media exposure Archives - Build Book Buzz https://buildbookbuzz.com/tag/media-exposure/ Do-it-yourself book marketing tips, tools, and tactics Tue, 06 Aug 2024 18:37:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 Boost your author brand with these 31 expert publicity tips https://buildbookbuzz.com/boost-your-author-brand-with-these-31-expert-publicity-tips/ https://buildbookbuzz.com/boost-your-author-brand-with-these-31-expert-publicity-tips/#respond Wed, 07 Aug 2024 11:00:00 +0000 https://buildbookbuzz.com/?p=20725 Get more media exposure for yourself and your book by using these expert publicity tips from publicists, marketers, and entrepreneurs.

One of the easiest ways to get publicity is to subscribe to the free services that help journalists find sources to interview for articles, news reports, podcasts, and blog posts.

Journalists submit a “query” – a description of what they’re looking for – and appropriate sources who subscribe to the services respond with the information requested.

For this roundup article, I used one of the newest of these services, Source of Sources, to ask publicists, entrepreneurs, and others to share their best tips for getting news media attention – publicity.

Their responses are spot-on. (I’m a national award-winning former publicist and the author of two traditionally published publicity books, so this is a topic I know well.)

Here’s what they told me. Use their expert publicity tips to get more visibility for you and your books.

Link your book to current events (“newsjacking”)

“Use timely news hooks to get media attention. Tie your product to current events or trending topics relevant to your industry. This creates a sense of urgency and makes your pitch more appealing to journalists looking for fresh, timely stories.”

Casey Meraz, CEO, Juris Digital

“I want to pitch my book as it relates to the Democratic National Convention and/or students heading to college in the fall. Since my book focuses on ways to calm the mind and body, the pitch will focus on how we can collectively harness our senses and create habits to combat the stressors we know are coming our way in the coming weeks and months.”

Megy Karydes, Author of 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress: Scientifically Proven Ways to Relieve Anxiety and Boost Your Mental Health Using Your Five Senses

“Start by searching for breaking news in your area of expertise, using Google Alerts to see what’s breaking right now. Then identify the problem or issue, and write a brief blog post describing what you’d say to a media interviewer about the breaking news. Pitch yourself as a subject-matter expert to media decision-makers, positioning yourself [by sharing a link to the post] as being able to explain this to the media booker’s target audience.”

Ned Barnett, Founder, Barnett Marketing Communications

“Identify the connective tissue that links your story to what’s in the news right now, so that you are helping reporters bring a new angle to what they must report on anyway. When you help reporters with their homework, they are happy to hear from you.”

Daniel Delson, Head of Media Relations, Magnitude, Inc.

See yourself as an expert and authority

“Don’t forget to focus on yourself as an expert and authority in your industry, as well as on your book. Journalists are always looking to quote fresh faces and support solopreneurs and small business owners in their articles, as that’s who their audience wants to hear from. Focus on the media outlets that create content for the same audience as you as you’ll soon notice an increase in website traffic, social media followers and sales enquiries.”

Laura Perkes, Founder, PR with Perkes

“One of the best avenues for non-fiction authors is to look at themselves as a subject matter expert first and as an author second. What expertise can you share that will be of interest to both a journalist and their audience? How does it relate to current events or bigger topics? The goal is to educate and if the information is surprising, interesting or unique, you’re in better position to drive potential audiences to want to learn more through your book.

“For fiction authors, consider your personal story. Why was the book written? What may be unique or interesting in your own life? How might the book tie-in to bigger events of the day?”

Ryan Gerding, President and COO, INK Inc. Public Relations

Target the right media outlets

“Target niche media outlets that directly serve your audience’s interests. They’re often more open to unique stories and can provide more meaningful coverage. A tailored pitch that resonates with their specific focus will stand out and increase your chances of getting noticed.”

Andrew Grella, CEO, Formen Makeup

“Before you send any pitches to media, research the right journalists and tailor your pitch based on what they cover and what kinds of story they typically write. For example, don’t pitch a feature idea to a journalist who only writes roundups. Do your research up front and it will pay off.”

Haley Adams Raymond, Freelance PR Strategist

“Getting media attention for your product is the result of executing the three ts – sending the right topic (your product) at the right time (when your product offers new value to consumers) from someone with the right title (your company) to the right outlets (those whose audiences care about your product). Don’t send your product news to outlets that don’t have relevant audiences. It won’t work, and you’ll waste your time.”

Dustin Siggins, Founder, Proven Media Solutions

“Find a radio station or TV station that has an audience that would like your book, and contact them and offer yourself as a guest. When my first book was published, The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life, I did cold-calls to radio and TV stations and asked to be on their shows. 

“I was able to find ‘Boomer’ oriented radio shows looking for guests, and I also appeared on the Tyra Banks show and was on ‘Fox and Friends’ twice.  It helped that I have an unusual habit – I can speak backwards fluently.  Radio hosts and Tyra’s producers were interested in my strange ability, and I was able to talk about my book, too.”

Jan Cullinane, Retirement Speaker, Author, and Consultant

“Before you send out any pitches, know your audience and know the media they consume. If you make organic cat food, don’t send your press release, and offer of samples to Dog Magazine! I know that sounds simple and daft but as someone who has worked in the world of PR for nearly 30 years, I see rookie mistakes over and over again and It doesn’t have to be that way.

“Yes, I know you want to get into the press, and you want your products and services to be seen by more people, but you need to put in the work and understand what your people read, watch, and listen to and then research those outlets.

“Read The New York Times, watch CNN, and listen to the podcasts and once you are confident there is a match, find the contacts and pitch.”

Natalie Trice, Fractional Head of PR and Communications, Natalie Trice Publicity

Pitch with statistics or something counterintuitive

“Use research to grab attention: Beyond having an intriguing topic and a compelling point of view, proprietary research is critical to capture interest from media – and validate an author’s messaging. If an author’s research produces counterintuitive findings, that’s all the better.

“When publicizing The 4 Factors of Trust, sharing proprietary research from the book opened many doors for the authors to be interviewed by and contribute bylined articles to high-impact business news organizations and podcasts.”

Veronica Zanellato Kido, Publicist, Kido Communications, LLC

“The most powerful way is to leverage timely, data-driven insights that somehow challenge conventional wisdom. Journalists love fresh takes and surprising stats.

“Conducting original research or digging through existing data in new ways will turn up compelling narratives that resonate with the media, setting your product as a solution to newly revealed problems or trends.”

Kevin Shahnazari, Founder and CEO, FinlyWealth

Think in headlines

“When brainstorming product pitches, thinking in headlines will not only get you to dive deeper into why this product is relevant and timely, but will also force you to examine whether this really aligns with the reporter to whom you are pitching.”

Jian Huang, Principal and Co-Founder, pH Collective

Link to a cause, nonprofit, or community event

“Aligning your product with a meaningful cause can grab the attention of news media. When your company supports or collaborates with a cause that resonates with the public, it tells a story that’s newsworthy and impactful. This authentic engagement can turn heads and make headlines.”

Will Yang, Head of Growth and Marketing, Instrumentl

“Combine services with community-driven art. In one instance, we partnered with local artists to put up a mural at a repair site, targeting headlines in both artwork and our services. This unusual mix of fixing and art not only captured the headlines but also brought out the spirit of communal involvement and innovation that defined our narrative.”

Kyle Leman, Business Growth Expert, Founder, Crossroads Foundation Repair

Think like a journalist

“After spending more than a decade in newsrooms, I know that editors and journalists are not looking to do you or your company any favors. They are looking to achieve their own objectives, so when you’re pitching them, think first of what will help them the most and how you can connect that to your objectives.

“Keep the pitch brief and easy to understand, but include additional information after your signature (that you can refer to in the body of the email).”

Eric Schultz, Co-founder, World’s Fair Communications

“It’s very important for authors, or anyone seeking publicity, to think like a journalist. So we need to distance ourselves a bit from the work and our personal connection to it and try to ‘sell’ the bigger story that will be of interest to a larger audience and serve a journalist’s needs.”

Ryan Gerding, President and COO, INK Inc. Public Relations

Include a human interest element

“Leverage a compelling human-interest story. Journalists and editors are always on the lookout for stories that resonate emotionally with their audience. By showcasing how your product has positively impacted someone’s life or solved a real-world problem, you create a narrative that not only attracts media interest but also builds a deeper connection with your audience.”

Burak Ozdemir, Founder, Morse Decoder

“Pitch a story that highlights a compelling human interest angle. Focus on an individual whose life significantly improved because of your product. Journalists love narratives that engage readers emotionally and show real-world impact.”

Andy Gillin, Attorney and Managing Partner, GJEL Accident Attorneys

Be a reliable resource

“Show up as a resource to journalists. Meet their deadlines, support their work, and go above and beyond to get them the information they need for the story.”

Jordanne Pallesen, Owner, Julep Publicity

React to negative news

“The news media tends to focus more on negative stories. You can leverage this tendency to gain publicity to your advantage. For example, you can position your company as the solution to a widespread problem highlighted in negative news stories.”

Harrison Tang, CEO, Spokeo

Pitch with the right tools

“Use media alerts and tip sheets to grab news outlets’ attention. These quick, informative releases highlight the most newsworthy aspects of your product, making it easy for journalists to cover your story. Send them out ahead of major events or product launches to maximize impact.”

Andrei Newman, Founder, Designer Home Spas

Leverage seasons, holidays, and occasions

“One of my favourite creations was a news release promoting a license-free weekend of winter ice-fishing, which happened to line up with Valentine’s Day, titled ‘Love on the Ice.’ Beyond being fun to write, we spent lots of time blending the usual need for a cabinet minister’s quote with humour and creating a picture of the romantic experience.

“While intended for a small provincial audience, this release went across the country and landed on the national news broadcast.”

Tim Conrad, President, Butterfly Effect Communications Inc.

“Play off seasonal trends to create timely stories worth sharing. For example, we capitalized on Earth Month by offering eco-friendly gardening tips, aligning our area of expertise with a larger, timely narrative.”

Samuel Davis, CEO, London Gardeners

(Editor’s note: Get a list of quirky August holidays and occasions plus ideas for using them to call attention to your book here.)

Just ask for it

“Ask for the coverage. I spent nearly 20 years in television. If a business owner or entrepreneur was bold enough to ask (pitch) me for a story and we could craft one with solid viewer benefit, then I was all in.”

Michelle Rupp, Owner, Memorable Results Media

Play up any and all local angles

“Show how your product is produced either locally or nationally, as the media always likes a made-in-America story or one about a company creating jobs locally.”

David Johnson, CEO, Strategic Vision PR Group

Create an event

“Events are excellent drivers for media coverage from print, digital, and importantly, broadcast. Readings, signings, speaking engagements, etc. open the door to multiple opportunities for media.

“While bookstores can be great location partners, also consider libraries, community and faith centers, restaurants and cafes, and other like-minded retailers.”

Deborah Brosseau, Owner, Deborah Brosseau Communications

Include all necessary details

“To make your product shine in pitches to journalists, ensure you include all the details. Share hyperlinks to your product on Amazon and your website, and mention the price.

“Provide a link to a high-res image on Dropbox or Google Drive and embed a low-res image in the email to catch their eye right away. Remember, no attachments.”

Amy Bartko, Founder, Chatterbox PR & Marketing

Focus on audience benefits

“The media is confronted with numerous pitches on new products and services.  The way to make your product stand out and get media coverage is to show how it is a solution to a problem that journalists have written about. You want to provide the problem, why this is a problem, and how your product provides the solution.”

David Johnson, CEO, Strategic Vision PR Group

“Viewer benefit is huge for me. As I stress with my clients, we do not ask for a free commercial. We are teaching, demonstrating, or educating viewers. Then we have a story worthy of asking for coverage.”

Michelle Rupp, Owner, Memorable Results Media

More publicity tips and tools

You’ll find lots of other publicity tips on this site, too. Here are a few to get you started. Using the search box for “publicity,” “media,” and “pitch” will help you uncover more.

Get help snagging priceless media attention with “PitchPro: Your Expert Response Toolkit,” my new collection of downloadable cheat sheets, worksheets, and templates you can use to discover who and what reporters and others are looking for … and give them what they need so you have a shot at being quoted.
Get all the details and discover how PitchPro will help you generate the kind of media attention that sells books and builds author careers here.

Have you gotten news media attention? How did you make it happen? Please tell us in a comment!

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Tip sheets: How to create the best book publicity document you’ll ever need https://buildbookbuzz.com/how-to-create-a-book-publicity-tip-sheet/ https://buildbookbuzz.com/how-to-create-a-book-publicity-tip-sheet/#comments Wed, 17 Aug 2022 12:00:25 +0000 https://buildbookbuzz.com/?p=10183 book publicity When I delivered the luncheon keynote about platform-building for authors at the UW-Madison Writers’ Institute several years ago, I recommended that attendees secure book publicity with tip sheets. I explained that a tip sheet is a type of press release that offers tips or advice in a bulleted or numbered format. Like a press release, it’s written like a news story so that a media outlet or blogger can run it as is. No  additional research or writing is necessary.]]> Here's how to create a tip sheet, an incredibly effective book publicity tool for both nonfiction and fiction authors and books.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission (at no extra charge to you).

When I delivered the luncheon keynote about platform-building for authors at the UW-Madison Writers’ Institute several years ago, I recommended that attendees secure book publicity with tip sheets.

I explained that a tip sheet is a type of press release that offers tips or advice in a bulleted or numbered format.

Like a press release, it’s written like a news story so that a media outlet or blogger can run it as is. No  additional research or writing is necessary.

“We love tip sheets”

After lunch, an attendee thanked me for recommending tip sheets to the audience. He was a features editor for the largest daily newspaper in the Midwest, he explained, adding, “We love tip sheets. We’d like to receive more of them.”

He’s not alone.

Media outlets, especially newspapers and magazines, like tip sheets because they can pull just one or two tips to fill space. They also run them  as submitted or use them as a starting point for longer feature articles.

Tip sheet success story

That’s what happened recently to Sandi Schwartz, author of Finding Ecohappiness: Fun Nature Activities to Help Your Kids Feel Happier and Calmer, when she took advantage of current events — a heat wave across the U.S. — to create and distribute a tip sheet titled, “How to Enjoy the Benefits of Nature Inside During a Heat Wave.”

Her advice was included in an article in the Palm Beach Post that was then re-published by USA Today, Yahoo, and The News Sow.

It’s a great example of how publicity begets publicity.

Monthly book publicity tip sheets

“I am grateful that Sandy suggested this tactic for book publicity because it keeps my book marketing active. I had no idea that my tip sheet would be used in a local paper that would ultimately get syndicated to USA Today. That was a huge hit for me and something I can use in all future marketing,” Schwartz says.

She has been sending out monthly tip sheets since April to a handcrafted media list consisting of her local media, national outlets covering parenting and environmental issues her publisher provided, and a few parenting bloggers as well.

“I have been happy with the results given the minimal effort it takes to tweak existing content into the tip sheet format that Sandy provides. It is simple and can lead to great results as I experienced with the USA Today article. Other tip sheets have resulted in articles in Women.com, Mothermag.com, Kiddos Magazine, and Embracing Change blog,” Schwartz adds.

Radio, TV, podcasts, bloggers use tip sheet advice

Radio stations like to share the advice in snippets or, like podcasts and TV talk shows, build author interviews around the tip sheet topic. In fact, my tip sheet on how to get a good holiday gift from a man was the basis of my appearance on the national TV talk show, “Home & Family,” which ran then on the The Family Channel.

Bloggers run them as posts because tip sheets save them the time it takes to write something helpful themselves.

When done right, tip sheets showcase a nonfiction book’s content or a novel’s theme or message while getting the book title in front of the book’s target audience. That’s what book publicity is all about.

Book publicity tip sheet topics

For many, the hardest part of writing a tip sheet is coming up with a topic.

For nonfiction, start by making a list of the most commonly asked questions you get from readers or others. Each can be turned into a tip sheet.

Your chapter topics are a goldmine of ideas, too.

For fiction, begin with your book’s themes, messages, and lessons. A novel that deals with grief and loss, for example, could yield a tip sheet on how to recover from loss.

When Irish children’s author Avril O’Reilly sent a tip sheet to media outlets throughout Ireland, she had immediate success that included newspaper and television exposure for her fiction book, Kathleen and the Communion Copter.

In her tip sheet, O’Reilly offered parents advice for selecting just the right Communion gift for girls. While her book is fiction, she was able to find a nonfiction nugget she could use to create a tip sheet that offered the media useful information they could use immediately.

You can do that, too.

Tip sheet elements

Successful book publicity tip sheets include specific elements:

  • An attention-getting headline that includes the number of tips.
  • An opening paragraph that describes the problem.
  • A quote about the problem from the book author.
  • A sentence that introduces the tips.
  • Short, helpful tips in a list format.
  • A concluding paragraph about the author and book.

Breaking it down

Let’s look at each element.

Headline

The best tip sheet headlines mimic those you see on the cover of women’s magazines – “5 surprising ways to get a beach body fast” or “6 tips for keeping your email inbox at zero.”

Include the number of tips and the tip sheet topic.

Opening paragraph

When writing the opening paragraph to describe the problem you’re solving, use statistics whenever possible to give your content weight and credibility. Using statistics isn’t required, but it’s effective enough that it’s worth doing a little research for studies, surveys, and reports.

For example, the author of a book about family caregiving writing a tip sheet about how to avoid caregiver burnout might use this first paragraph: “The National Association of Family Caregivers reports that self care is one of the biggest problems among caregivers today. The association says that nearly three quarters (72 percent) of family caregivers report not going to the doctor as often as they should and 55 percent say they cancel their own doctor appointments.”

Author quote

The author quote amplifying the problem should always add something new, rather than repeat what was stated in the opening paragraph. Use this opportunity to share an opinion.

Provide quote attribution with the author’s full name and book title.

Here’s how Schwartz did it with her heatwave tip sheet:

But nature is so critical to our health and well-being. “Nature calms us, reducing feelings of stress, anxiety, and anger. It has also been shown to improve focus and attention, as well as reduce blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. It even makes us friendlier and more apt to reach out to others in our community,” explains Sandi Schwartz, author of Finding Ecohappiness: Fun Nature Activities to Help Your Kids Feel Happier and Calmer.

This part: [explains Sandi Schwartz, author of Finding Ecohappiness: Fun Nature Activities to Help Your Kids Feel Happier and Calmer.] is the attribution.

Sentence introducing your tips

The set-up sentence for the tips is simple. Use this formula: “Here are (author’s last name) (number) tips for helping (audience/group) (topic).”

For the caregiving tip sheet, this sentence could be: “Here are Smith’s six tips for helping family caregivers take better care of themselves, too.”

Short tips

Use bullets or numbers for your tips. Start each tip with a verb to encourage action and keep each to no more than three sentences.

Remember that your goal here is to offer advice, not talk somebody into buying your book. Focus on providing helpful advice.

Concluding paragraph

The final paragraph ties everything up with two or three factual sentences about the author, the book, and where readers can purchase it.

Again, don’t be overtly promotional. This is a news piece, not a sales tool.

Be sure to download my free “6 Publicity Tip Sheet Elements” cheat sheet so you have a handy reference whenever you need it. Get it here.

Here’s what a book publicity tip sheet looks like

I wrote “Nine tips for writing an op-ed that gets published” to publicize my book, Publicity for Nonprofits: Generating Media Exposure That Leads to Awareness, Growth, and Contributions. It was widely picked up and used in full, as is, by nonprofit trade journals.

Here’s the finished version:

sample tip sheet from Build Book Buzz

(Click on the underlined text above to view or download the PDF file.)

5 common author tip sheet mistakes

When teaching authors how to create and use these media relations tools, I see these mistakes repeatedly:

  1. Confusing a tip sheet with an ad. A tip sheet is a subtle book promotion tool. It doesn’t shout “buy my book.” Instead, it communicates, “If you think this information related to the book is interesting, imagine how much value you’ll get from the actual book.”
  2. Forgetting to study newspaper and magazine articles before writing the tip sheet. News writing style is informal and factual. There’s no hyperbole.
  3. Not understanding that a tip sheet is designed to help people solve a problem. State a problem . . . offer your solutions.
  4. Offering a list of reasons to buy the book instead of a list of tips.
  5. Avoiding tip sheets because you write novels and don’t see the connection between advice-giving and fiction. It’s true that it’s harder to generate tip sheet topics for fiction, but it’s do-able for every book. I’ve taught many, many novelists how to do this — you can do it, too.

How to use book publicity tip sheets

Distribute tip sheets to media outlets that would be interested in the content. For mass distribution, I recommend eReleases. Do not rely on free press release distribution sites as they won’t send your tip sheet to the press. It will just sit on their site, hoping to be discovered.

Email your tip sheet to a handful of media outlets you’ve researched by copying and pasting your tip sheet into your email message form. Or, use the email list management service you use for your author newsletter.

Add them to your book’s online press room.

Turn them into fiction and nonfiction lead magnets designed to entice people to sign up for your mailing list.

Use them as the starting point for future blog posts.

Include them with article pitch letters sent to journalists.


Add tip sheets to your book marketing plan and you’ll have many new friends among media editors, reporters, producers, podcasters, and bloggers. You’ll also get much more exposure than your competition.

And that’s exactly what you want.

Want help brainstorming a tip sheet topic? Share a brief description of your book here and let’s get people thinking! 


(Editor’s note: This article was first published in December 2015. It has been updated and expanded.)

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5 ways to make your book relevant to the media https://buildbookbuzz.com/5-ways-to-make-your-book-relevant-to-the-media/ https://buildbookbuzz.com/5-ways-to-make-your-book-relevant-to-the-media/#comments Wed, 21 Aug 2019 12:00:02 +0000 http://buildbookbuzz.com/?p=3447 relevant to the media When I ask authors what they're doing to promote their books, they often say they built a website, or they're posting about it on social media. Rarely do they mention going after the free news media exposure known as publicity. They aren't trying to get their books mentioned in short news briefs or longer articles, and they're not pursuing talk show and podcast interviews. They've given no thought to how to make their book relevant to the media. And yet, doing this costs nothing, and is at least 10 times as effective as advertising. What's more, you can get book publicity whether your book is new or has been published for years. ]]> When I ask authors what they’re doing to promote their books, they often say they built a website, or they’re posting about it on social media.

Rarely do they mention going after the free news media exposure known as publicity. They aren’t trying to get their books mentioned in short news briefs or longer articles, and they’re not pursuing talk show and podcast interviews.

They’ve given no thought to how to make their book relevant to the media.

And yet, doing this costs nothing, and is at least 10 times as effective as advertising. What’s more, you can get book publicity whether your book is new or has been published for years.

It’s not as hard as you might think

You don’t need special skills or tools, either. You just need to know how the media works and what it needs from you.

A big piece of this is understanding how to make your book and its topic relevant to the press.

It comes easily for some, not so much for others. For the most part, it requires paying attention to topics covered by the press and the sources they use for information.

Here are five tips that will help you become one of those sources.

1. Get plugged in.

If you want publicity, you need to be a consumer of news.

Read at least one daily newspaper, follow a few blogs, watch TV news, and become familiar with cable TV talk shows.

The more you know about what’s out there, the better able you will be to understand where you, your book, and the topics or issues you write about will fit into the media landscape.

2. Study your target media outlets for format and approach.

After you determine which media outlets influence your ideal readers, you want to study them so you understand the content they use.

What sorts of segments or stories do they run? How many sources do they use? Are the articles or segments short or long? Do they frequently site statistics from surveys or research?

Use an Excel file or Word table to make notes and look for trends that will guide how you approach each outlet.

3. Learn what’s making news and connect your topic to it.

Marketers refer to this as “newsjacking” — hijacking the news.

It’s important to stay current and continually brainstorm ways to link your topic to what is currently newsworthy. For example, anyone who has written about gun control, whether in fiction or nonfiction, could be doing lots of media interviews right now (unfortunately).

It’s easier than ever to stay on top of the news, thanks to smartphone apps. Make sure you’re getting alerts so you don’t miss any opportunities.

If connecting your topic to trending topics is difficult for you, ask a friend to help you brainstorm connections between the range of topics in your book and what’s making news today and this week.

4. Stay at the forefront of your topic.

This will allow you to spot trends. This is important because trends make good article/segment ideas.

It’s not hard to see how this applies to nonfiction authors, but it works for fiction, too. Here’s how this can apply to novelists.

Let’s say you’ve written a novel about a youthful executive who tires of the corporate rat race and takes an extended leave that includes visiting a Montana retreat to enjoy his passion, fly fishing. While he figures out what he wants to do with the rest of his life, the executive begins tying flies for a local bait shop. There, he meets an older fly fisherman who is vacationing with his daughter, an up-and-coming professional at a crossroads of her own.

The executive falls in love with the daughter, there’s tension and drama, you know the drill. But let’s not get distracted by that. The key topic here is fly fishing.

As the (pretend) author of this book, you know a lot about fly fishing, right? You have to in order to write about it authentically.

Pitch trend stories

When you stay current on that topic – the most popular flies, the best yet-to-be-discovered fishing locations, the impact of technology on the sport – you can spot trends.

Use them to pitch a story to the press based on those trends, and get yourself quoted as an expert resource. All the research you did for the character in your book – and your effort to stay current – provides the credentials you need.

Be open to this possibility. Don’t under-estimate how much you know about the topics you write about, whether it’s in your nonfiction book or your novel.

5. Get current on publishing industry news, trends, and developments.

Imagine what you could have done to get publicity with your local media when USA Today reported on research revealing that reading fiction might make us smarter and more empathetic.

Did you see the news earlier this year that half of all Americans have now listened to an audiobook? If your book is available in audio format, you can take advantage of this research to be interviewed by your local press about this topic. Pitch the daily newspaper or a radio or TV talk show about the growth in audiobooks and why. Talk about why your book is available in that format.

Do you write poetry? Did you know that IngramSpark reported earlier this year that the poetry genre is at the top of the company’s best-sellers list? Is there a local talk show host who might be interested in talking about why? Could you organize a gathering of poets with your local bookstore?

The more you know about publishing, the more you’ll be sought out for interviews and speaking engagements. Start locally first, then regionally. You might be surprised at how easy it will be for you to become the local publishing industry expert — as long as you make the effort to always be learning.

Understand that it’s rarely all about you.

A major feature on a topic or trend nearly always uses more than one source.

Know that, and be prepared to seal the deal by offering others who can comment on the topic. Being prepared and realistic, and making it easier for a journalist to say “yes,” can make you and your book very, very relevant.

That, in turn, will generate the news media attention — the book publicity — that sells books.

Use the right tools

Getting and keeping your book title in the news does take some effort and thought. But what promotional effort doesn’t?

Once you understand the type of information your targeted media outlets use and how they present that information, you’ll find yourself generating the types of article or segment ideas that get used. Then you’ll be snagging priceless media exposure for your book.

Need some help?

book publicity toolNeed a little help? Get the media relations tools you need for this in Build Book Buzz Publicity Forms & Templates, a collection of fill-in-the-blanks forms and corresponding samples for book publicity.

Whether you need to know how to write the “pitch” letter for a newspaper or magazine article idea or the sample Q&A you’ll create for radio talk show interviews, you get everything you need in one resource. Copy and paste the templates into a Word file, fill them out, and use the result to generate priceless book publicity.

Learn more at http://buildbookbuzz.com/publicity-forms-and-templates/.

What’s one of your media exposure goals for this year?

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in January 2013. It has been updated and expanded.)

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