Create Some Noise!Using publicity to sell books
Marketing and Publicity Activities
u Coveru Blurbu Traditional media
publicityu Reviewsu Featuresu Newsu Listings
u Social media publicity
u Reader Reviewsu Websiteu Blog / Blog Toursu Events
u Festivalsu Launch eventsu Book Fairsu Public Speaking
u Price promotions
u Mailing listsu Advertising
u Traditional u Online
u Sponsorship
Book Publicity and Marketing
u How to talk about your booku Book autopsyu Elevator pitch
u Where to get publicityu Traditional mediau Social media
u How to pitch your booku Getting help
The Publicity Autopsy
The Booku Subjectu Settingu Charactersu Key points or events in booku Research – the story behind
your booku USP of book
The Authoru Expertise / Experienceu Locationu Your USP
The Reader (to pinpoint media)u Male/Femaleu Ageu Subject knowledge level
The Free Will DelusionBooku Hot/breakout topic in current philosophyu Counter-intuitive insight into something we
don’t normally think aboutu Expert quotesu Extra topics: Social justice, Human behaviour
Authoru Banker / Philosopheru Explains difficult concepts wellu Up for a fight!u London
Hats of FaithBooku Useful content - purposeu Larger message about respectu Niche as well as mainstreamu Education
Authoru Great story behind booku Talks about book wellu Christian, Muslim and Catholicu London and Glasgow
Know Your Media - Outlets
u Televisionu Nationalu Regional
u Radiou Nationalu Regional
u Newspapersu Nationalu Regionalu Local
u Magazinesu Subject areas / Audienceu Local
u Journals / Mailing lists / Newsletters
u Onlineu Traditional media websitesu Websitesu Bloggers
Know Your Media - Coverage
u Book reviewsu Feature articlesu Interviews u Expert news commentary
and analysisu Book excerptsu Event listings / coverageu By-line articles
u Op-ed Articles / Letters to the Editoru Blog postsu Author life / writing adviceu Sidebar hints and tipsu Personal experiencesu Family historyu Anniversary insightsu Top 10 lists
Know Your Media - Journalists
Identify Your Best Contactsu Media biasu Journalist subject areasu Specific features
The Journalist Mindsetu Audienceu Point of viewu Workload / Deadlines / Pressure
Traditional Media vs Social Media
Media
ReadersYou
You Readers
TRADITIONAL PUBLICITY SOCIAL NETWORKING
Social Media
Platformsu Facebooku Twitteru Pinterestu Instagramu Goodreads
Purposeu Long-term publicityu 2-Way communicationu 80/20 Ruleu Images / Videou Author communityu Build an identity
Pitch Perfect
Top Tips for Pitching to the Mediau Press releaseu Email / phoneu Sending booksu Get to the point quicklyu Be honest about the appeal of your book to a journalistu Focus on the most likely journalistsu Follow-up and be persistent!!!u Accept rejection (eventually and politely)u Turn interest into coverage
Interviews
Top Tips for Interviewsu Perfect your elevator pitchu Understand what kind of interview it will be and read, listen or watch
previous interviewsu Anticipate questions by looking again at your pitch and press releaseu Practice your answersu Record yourself answering questionsu Make an impact with a story or an emotional pullu Be sure to mention your book title (but not too much)u Perfect your elevator pitch (again!)u Relax and be confident because you know what you are talking about
Working With a Publicist
Top tips for getting on with a publicist (or any author promotion service)u Only work with people or services that you are confident about and
that will keep you up to dateu Make sure that your project is understood, including key subjects,
events and datesu Make sure that your goals are understoodu Have realistic expectations that are acknowledgedu Be really really nice to them (but a little pushy)u Compare contacts and suggest outlets and journalistsu Insist on an end of promotion chat