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.

• 4 book publicity facts that will help you succeed
• Tip sheets: How to create the best book publicity document you’ll ever need
• Sell more books in your backyard with these local book publicity tips
• Trade journals: The book publicist’s secret weapon

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

The service’s website points out that you can then add “as featured in FOX, CBS, NBC” with the corresponding network logos to your website.

Instant credibility, right?

Or . . . is it?

via GIPHY

What’s the deal?

The young marketer offering this opportunity charges $97. That’s not a lot of money to pay for this “as seen on” credential if this is something that is very important to you.

And I realize that for some, it’s very, very important.

I had my suspicions about the offer, though.

So did the author who contacted me.

That’s why I emailed the promoter. I didn’t doubt his claim and guarantee. I just didn’t think it was legitimate, by-the-book publicity.

What’s publicity?

More on what I learned in a minute. First, it helps to understand publicity, since this is presented as a “PR package.”

Publicity, a subset of public relations (PR), is news media exposure. The current buzz phrase for it is “earned media.” It’s journalistic content that mentions you that you didn’t pay for.

For example, you might be interviewed for an article or a radio or TV segment, or you or your book are mentioned in a short news item in a newspaper or an online news outlet.

via GIPHY

Have you ever sent a press release that got picked up by media outlets? That’s publicity.

With publicity, you can’t control what gets used or when, but because there’s an implied editorial endorsement when you’re interviewed, quoted, or mentioned, it’s at least 10 times more credible than advertising. In other words, consumers are more impressed by publicity than by advertising.

Consumers are more impressed by publicity than by advertising.Click to tweetWhat’s advertising?

Unlike earned media, advertising is paid media. Because you pay for space or air time, you control what’s in the ad and when it appears.

Most of us can recognize an ad when we see one, whether it’s while watching TV or skimming an online news site. Sometimes, advertisers blur the line between advertising and publicity by paying for content that reads like a news article. That’s known as “native advertising.”

When it’s not obvious that it’s an ad, as is usually the case with native advertising, the Federal Trade Commission requires advertisers to disclose that it’s sponsored, or paid for, content.

I’ve written a fair amount of native advertising content for my local daily newspaper as freelance writer. In this article for a hearing center that I wrote, you’ll see a “Story from . . . “ disclaimer at the top. At the end, there’s notification that the newspaper’s editorial staff didn’t contribute to the article.

This is transparency.

What does it have to do with this “as seen on” offer?

So here’s the deal. The conventional use of “as seen on” or “featured on” with media logos refers to legitimate, bona fide publicity. It means that you were interviewed or mentioned by a journalist at that media outlet.

That’s not what this $97 “PR package” (his words, not mine) offer is about.

You’re paying $97 for advertising on a local network affiliate’s website.

After paying the fee, you complete a questionnaire. The marketer then pays a local TV station to place your Q&A (he calls it an article) on its website. It runs on the site with this disclaimer: Sponsored: Advertising Content.

Let’s talk book marketing and integrity

Paying for this type of placement on a local TV station’s website and claiming on your own website and marketing materials that you’ve been “featured on” Fox, CBS, or NBC or whatever is the same thing as buying an ad in People magazine and claiming you were featured in the pages of People.

I mean, technically, it’s accurate.

But it’s not what the average consumer thinks when they see “as featured in” – and for good reason. For most, it means that you are so good at what you do that a journalist chose to interview or feature you.

When we see those media logos on your site, we don’t know that you’ve paid a local TV station to run native advertising.

Think about it: What would you say if someone said to you, “Wow! Can I watch your appearance online?”

(By the way, you can add “as featured on” with logos to your site legitimately. And in a few weeks, I’ll tell you about a course I’ve created that will teach you how.)

What do you think?

Do you think translating paid space on a local TV station’s website to “as featured on” with network logos is misleading?

Do you think it’s ethical?

Do you think that authors and others who pay for this type of advertising have integrity?

The dude making the offer

I’m sure the young entrepreneur selling this service thinks it’s all on the up-and-up. He graduated from college in 2019, and might simply be too young and inexperienced to grasp that he’s basically helping people deceive their followers and connections.

I’ll add that he did respond promptly when I emailed him to ask how he could guarantee network television exposure. Rather than ignore my polite message or reply with lots of doublespeak, he explained the Q&A process (which is clearly outlined on his website, too) and provided three links to examples.

He’s not lying to customers, and I give him credit for that. And if people are willing to pay him so they can deceive their fans, why should I care?

Who cares?

via GIPHY

I don’t care what his customers do.

But they aren’t people I would intentionally do business with.

Would you?

I’m a big fan of transparency. And I don’t like to be deceived. It makes me feel silly and foolish – and I do plenty of that on my own.

Plus, I couldn’t get away with deceiving you. I learned that lesson in college, when I tried to break the dining hall’s rules by smuggling a sandwich out in my purse.

Busted.

But that’s just me. What do you think? Are you comfortable paying for a Q&A on a local TV station’s website, then telling your readers you were featured on a major network?

Where do you stand? Please tell us in a comment. I’d like to learn from you.

Most people don’t enjoy doing this, so it’s one reason you don’t need to include it in your book marketing plan.

The other more important reason is that it’s always easier to sell to a “warm” audience — those people or businesses that know, like, and trust you already. They’re more likely to buy from you than strangers are. 

They’re also more likely to help you reach the right readers for your book.

Leveraging your networks

Your “warm” audience is the people in your networks. Because of that, it’s important to understand how leveraging your networks can help you sell more books.

Leveraging your networks doesn’t necessarily mean “selling to” your networks, though. Because not everybody you know is going to be interested in the types of books you write, you can’t expect  all of them to buy and read your book.

It might be reasonable to expect them to support you and your book by telling other people about it, though.

And, yes, some will buy, read, and review it, too. But don’t expect (or demand!) that.

Who do you know, and how can they help you?

Start by assessing your networks.

While most think of their networks in terms of friends and family, yours might also include your social media connections, colleagues, and newsletter subscribers, among others.

What do you know about the people in these networks? Are they the target audience for your book, or are they in a position to help you reach your target audience?

Divide them into two groups — readers and helpers (there might be overlap).This will help you use the right messages with them.

Leveraging your networks

Let’s look at your networks and how to leverage them in greater depth. Here are the most common types:

Alumni association

Ask your alumni newsletter editor to write about you and your new book; ask your local chapter chair to host a book signing at the next meeting.

Blog

Write a blog post about why your book is important and how it will help educate, entertain, or inform readers. In the post, ask blog subscribers to consider sharing that information with their own networks and groups.

Offer to do an interview or guest post related to your book on their blogs, too. Guest blogging is an excellent way to leverage your networks’ networks.

Colleagues

Whether they’re local or people you know across the country or around the world through trade groups, this network is particularly important if you’ve written a nonfiction book related to your profession.

Use email to tell them about your book and how it will help them. Encourage them ever-so-gently to share news about your book with their networks, too.

Customers and clients

Do they know they’re doing business with an author? Make sure they find out directly from you.

You can do that easily by updating your email signature to include your book title and a purchase link.

Facebook profile

How many of your Facebook friends might be interested in your book or share information about it with their networks?

In addition to posting occasionally about your book, message some with sample Facebook posts they can use if they’d like to share your news on their timelines. Use private messaging for this once. Any more than that is too intrusive.

Facebook page

Do you have a separate fan page for your book or one of its characters? Ask people who “like” your page to share information about the book on their own pages.

Post about your book and ask people to share your post.

Friends, neighbors, relatives

They can help you spread the word if they like your book or believe in you

When my “Book Markeiting 101: How to Build Book Buzz” student Laura Laing released  Math for Grownups, she sent friends and others a friendly (and very fruitful) e-mail message listing specific things they could do to help her get the word out about her book.

Groups on social networking sites

Do you belong to groups on Facebook or LinkedIn or participate in online forums?

If group rules allow it, share news of your book, but avoid hard-selling. People participate in these groups to learn, not to get pitched.

Groups are also a good source of beta readers and launch team members.

Local media

I’m surprised by the number of authors who overlook the local press when, in fact, they are often the most receptive media outlets.

Local daily and weekly newspapers in particular can also be remarkably influential. When my first book came out, my local Gannett newspaper wrote a huge feature article about the story behind the book and shared it with other Gannett papers, giving me national reach through one interview.

Identify the right contacts at each type of outlet (newspaper, magazine, radio, TV) and email them to suggest appropriate and relevant story or segment ideas.

National media

Authors who are journalists or have been writing about their book’s topic for some time probably have relationships with other journalists. Send specific and targeted article or segment pitches to these reporters, freelance writers, editors, producers, and assignment editors.

Everyone else? Get tips for pitching the press in publicist Cathy Lewis’s helpful article on this site, “Promoting your book: 8 ways to pitch media outlets.”

Newsletter subscribers

If you’ve been providing value in the form of information or interesting content to your newsletter subscribers, they will be happy to talk up your book in their own networks.

When you ask them to help, provide them with images they can share and sample posts and tweets. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to support you and your book.

Social networks

Chances are, you’re also active on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social networks.

Of course you’ll announce your book, but you’re smart enough not to do that constantly. When you do, though, make sure you don’t say, “Buy my book,” but instead share tidbits that help people understand your book’s value.

Keep them updated on your virtual book tour stops, media interviews, and so on.

Keep growing and leveraging your networks

If you’ve got lots of connections but they’re not likely to buy your book, what are you doing now to expand your networks to fix that?

Continually evaluate your networks to make sure you’re attracting and engaging with the right types of people.

Continually evaluate your networks to make sure you're attracting and engaging with the right types of people.Click to tweet

And by all means, remember that this isn’t a one-way street. Support others the way you’d like them to support you. You’ll find that it’s easier to ask a favor related to your book promotion if you’ve already done a few favors yourself.

Did we miss anything? Please stop by here and leave a comment!

I’ve seen the impact it’s had on sales first hand.

My first two books were published before social media existed, so promotion options were limited to paid advertising, public speaking, and publicity — news media exposure.

My first book sold out its press run thanks to book publicity that included national TV, radio, magazine, and newspapers interviews. That publicity generated a steady stream of paid speaking engagements that not only helped me earn more from the book, they also sold more books.

My second book went through three press runs on the strength of publicity alone. No tweets. No posts. No shares. Just news media attention in the form of interviews and articles I wrote about topics covered in the book.

Publicity helps your book get discovered

This is why you see successful authors interviewed on network TV morning news programs and in newspapers and magazines. Publicity helps your book get discovered by potential readers.

With book marketing, discoverability is everything. People can’t buy your book if they don’t know about it.

One of the biggest challenges for authors smart enough to see the value in this marketing tactic is building a a list of media people to contact with segment and article ideas.

Creating that all-important book publicity media list you’ll use to promote your book on an ongoing basis takes time and effort, but it’s not hard to do. With guidance, in fact, an intern can do a lot of it for you.

Here are seven tips that will help you craft a media list you can use to get news about your book in front of your target audience.

1. Start with an empty Excel file or Word table.

Add columns for each media outlet, the journalist you should contact, e-mail address, Twitter address, outlet category (radio, TV, blog, magazine, etc.), and background notes. Fill it in as you gather names and addresses.

2. Gather both e-mail addresses and Twitter addresses.

You’ll use them differently, but you’ll want to have both. E-mail is the best option for delivering full-blown pitches or press releases, while Twitter will help you build relationships.

When you have the names of the journalists you want to reach, use Twitter’s search function to find and follow them.

3. Start local.

Write down the local media outlets you believe are most likely to give you publicity, then visit the website of each. Most provide contact information for reporters (print), producers (radio and TV talk shows), assignment editors (TV news), news directors (radio news), and news personalities (TV news).

If you can’t find what you need online, call the media outlet.

4. Use The Google.

Turn Google into your assistant publicist.

Set up Google and Talkwalker Alerts for your book’s topic to help you identify journalists and bloggers who report on it. Research and add their contact information to your database as the alerts come in.

5. Hit the library.

Media directories are helpful, but expensive. Instead of buying them, visit the research desk at your local public library. You can find the right contacts for people at national networks, national and local talk shows, radio stations and talk shows, trade and consumer magazines, and daily newspapers.

Resources include Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media and Gebbie Press All-In-One Media Directory.

6. Go online.

Use the Radio-Locator database to get contact information for radio drive time or talk shows. After deciding who is the best contact at a daily newspaper (fashion? food? religion? business?), use USNPL to build your list.

You can also often find contact information for key journalists on each media outlet’s website. Newspapers are particularly good at this; consumer magazines can be hit or miss.

7. Pick favorites.

Identify the 10 to 12 media outlets that have the greatest potential to influence your book’s success, and study each one to make sure you know exactly where your information will fit. That will help you determine your best contact at that media outlet.

Use and reuse

Build your own media list so you can use it repeatedly. Use it to stay in touch with the media so you are top of mind when reporters are looking for qualified sources.

Be sure to leverage the list by creating a plan for staying in touch with the journalists regularly.

Send a press release when you have news to announce, create tip sheets offering helpful and relevant tips and advice, and pitch timely story or segment ideas to individual journalists. (Get all the templates for pitch letters, press releases, and other documents you’ll send to the media and use in your press kit in Build Book Buzz Publicity Forms & Templates, created just for authors.)

Want to simply send a press release to as many appropriate media outlets as possible? When you value your time, it’s more cost-effective to pay a press release distribution service like eReleases (that’s an affiliate link).

Be sure to update your list every six months so you’re always sending your pitch or news to the right person. Continually watch the talk shows you’re targeting or read the print outlets on your list so that you know what types of content they use. Your goal is to always offer content that’s relevant to their viewers and readers.

Provide appropriate content and ideas to the right people consistently and persistently, and your efforts with your new media list will pay off.

What’s your best tip for building a media list for book publicity?

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

It’s what you’ve done to make sure you have an audience waiting to buy your book.

The more you’ve done, the stronger your platform. A strong platform will make you more attractive to a publisher, but even if self-publishing is your best option, you still need that platform. You want an audience waiting for your book.

No audience = no sales.

12 author platform building blocks

But how do you build that essential platform?

Here are 12 building blocks to consider for your platform’s support, but before you think, “TWELVE? How can I do all that?“, understand that you only need a few of them.

Your platform should be built on the right elements; not everything in this list makes sense for you and your target readers. If you won’t reach your audience with one of them (for example, your readers might not be on Twitter), then cross that building block off your list of options.

Focus on the pieces that are right for your book and its readers, not anyone else’s.

1. E-mail list and newsletter subscribers.

How many e-mail addresses do you have, but more importantly, how many of them are in your book’s target market? Offer a free gift on your website – the first chapter of your book, a downloadable audio interview, a cheat sheet – in exchange for a name and e-mail address. It’s important to keep your name and topic in front of the people who are most likely to buy your book; a regular e-mail newsletter is an excellent way to do that. Make it useful, not promotional, so that people look forward to reading and sharing it.

2. Online group members.

While LinkedIn undermines its groups, Facebook groups are gaining steam. No matter where it’s hosted, an online group for your book’s topic or genre will help you learn more about your readers and what they want and need. As with everything else, the more members you have in your group, the more that group will add to your platform. (By the way, please join the Build Book Buzz Facebook group to talk all things book marketing!)

3. Media interviews and media outlets that publish what you write. 

Get interviewed by the press, get copies of those interviews, and create a database with the contact information for the journalists who interviewed you. You’ll want the clips, audio links, etc., for your book proposal and you’ll need the database to create a book publicity media mailing list.

Offline and online media outlets that regularly run your articles, videos, and so on will be more open to collaborating on book promotion. A regular column that reaches your book’s target audience is a big plus.

4. Instagram followers.

If your target audience is younger, Instagram is where it’s at for you and your book. Almost two-thirds of its users are under 30. And they are definitely sharing what they read there. Learn how author Kate Hanley does it in “How I use Instagram to sell more books.”

5. Pinterest followers. 

If your book relates to women’s lifestyles — cooking, decorating, crafting, and so on — make sure you’re getting images up on Pinterest. It’s dominated by women who use it to archive and share what they like — including books on these and other topics.

6. Twitter followers.

If you’re self-publishing, you’ll want quality, not quantity. If you’re hoping to get a contract with a traditional publisher, editors appear to be more interested in quantity than quality (sigh), so go for volume. (But understand that if your book is about the mating habits of Icelandic penguins, those 68 social media consultants who follow you aren’t going to buy your book.)

7. Facebook fan page likers/fans.

You don’t need a completed book to create a fan page for it. Post content that gets followers involved and engaged. Invite your fans to bring other fans along, too. Run contests to get more likes.

8. Speaking engagements.

A while back, an editor reviewing my book proposal asked for a list of speaking engagements for the previous and coming years along with the audience size for each. This level of detail helps publishers estimate how many books they can sell – and whether they think they can sell enough. If you’re a speaker who writes, you’re on more solid ground here than a writer who speaks.

9. A blog plus subscribers and traffic.

I’m surprised at the number of bloggers who don’t make it possible for visitors to receive their blog postings by e-mail or RSS feed. They’re missing the opportunity to generate repeat traffic – and to measure their fan base. Google Analytics and other tools and resources help measure traffic volume, too, but a truer measure of your fan base is that list of people who sign up to receive more of your content.

10. Industry leadership.

This not only reinforces your expert status, it also means that industry organizations will be more likely to share information about your book. They might even sell it.

11. Influential contacts.

A favorable testimonial (called a “blurb”) from a recognized expert or thought leader, especially one who is willing to recommend your book to her networks, is almost priceless. Several of these? Golden!

12. Popular YouTube channel.

YouTube is the second most popular search engine. That alone tells you that people watch YouTube videos. But if you need numbers to convince you, understand that more than 1 billion people use YouTube.

How many platform building blocks do you need?

How many of these building blocks do you need to support your platform?

That depends – on your book’s topic, the size of the market for it, and how that particular audience seeks/gets information.

A porch or deck has at least four supports — one in each corner — and sometimes more. The more of the right elements you have in your platform, the better positioned you will be to sell more books to the people who will love them.

What’s holding up your author platform? What building blocks do you have in place?

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2012. It has been updated and expanded.)