Use city business journals to promote your business book

One of my favorite book marketing stories came out of my campaign to promote my   publicity book for small businesses, Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans: How to Create Publicity That Will Spark Media Exposure and Excitement, to city business journals.

It received widespread exposure in those publications influencing my book’s target audience –business owners and entrepreneurs — but one response stood out in particular.

It came from a columnist at a west coast publication who wanted to run a review of my book … a review that he wanted me to write.

Well, hey, that works for me.

To make sure the review was credible, I mentioned a few “flaws.” Those “flaws” were the kind that you might offer in a job interview: “Oh, something I don’t like about myself? I’d have to say that I have a tendency to work too hard . . . . ”

It was an interesting and unexpected exercise for me. The columnist made a few changes so it reflected his voice, but otherwise, the review of my book that ran was my review of my book.

What kind of publicity can you expect?

That’s not typical of the results you’ll get when you work to get publicity for your business book in city business journals, of course. But what should you expect? Typical results when communicating appropriately with city business journal editors to generate book publicity include:

• Book reviews written by a staffer or freelancer
• Short news items announcing your book’s publication
• Opportunities to write guest columns or op-eds related to your book’s topic
• Article interviews

If you’ve written a business book, make sure your book marketing plan includes a publicity campaign targeting city and state business journals. These popular publications — there are more than 100 of them in the U.S. — reach business leaders who will want to know about your book and how it will help them.

5 tips for getting your book into city business journals

Keep these expert tips in mind when targeting regional business journal editors:

1. Whenever possible, customize your content with a local angle. Did you interview someone from that city for the book? Did you used to live there? If you’re pitching a story, do you have local sources to offer for anecdotes or other information?
2. Press releases and columns must be written well enough that they need little editing. Hire a professional writer or editor to help you if necessary.
3. You can submit the same column, op-ed, or article idea to as many business journals as you’d like as long as they’re not in the same market.
4. When pitching, personalize your e-mail subject line for that city so it doesn’t look like it’s been mass mailed.
5. Include a “resource box” at the end of a submitted or bylined column or op-ed that explains your relevant credentials and includes your book title.

Start brainstorming how to contribute

Subscribers read these influential publications from cover to cover. If you’ve written a business book, you want to make sure your book gets mentioned in those pages.

If you haven’t sent them your book announcement press release, do so now. Then start brainstorming guest columns you can write or article ideas that you could contribute to as an expert source.

Even if your book isn’t new, start thinking about how you could contribute to a city business journal. It’s never too late to get started.

Have you promoted your business book to these niche publications? Why or why not?