Why Publicity is Far Superior to Advertising for a Book

As an author you absolutely must look for opportunities to gain visibility for you and your book. The best way to do this is with publicity. This is different than advertising. With advertising you are paying for visibility. Publicity is usually free. The fact is, publicity works much better than advertising. Publicity tends to be more believable and lends itself to more credibility for an author. There are plenty of publicity opportunities for most authors. Here are a few places you could gain visibility. (This is about traditional media rather than online) Radio
Television
Newspaper
Magazines
Trade Journals To prepare for publicity opportunities you have to develop a “hook”. What this simply means is you have a newsworthy angle that will grab editors, show hosts and publishers. After all, if you can grab their attention they will write reviews or set up interviews which viewers, listeners and readers will see. To be newsworthy, you must identify with the needs, wants, concerns and interests of your potential readers. Start by answering these questions: • What problem does your book solve?
• What are the benefits of your book?
• How does your book relate to current events?
• Why are you someone their readers, listeners or viewers should listen to? To gain maximum return for the time you invest in seeking media opportunities the following list will help you get the best result. • Develop a plan of action.
• Start in your local market.
• Have a fully developed press kit.
• Write a well crafted letter of introduction.
• Avoid hounding the media but follow up can be beneficial. It’s very important to be targeted in your approach. Make sure you send your information and book to the right media contacts. • What editors would be interested in your book? A food editor is not at all a match for a children’s book.
• What listeners or readers would be interested? Not everyone wants to read your book.
• Develop a list to include their contact information and a place to make notes. There are ample opportunities available if you are willing to prepare for these and target the right contacts.