knew it would make the book interesting to the media in every part of the country too. I followed up with targeted pitches and stories for newspapers and radio in each region where a farmer was mentioned or interviewed. The outreach earned great coverage. But it’s not too late if you are getting close to launch and are only coming to the publicity party now.
It’s a simple formula really:
- Target the right media outlet
- Use the right hook (an idea or different take on a normal topic that sparks interest or reveals your information in a compelling way)
- Make sure you aim it at the right audience for your book
- Deliver it using whatever format the publication/editor/journalist/radio host prefers (a short email with an irresistible heading, a media release, a pre-written story, a brief phone call, a copy of your book with talking points—even a list of five different pitches relevant to your book’s topic)
- Approach them in an interesting and polite way
- Be reliable and flexible, which makes everyone’s life easier and/or more enjoyable (e.g., deliver what you say you will, provide great photos, be available at a moment’s notice for a radio interview with quick/vibrant soundbites, etc.)
- And finally, follow up! Media people are busy, and emails get buried, so follow up in a polite and friendly manner, perhaps even with some extra ideas and angles. Keep at it until you get a breakthrough.
As Kim McCosker, self-published author of the bestselling 4 Ingredients cookbooks found, ‘I was feeling a bit down as I hadn’t been able to bust onto the TV morning programs but I kept following up and one day my call went through to a stand-in producer, recently separated from his partner, and he was having to provide dinner for two kids. He had a problem my book solved, and he booked me a slot on the show. It was a powerful lesson that “No” often only means “Not today”.’
If you don’t feel confident about contacting the media, think of it as doing them a favour, as they are continually faced with the task of having to fill hours of morning TV and talkback radio time, endless columns of print and scrolling screens full of content. Why not fill it with your book!?
Will publicity make my book a success?
Publicity is a key piece in the marketing puzzle, but it is still rare for people to rush out and buy a book just because they heard about it once. People usually need to come across your book in multiple ways, through multiple media, before they will commit to purchase—so it’s easy to see how a librarian or bookstore who receives your advance information sheet (AIS) and then hears you speaking on the radio or sees you in the paper, might be prompted to order your book! A secondary aim of getting publicity for your book is to gather media contacts who will be responsive to you when you are ready to promote your next book or project.
What to avoid when doing publicity
PR consulting fees can add up quickly and thought it’s tempting to think one appearance on a breakfast TV show (that’s if they can get you a spot!) will launch you into the bestseller lists—it won’t. You also need to be truthful. False claims, lies, half-truths (also lies!) and exaggerations will be exposed for all to see.
Importantly, do not launch a major PR campaign for your book before copies are readily available. Yes, be out there building your profile, but if feature pieces about your book appear before it is on sale, you won’t be able to capitalise on people’s interest.
How do I find contact details for the media?
Sign up for media contact lists, but better still, if you are actively engaged with your subject matter, you will already know which media are likely to have the most interest in your subject and will be able to track down their contact details using the internet. There are also plenty of freelance writers out there who can be a conduit to getting your story into the media.
Do I need to hire a publicist or PR firm?
This depends on your goals, skills, and budget. Book publicity specialists are great at coming up with angles and have established contacts, but as a writer, you also know how to put sentences together, and deeply understand your subject matter, so are equipped to reach out yourself too. If you’re nervous or unsure about being interviewed by media, media training courses are widely available. Depending on your budget though, you may be better off putting your marketing spend toward an online ad campaign and building a fantastic website, than towards a PR campaign. Again, it all comes down to your goals and resources.
Create a media kit
A media kit is a few pages of information you can host on your site or send as a PDF to the media and people who want to book you for a talk. It includes:
- Your bio and contact details
- A great author photo and/or short video
- Image of the book cover
- A collection of the best reviews
- Key details about the book, including where to purchase it (this could be your updated Advance Information Sheet)
- A list of interesting topics and stories you can speak to and/or suggested questions.
- Repurpose your content to use in publicity
- Cherry pick, edit and use some of the content in your book to share with magazines and newspapers, guest blogs and podcasts. Try not to share the same details with competing outlets: they will each want something fresh and unique to them.
- Pitch magazines and trade papers with story ideas, such as a Top 10 list related to your subject (e.g., Top 10 challenges facing university graduates, Top 10 budgeting tools, Top 10 summer drink recipes).
- Keep your eyes on the news and if something relevant happens in your subject area, piggyback off it. Contact media, offering your take or an opinion piece on the situation. This will keep you relevant and in the public eye!
Tips for radio interviews
Think about who the audience is and what they would be interested in hearing, not just what you want to say. Prior to the interview, print out a list of key quotes, statistics and takeaways/key messages to prompt you if your mind goes blank mid-interview. And if you’re not in the studio with the presenter, stand up—you’ll sound more dynamic.
List yourself on ‘expert’ sites
In chapter six there was a long list of sites where you could find experts to interview.
Well, now that you have written a book, you’re an expert in your own right, so list yourself on these sites too so the media can find and interview you!
Promote the publicity
Use any resulting clips and mentions from your PR outreach widely across your social media. Send clippings to librarians who you think might be interested in your book, and if you will be appearing in a local paper, alert the local bookstore, who might be willing to order your book knowing that some promotion of your title is imminent.
In a great reminder that book marketing and momentum is up to the author, Garry Browne, author of Brand New, Brand You, makes the point, ‘Relevance at a moment in time is about being visible and top of mind when the moment occurs. If you let your book and your knowledge sink into oblivion … no one will call on you when the topic is hot again.’
Keep at it
Play the long game. It’s not just about sales at launch; consistently promoting your book and yourself as a reliable, media-friendly author over the ensuing weeks, months and years will build relationships, coverage, sales and will help you maximise opportunities. Author talks are a great way to stay in the public eye and mind and we will talk about how to set those up and make the most of them in the next chapter.
About the author
Anna Featherstone is passionate about nonfiction and has authored five books including the Australian Society of Authors’ (ASA) recommended reading title Look–It’s Your Book! Write, Publish & Promote Your Non-Fiction Book: A Self-Publishing Guide for Australian Writers.
She is an Australian Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi); founder of Bold Authors, an online course hub empowering traditionally published and indie authors through the sharing of knowledge and nous; and helps other authors plan, find publishing pathways, promote and leverage their books.
Anna’s words have also appeared in the Guardian and Sydney Morning Herald and when she’s not reading, writing and presenting, she loves working with bees, beings and on the big issues of our time.
About the book
Title: Look–It’s Your Book!
Subtitle: Write, publish & promote your non-fiction book: A self-publishing guide for Australian writers
Author: Anna Featherstone
Publisher: CapeAble Publishing
Availability: Your favourite library distributor, IngramSpark and direct from the publisher
ISBN: 9780645342222
RRP: $38
Website link: annafeatherstone.com
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