be your own book publicist ppt
DESCRIPTION
Three book marketing veterans share their thoughts on how to be your own book publicist in this presentation from the 2011 ASJA annual conference.TRANSCRIPT
Our panelists
• Sandra Beckwith
• Marsha Friedman
• Penny Sansevieri
Sandra Beckwith
Overcoming obstacles• “I don’t like calling attention
to myself.”• “I see what others do and it
makes me uncomfortable.” (The phrase “shameless” keeps coming to mind.)
• “I’d rather be writing.”• “I don’t have time.”
You’re an expert
• Applies to nonfiction & fiction
• Time spent researching topic
• You know more about your topic than most people
Leveraging expert status• Journalists like to
interview experts; experts often have book as credential
• Pitch yourself as an expert
• Pitch letters: You’re the expert, not the writer
Sharing your expertise with tip sheets• Tip sheet: Press release
offering tips or advice in bulleted or numbered format
• What questions do you hear the most? They are your tip sheet topics.
• Useful for generating short news items or as background info.
Tip sheet format
• Title includes a number• State problem (use stats
when you can)• Quote from you identified as
author of XYZ• Set up tips with one
sentence• List tips • Close with standard
paragraph about book
Exercise
• What’s your first tip sheet topic?
Distribute widely
• Use paid & free press release distribution services
• In-house media list• Convert to blog content• Syndicate online through
article sites• Add to online press/media
kit
Marsha Friedman
Best time ever to promote your book! Why?Today we live in a world of
expert celebrities!• Explosion of specialty shows
on radio & TV• Cable TV• Satellite radio• Websites/blogs• Social networking• Cross promotion
The expert celebrity
• Experts in all walks of life:– Suze Orman– Rachel Ray– Julia Child
• What do they all have in common?– All are best-selling
authors that launched their careers with a book
You’re a published author… now what?
• Congratulations, whether you’re a non-fiction or fiction author, you now have an admission ticket to the media!
Why is talk radio a great medium for your book promotion?
• Talk radio offers specialty shows in every demographic!– AM talk listeners: Ages 35 –
64– Evenly split among male
and female– Effective sales tool that
provides a live conversation with a captive audience
Why talk radio?
• Talk radio offers specialty shows in every demographic!– Offers a credible 3rd party
endorsement– Provides enough time to tell
your story
The value of TV for your book promotion!
TV offers visual appeal!
• You can showcase your book• Use props and charts to best
illustrate your message
Guest Appearances On
TV Create Huge Credibility!
5 basic rules for pitching radio & TV producers1. Never, ever pitch your
book!2. ALWAYS pitch the
problem your expertise solves!
3. Never, ever pitch yourself!
4. ALWAYS pitch the issue you’re an expert on!
5. Tie your topic to the news!
Tie it to the news!
• The importance of following the news….
• The Lou and Janet story
Questions to ask yourself• What part of your
message are you most passionate about?
• How would you sum up your message?
• Anything controversial?
• Is your message in the news?
• 5 key talking points!
Your radio pitch
5 pieces to the radio pitch puzzle:
1. Headline2. Topic summary3. Discussion points4. The data5. All about you!
Darlene Quinn’s results
“William Morris” Has Requested A Copy of
“Twisted Webs”!
The results speak for themselves:– Radio interviews: 123– National TV: 4– Local TV: 12– Print impressions: 74,854,122
Radio interview tips
• Be enthusiastic• Smile when on the air• No cell phones allowed• Don’t sound like an infomercial• Know your host
Radio interview tips
• Be entertaining• Get local whenever
possible• Limit your use of
numbers and statistics
• No technical jargon• Eliminate potential
distractions
TV interview tips
• Use visuals and props when possible
• Don’t rush it! Make your points succinct
• Be mindful of body language
• Assume the camera is always on
• Don’t be combative
• Research current news topics
• Don’t sound rehearsed• If you slip up, forget
about it; move on• Convey appropriate
emotions• Speak in a
conversational manner
TV interview tips
Marketing gold
• Publicity is marketing gold!– It positions you as an
expert in your field– It provides 3rd party
endorsements from the media
– Cross promotion & marketing opportunities are endless
Let’s summarize
• So, you now know:– What PR is!– How to become newsworthy– How to choose the right media– How to pitch the media
Penny Sansevieri
Goals
• Why are you doing this?• Why are you here?• What do you hope to gain?
Building your platform• What do I need to be
successful?• What do I need to do?
Getting on Google
• Relevance• Authority
Author Marketing Experts Inc www.amarketingexpert.com
Networking online
Creating a plan
• What does your eco-system look like?
• Who can you target?• Blogs, websites, Twitter,
Success leaves clues…• Google Alerts• Typepad• Network with other
successful authors
Tips for cyber-schmoozing
• Blog comment• Listen• Learn• Participate
Why would you Twitter?
The best ways to use Twitter
• To communicate, not broadcast
• Share news particular to your topic or industry
• Offer helpful insight, advice, tips
• Share data and information relevant to your market
• Link to your blog, link to other blogs, link to articles
Twitter facts
• Twitter reached 1 billion tweets in 3 years, 2 months and 1 day. Now Twitter users send 1 billion tweets per week.
• One year ago, users sent an average of 50 million tweets per day. Today, that average is 140 million.
• The average number of accounts created per day is 460,000. Over half a million (572,000) accounts were created on March 12, 2011.
• There has been a 182% increase in Twitter mobile users this past year.
Everything is your resume
• Everything is searchable• Anything you write could
end up in the media• Never write anything you
don’t want your grandmother to read
How to manage social media and still have a life…• Reuse, recycle • Allow your social media sites
to “talk” to one another• Plan, plan, plan
Questions?
Contact:
• Sandra Beckwith, [email protected], http://buildbookbuzz.com
• Marsha Friedman, [email protected], http://www.emsincorporated.com
• Penny Sansevieri, [email protected], http://www.amarketingexpert.com