Before starting my internship at Do Good Public Relations Group I was unaware of all of the aspects that go into a successful book publicity campaign.
Having studied public relations in college, I knew the fundamentals but didn’t know how to tailor them for the literary world. Who knew that there was a method to all this reviewing madness and a way to get more book sales?
Although I have only worked at DGPR for a short time, I have learned quite a bit about this dynamic industry.
Here are the top 5 basic steps that I have found are essential to promoting a book.
1. Get as many book reviewers to review your book as soon as possible.
The more reviews you get, the better. Easier said than done right? Well there are some ways to go about this. You can provide advance reader copies to many outlets but make sure to never do this unsolicited. Reach out to the reviewer or editor in advance to see if they even want the copy, if you don’t your ARC is probably going to end up in the trash. Remember, book reviewers are crammed with many books that are on their to-be-read list, so be patient. A book review usually takes about 2-3 months to be published. So make sure to reach out to them as soon as possible so the review can be available before or close to the book release date.
2. Make sure as an author that you have a strong presence on social media.
It is a must to have a Facebook and Twitter to create hype and directly reach out to your audience. It is also necessary for an author to have a great website. Having a pro manage your Facebook, Twitter, and website can help with better results and leave an author the time they need to do what they do best, write.
3. Do some research to get press coverage.
Research as many newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc. that you think will review the book, feature the book, or interview you the author. It is essential to tie yourself as an author or the book to current events, media outlets and their audience, as well as to the writer and things they have reported on in the past. Identify with the outlet, the writer, and their audience. The better it closely relates, the more likely you will get coverage.
4. Build as many connections with outlets, writers, and editors that focus on the literary world.
This way you know exactly what they want to review and they trust that you respect their wishes.
5. Many indie publishing houses don’t offer public relations services as in-depth as what a literary PR agency will do because of their budget.
Therefore, it is areally good idea to hire a book public relations firm to create the author’s platform. Book PR firms will create a campaign and be able to show real time results as well as leave you to write your next bestseller.