When I heard about Dave Freeman's untimely death, I hadn't heard of Freeman -- and I barely had heard of his book, 100 Things To Do Before You Die. My second thought, after I slogged through the horror I felt at the way the 47-year-old author died -- he fell at home and hit his head and just, somehow, didn't make it -- was that this incident was going to sell a lot of books. What better book promotion opportunity could there be than the author's death? Book promotion opportunities, finally, are news items, and this was a big one. It was ironic, heart-wrenching, and unacceptable -- and, of course, every media outlet in the world gobbled it up. Here's an example of just one article about the Freeman's death that opens with the title of his book.
What I didn't realize, until later, was that Freeman's death wasn't only a horror show combined with a book promotion opportunity. It was also a chance to promote a movie -- in this case, "The Bucket List," that was apparently inspired by Freeman's work. This Reuter's article, published by MSNBC.com, talks about how Freeman's death has inspired people to create their own "bucket lists" -- just like in the movie. Had I heard of the movie before Freeman's death? Vaguely -- but only in the sense that I hear about other movies with strong lead actors that I probably wouldn't schlep to a theater to see but would probably, eventually, put into my Netflix queue.
Book promotion and movie promotion -- Freeman's freak accident (at least, I hope it was a freak accident -- I think it was a freak accident, because people in their forties typically don't die in their homes because they slip and fall, do they?) was a two-fer. Book sales and movie ticket sales (or DVD sales, if the movie has moved on from theaters, at this point) are positioned to soar.
Book promotion and movie promotion opportunities aren't worth dying for, but this one is worth learning from. What makes a promotion opportunity? A news event. An attention-getting action. An unexpected happening.
Create one, if you can. But don't do it by dying.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Book Promotion Tool
The following is not only a book promotion tool (although you can use it to snag some book reviews), but it's also a valuable information source for publishers and authors: Publishing Poynters Marketplace by Dan Poynter. It's a free newsletter, and you can see the September issue online here.
For publishers and authors who are interested in finding readers to review their books on either Amazon or Barnes and Noble's site, Poynter provides a free classifieds section where industry professionals can list their titles. Free book promotion? Sounds like a deal to this book publicist!
Thank you to Dan Poynter!
For publishers and authors who are interested in finding readers to review their books on either Amazon or Barnes and Noble's site, Poynter provides a free classifieds section where industry professionals can list their titles. Free book promotion? Sounds like a deal to this book publicist!
Thank you to Dan Poynter!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Three book promotion successes in one day!
Yesterday was an exciting day for this book publicist. I received three emails from an editor at a major magazine acknowledging the upcoming publication of three articles -- written by three of my authors -- each of which will carry my authors' bylines and refer readers back to their book Web sites. Good for the editor who received content for her magazine. Good for my clients, each of whom received visibility in a national magazine. And good for this book publicist -- that's three more book promotion opportunities to show off about, and all in one day!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
A media marriage made in heaven -- for promoters.
The two satellite radio networks, XM Satellite and Sirius, have finally merged. The name of the new network will be Sirius XM Radio Inc., and the total number of subscribers will 18.5 million. Here's the story.
For this book publicist, that's a media marriage made in heaven. XM Satellite and Sirius radio shows were always relatively easy bookings. Of course, there are no easy bookings, but some media outlets are more approachable than others, and both XM Satellite and Sirius have both been notably open to guest suggestions and even, perhaps, "hungry" for experts to fill their airtime. So how cool is it that the listening audiences of XM Satellite and Sirius will double (I presume, based on my assumption that subscribers of either former network will now be able to hear shows on both networks -- which, naturally, is the new network).
See? This is what happens when book publicists have a cup of coffee in the morning and then blog. Okay. Time to book some interviews....
For this book publicist, that's a media marriage made in heaven. XM Satellite and Sirius radio shows were always relatively easy bookings. Of course, there are no easy bookings, but some media outlets are more approachable than others, and both XM Satellite and Sirius have both been notably open to guest suggestions and even, perhaps, "hungry" for experts to fill their airtime. So how cool is it that the listening audiences of XM Satellite and Sirius will double (I presume, based on my assumption that subscribers of either former network will now be able to hear shows on both networks -- which, naturally, is the new network).
See? This is what happens when book publicists have a cup of coffee in the morning and then blog. Okay. Time to book some interviews....
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Steve Wasserman isn't happy, and neither am I.
Steve Wasserman, a former editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review, isn't happy. According to a July 21 article in Publisher Weekly's online edition, the Los Angeles Times is cutting out its standalone book review section. Two book review editors will lose their jobs, and countless of publishers and authors will lose yet another opportunity to have their books reviewed by a credible daily newspaper.
As a book publicist whose clients' works range from mainstream to self-published, I've never relied solely on book reviews. I've always sought book promotion opportunities from a wide range of broadcast, print, and online media outlets. And, these days, the reviewers with whom I've having the most success connecting are Amazon's top reviewers -- lay people, if you will, who have become top authorities on "what's hot and what's not" in the literary world.
Okay. Times change, and the media must change, too.
Top daily newspapers have their business considerations, just as authors and publishers must watch their own bottom lines. If standalone book review sections aren't producing profits, then they must be sacrificed, along with the editors who were the lifeblood of those standalone book review sections and the authors and publishers who relied upon those standalone book review sections for book publicity.
I understand that this is all about money and not a statement about the worthiness of book reviews or a statement that literature doesn't matter anymore. I understand that.
But that doesn't make me any happier about the whole thing.
As a book publicist whose clients' works range from mainstream to self-published, I've never relied solely on book reviews. I've always sought book promotion opportunities from a wide range of broadcast, print, and online media outlets. And, these days, the reviewers with whom I've having the most success connecting are Amazon's top reviewers -- lay people, if you will, who have become top authorities on "what's hot and what's not" in the literary world.
Okay. Times change, and the media must change, too.
Top daily newspapers have their business considerations, just as authors and publishers must watch their own bottom lines. If standalone book review sections aren't producing profits, then they must be sacrificed, along with the editors who were the lifeblood of those standalone book review sections and the authors and publishers who relied upon those standalone book review sections for book publicity.
I understand that this is all about money and not a statement about the worthiness of book reviews or a statement that literature doesn't matter anymore. I understand that.
But that doesn't make me any happier about the whole thing.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Choose book promotion opportunities with caution.
Choose book promotion opportunities with caution. This is new advice and, coming from a book publicist, it's counter-intuitive advice. You'd think that a book publicist would want authors and publishers to take advantage of every book promotion opportunity that comes their way, and to err on the side of doing any interview that might win some exposure for the book, wouldn't you?
Well, this just in. Some media personalities have such objectionable messages to disseminate that you don't want to accept their interview invitations. In short, you don't have to deal with jerks.
Case in point: Radio show host Michael Savage said, on the air, that 99% of children who are labeled "autistic" are actually undisciplined brats. Read the Associated Press's story about it here, via MSNBC.com. If a more ignorant statement than that has been uttered about any child, I don't want to know about it. Does Savage believe the nonsense he spouted, or did he just say those things to get attention? In either case, no author, no matter how worthy the book he or she is promoting, should feel the need to appear as a guest that's hosted by people who say objectionable things on the air for any reason.
Don't feel guilty for turning down a book promotion opportunity if you feel that accepting that opportunity would force you to compromise yourself. Most book promotion opportunities are worthwhile, and they can even be wonderful. But if it doesn't feel good to you, then don't do it. That is this book publicist's advice of the day.
Well, this just in. Some media personalities have such objectionable messages to disseminate that you don't want to accept their interview invitations. In short, you don't have to deal with jerks.
Case in point: Radio show host Michael Savage said, on the air, that 99% of children who are labeled "autistic" are actually undisciplined brats. Read the Associated Press's story about it here, via MSNBC.com. If a more ignorant statement than that has been uttered about any child, I don't want to know about it. Does Savage believe the nonsense he spouted, or did he just say those things to get attention? In either case, no author, no matter how worthy the book he or she is promoting, should feel the need to appear as a guest that's hosted by people who say objectionable things on the air for any reason.
Don't feel guilty for turning down a book promotion opportunity if you feel that accepting that opportunity would force you to compromise yourself. Most book promotion opportunities are worthwhile, and they can even be wonderful. But if it doesn't feel good to you, then don't do it. That is this book publicist's advice of the day.
Monday, July 21, 2008
When Hannah Montana is old news.
When was the first time you heard the phrase "Miley Ray Cyrus?" For those of us who don't have kids who are glued to the Disney Channel, and who begged for Hannah Montana merchandise or concert tickets, the answer might well be "within the year" (or, specifically, when a magazine published some "artistic" photos of her with her father that some people found troubling).
Anyway, Miley Ray Cyrus was going to be the next...well, whomever teenage singers and actors are hoping to grow up to be these days.
And now, according to a Baltimore Sun article, Miley is, like, so over. Her popularity is dwindling as other tween crowd pleasers, such as the Jonas Brothers, push her right out of the media and out of our collective consciousness.
Miley, of course, enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame. She sold lots of merchandise and concert tickets, (hopefully) saved at least some of the salary that Disney paid her, and (again, hopefully) will be enjoying royalty checks from her CDs and acting career for many years to come.
Some authors believe that if they enjoy even 5 minutes of airtime on a national television show, their lives will be changed forever. Their books will become bestsellers, and when their stay on the bestseller lists is over, they will continue to be strong sellers forever. Their careers will be made, and their futures will be assured.
That's the fantasy, but just one look at Miley Ray Cyrus and other "It" celebrities of short duration can tell you that it isn't enough. Success isn't a one-time event that happens when the producers of a national media outlet pluck you out of the crowd and ask you to appear as a guest, or as an expert, on a show or in a publication. Success is what happens when you work on achieving it, and then maintaining it, throughout your career.
Success is what happens when you get lucky and stay lucky...and, to stay lucky, you have to work at staying lucky.
Anyway, Miley Ray Cyrus was going to be the next...well, whomever teenage singers and actors are hoping to grow up to be these days.
And now, according to a Baltimore Sun article, Miley is, like, so over. Her popularity is dwindling as other tween crowd pleasers, such as the Jonas Brothers, push her right out of the media and out of our collective consciousness.
Miley, of course, enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame. She sold lots of merchandise and concert tickets, (hopefully) saved at least some of the salary that Disney paid her, and (again, hopefully) will be enjoying royalty checks from her CDs and acting career for many years to come.
Some authors believe that if they enjoy even 5 minutes of airtime on a national television show, their lives will be changed forever. Their books will become bestsellers, and when their stay on the bestseller lists is over, they will continue to be strong sellers forever. Their careers will be made, and their futures will be assured.
That's the fantasy, but just one look at Miley Ray Cyrus and other "It" celebrities of short duration can tell you that it isn't enough. Success isn't a one-time event that happens when the producers of a national media outlet pluck you out of the crowd and ask you to appear as a guest, or as an expert, on a show or in a publication. Success is what happens when you work on achieving it, and then maintaining it, throughout your career.
Success is what happens when you get lucky and stay lucky...and, to stay lucky, you have to work at staying lucky.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Good news for me, and bad news for some cable TV subscibers
This is a day when, for one reason or another, I am finding answers to my burning questions -- well, two of them, anyway. I thought I'd share them with you.
First, I've been adding a lot of links to my Firefox toolbar. Finally, I out-linked myself. Most of the links that I wanted to show up on my Firefox toolbar, so that I could have that one-click convenience, were truncated -- and I learned, to my chagrin, that unless you're a programmer, you can't add a second toolbar to Firefox that will let you incorporate your own links (turns out, the type of toolbar that accepts links in Firefox is called a book marks toolbar, and you only get one of those unless you've taken serious geek lessons).
But there's a fix. You can expand the bookmarks toolbar in Firefox so that all of your links show simultaneously. The answer? An add-on, available from Mozilla, called Multi Row Bookmarks Toolbar. It's free, it works, and you can download it here (you just have to sign up as a user, but I can deal with that).
The second burning question to which I received an answer this morning -- and it was not the answer I wanted -- was: Will I really need to rent a box from my cable TV company once the switchover from analog to digital takes place? The bad news is that I probably will, and so will everyone (supposedly) who connects their coaxial cable directly from the wall to their television set. Seems that there are two conversions taking place simultaneously: the conversion of all television signals from analog to digital, and the separate (and highly annoying) conversion of only cable television signals to digital cable television signals.
In a nutshell, everyone who wasn't impressed when the local cable company offered an upgrade to digital service will now have to get impressed -- or live without television-watching capabilities. The latter could be a tough road for a book publicist to traverse. Can you imagine booking an author on "Oprah," and then not being able to watch it? Or imagine not being able to keep up with the new shows on TV?
Or, from the author's perspective -- imagine getting on "Oprah" and not being able to view it? That won't work!
So all cable TV viewers will soon become digital cable TV watchers (read about it here). That will mean renting a digital converter box from the local cable TV company. And that will also mean hooking up the digital converter box to the TV set and the DVD player and the VCR, and figuring out how to use a new remote control, and probably putting up with several additional indignities and inconveniences that I haven't even thought of yet.
So it's off to get a digital converter box from the cable company. And I thought I could avold that hassle.
Oh, well.
First, I've been adding a lot of links to my Firefox toolbar. Finally, I out-linked myself. Most of the links that I wanted to show up on my Firefox toolbar, so that I could have that one-click convenience, were truncated -- and I learned, to my chagrin, that unless you're a programmer, you can't add a second toolbar to Firefox that will let you incorporate your own links (turns out, the type of toolbar that accepts links in Firefox is called a book marks toolbar, and you only get one of those unless you've taken serious geek lessons).
But there's a fix. You can expand the bookmarks toolbar in Firefox so that all of your links show simultaneously. The answer? An add-on, available from Mozilla, called Multi Row Bookmarks Toolbar. It's free, it works, and you can download it here (you just have to sign up as a user, but I can deal with that).
The second burning question to which I received an answer this morning -- and it was not the answer I wanted -- was: Will I really need to rent a box from my cable TV company once the switchover from analog to digital takes place? The bad news is that I probably will, and so will everyone (supposedly) who connects their coaxial cable directly from the wall to their television set. Seems that there are two conversions taking place simultaneously: the conversion of all television signals from analog to digital, and the separate (and highly annoying) conversion of only cable television signals to digital cable television signals.
In a nutshell, everyone who wasn't impressed when the local cable company offered an upgrade to digital service will now have to get impressed -- or live without television-watching capabilities. The latter could be a tough road for a book publicist to traverse. Can you imagine booking an author on "Oprah," and then not being able to watch it? Or imagine not being able to keep up with the new shows on TV?
Or, from the author's perspective -- imagine getting on "Oprah" and not being able to view it? That won't work!
So all cable TV viewers will soon become digital cable TV watchers (read about it here). That will mean renting a digital converter box from the local cable TV company. And that will also mean hooking up the digital converter box to the TV set and the DVD player and the VCR, and figuring out how to use a new remote control, and probably putting up with several additional indignities and inconveniences that I haven't even thought of yet.
So it's off to get a digital converter box from the cable company. And I thought I could avold that hassle.
Oh, well.
Monday, June 30, 2008
What to do with video trailers for books
You've created a video trailer for your book. What should you do with it once you've uploaded it onto your site?
The first order of business would be to make it available via YouTube and Google Video. According to a WebProNews article dated June 26, 2008, YouTube and Google Video, combined, account for 80% of all the online video streaming. Most of those video streaming sessions, as you might guess, take place through YouTube.
So if you have just a few minutes to spend on video trailer distribution, by all means, take the time to upload it to YouTube and Google Video. If you want to maximize the book promotion potential of your video trailer, you'll have to carry your efforts into the arena of the lesser-known sites with a lighter viewership (because they'll still provide backlinks to your video trailer); onto social bookmarketing sites; and in the news.
But, if you have just 30 minutes and a video trailer for your book, and you want to do just two simple things that can instantly increase the book promotion potential of your trailer, then log into YouTube and Google Video. Getting your video trailer for your book onto the right sites isn't difficult, but it does take a bit of focus. So turn off your phone for a few minutes, and get to work. Then treat yourself to a cup of hazelnut coffee. It's Monday...you deserve a second cup.
The first order of business would be to make it available via YouTube and Google Video. According to a WebProNews article dated June 26, 2008, YouTube and Google Video, combined, account for 80% of all the online video streaming. Most of those video streaming sessions, as you might guess, take place through YouTube.
So if you have just a few minutes to spend on video trailer distribution, by all means, take the time to upload it to YouTube and Google Video. If you want to maximize the book promotion potential of your video trailer, you'll have to carry your efforts into the arena of the lesser-known sites with a lighter viewership (because they'll still provide backlinks to your video trailer); onto social bookmarketing sites; and in the news.
But, if you have just 30 minutes and a video trailer for your book, and you want to do just two simple things that can instantly increase the book promotion potential of your trailer, then log into YouTube and Google Video. Getting your video trailer for your book onto the right sites isn't difficult, but it does take a bit of focus. So turn off your phone for a few minutes, and get to work. Then treat yourself to a cup of hazelnut coffee. It's Monday...you deserve a second cup.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Don Imus
Maybe it's just me, but if I were a national radio talk show host, I don't think I'd ever be moved to ask the question, "What color is he." In fact, I'm not a national talk show host -- I'm a book publicist -- and I can't imagine ever finding a reason, or a context, to ask that question.
Don Imus has done it again. You'd think that an employee who, once fired, would feel grateful to be given a second chance -- and you'd think he'd watch the words that spewed forth from his mouth a bit more carefully than most people. Alas; Don Imus is one employee who doesn't seem to learn. If you haven't heard the story by now, then click here.
Yes, I know that being on Don Imus's radio show represents a better-than-average book promotion opportunity. Yes, I know that an appearance on Don Imus's radio show can help sell books. Similarly, robbing a bank can net a person more money than working for a living. But I don't endorse bank robbery as an acceptable career choice, and I don't condone helping Don Imus stay on the air to insult, outrage, and antagonize his listeners. There are too many venues in this world to sell out to someone like Don Imus, no matter how many books an appearance on his show might sell.
This is one book publicist who won't be pitching the Don Imus Show any longer.
Don Imus has done it again. You'd think that an employee who, once fired, would feel grateful to be given a second chance -- and you'd think he'd watch the words that spewed forth from his mouth a bit more carefully than most people. Alas; Don Imus is one employee who doesn't seem to learn. If you haven't heard the story by now, then click here.
Yes, I know that being on Don Imus's radio show represents a better-than-average book promotion opportunity. Yes, I know that an appearance on Don Imus's radio show can help sell books. Similarly, robbing a bank can net a person more money than working for a living. But I don't endorse bank robbery as an acceptable career choice, and I don't condone helping Don Imus stay on the air to insult, outrage, and antagonize his listeners. There are too many venues in this world to sell out to someone like Don Imus, no matter how many books an appearance on his show might sell.
This is one book publicist who won't be pitching the Don Imus Show any longer.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Book Publishing for Children
Why should you be the only author in your family? If you have creative children, they can write and print their own books via a P.O.D. company that was created just for kids: Tikatok. Although the site seems to be in the testing phase now (the site, which launched in March, has "beta" as part of its URL, so I'm assuming it's still in the beta stage), it's already receiving visibility. In fact, the Boston Herald had an article about it this morning that talked about an event, taking place at the Boston Public Library (one of my favorite places on the planet) on July 8, for kids who want to learn how to use Tikatok.
How many of us fantasized about having our own books published when we were kids? And how many of us actually could fulfill that dream back then?
Thanks to Tikatok, kids can put "publishing a book" into the same category as "getting an ipod." In other words, not every young person will find a parent who's willing to invest in the dream.
On the other hand, what a small investment it is, relatively speaking. And how rich the rewards!
How many of us fantasized about having our own books published when we were kids? And how many of us actually could fulfill that dream back then?
Thanks to Tikatok, kids can put "publishing a book" into the same category as "getting an ipod." In other words, not every young person will find a parent who's willing to invest in the dream.
On the other hand, what a small investment it is, relatively speaking. And how rich the rewards!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Email addresses can offer book promotion opportunities, too.
Free email addresses provide yet another book promotion opportunity. If you can grab another mainstream email address that features your name (or your book title) without a lot of superfluous numbers, wouldn't you do so?
Well, at -- supposedly -- 3:00PM EST today, you'll get that chance.
Yahoo is unveiling two new email domains: Ymail and Rocketmail. So get there early (I'm assuming that "there" means Yahoo.com, but I wouldn't swear to it), and sign up for the user name of your choice.
At least, getting one or two new email addresses that feature your name, or your book's name, is another low-pain, potentially high-gain, book promotion opportunity. And at best, you'll be preventing a competitor from "stealing" the name that could benefit you and your book promotion campaign.
So go for it. Check out this article, and then get ready to sign up for a new email account!
Well, at -- supposedly -- 3:00PM EST today, you'll get that chance.
Yahoo is unveiling two new email domains: Ymail and Rocketmail. So get there early (I'm assuming that "there" means Yahoo.com, but I wouldn't swear to it), and sign up for the user name of your choice.
At least, getting one or two new email addresses that feature your name, or your book's name, is another low-pain, potentially high-gain, book promotion opportunity. And at best, you'll be preventing a competitor from "stealing" the name that could benefit you and your book promotion campaign.
So go for it. Check out this article, and then get ready to sign up for a new email account!
Friday, June 13, 2008
A seemingly odd, but nonetheless worthwhile, book promotion idea.
By now, you've discovered Wikipedia. Whatever you think of Wikipedia -- whether you love it or hate it -- you've surely noticed that, regardless of what you're "googling," a Wikipedia entry almost always seems to turn up first in the search results.
We all know that (to be polite about it) Wikipedia's information is only as good as those who have contributed to its entries. That, of course, can be anyone, which is why "Wikipedia" is called a "wiki." It's produced by anyone with something to add, which means that Wikipedia shouldn't be your primary source of information. It's just not as reliable as it would be if, say, it couldn't be updated instantly, by anyone, at any time (although, in fairness, the site's editorial board to try to keep an eye on those updates and have even challenged some of my entries when I've inadvertently "under"-footnoted).
Anyway, what brought Wikipedia to mind is that, unfortunately, Tim Russert has just passed away. I wanted to see Russert's bio, so I googled him and -- predictably -- his Wikipedia entry came up first. What really made my eyes pop was that Russert's entry notes his death. I checked the entry a few minutes ago, and the entry already had been updated to include an unexpected death that had occurred less than three hours before.
People are using Wikipedia, and you should be using it, too, whatever your feelings about a democratic encyclopedia that allows anyone, regardless of credentials, to offer suggestions. It's easy to enter your own bio in Wikipedia and, hopefully, score a backlink to your Web site and your fair share of Google's attention. Yes, it's an offbeat book promotion idea, but it's one that authors and publishers should be using, anyway. Try it, and don't be shy -- it's impossible to "break" Wikipedia or your own entry. I promise. You can always edit your offering once you've uploaded it to Wikipedia to test it out "live."
We all know that (to be polite about it) Wikipedia's information is only as good as those who have contributed to its entries. That, of course, can be anyone, which is why "Wikipedia" is called a "wiki." It's produced by anyone with something to add, which means that Wikipedia shouldn't be your primary source of information. It's just not as reliable as it would be if, say, it couldn't be updated instantly, by anyone, at any time (although, in fairness, the site's editorial board to try to keep an eye on those updates and have even challenged some of my entries when I've inadvertently "under"-footnoted).
Anyway, what brought Wikipedia to mind is that, unfortunately, Tim Russert has just passed away. I wanted to see Russert's bio, so I googled him and -- predictably -- his Wikipedia entry came up first. What really made my eyes pop was that Russert's entry notes his death. I checked the entry a few minutes ago, and the entry already had been updated to include an unexpected death that had occurred less than three hours before.
People are using Wikipedia, and you should be using it, too, whatever your feelings about a democratic encyclopedia that allows anyone, regardless of credentials, to offer suggestions. It's easy to enter your own bio in Wikipedia and, hopefully, score a backlink to your Web site and your fair share of Google's attention. Yes, it's an offbeat book promotion idea, but it's one that authors and publishers should be using, anyway. Try it, and don't be shy -- it's impossible to "break" Wikipedia or your own entry. I promise. You can always edit your offering once you've uploaded it to Wikipedia to test it out "live."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Book promotion requires...
Book publicists get to do a lot of exciting things, and this book publicist isn't complaining about them. However, book promotion also requires computer and telephone time -- that's butt-in-the-chair time -- and, therefore, book promotion requires a good, comfortable chair.
In all the time that I've been a book promotion specialist, I've been using an armless, nearly backless, drafting chair to sit at my computer desk. Guess what? Those days are about to come to an end. Tomorrow, a high-backed, ergonomically-correct manager's chair should arrive from Staples.
I seldom treat myself to the luxuries of office life (I'd still be using my monochrome CRT monitor, if it were up to me), but just this once, I thought I'd grab what my back and legs needed. Book promotion requires creativity and hard work, and both creativity and hard work require a chair that one can actually sit in without adding chair cushions for height, padding, or better positioning.
My book promotion clients will thank me. I just wish one of them would offer to swing by tomorrow and assemble my chair for me.
In all the time that I've been a book promotion specialist, I've been using an armless, nearly backless, drafting chair to sit at my computer desk. Guess what? Those days are about to come to an end. Tomorrow, a high-backed, ergonomically-correct manager's chair should arrive from Staples.
I seldom treat myself to the luxuries of office life (I'd still be using my monochrome CRT monitor, if it were up to me), but just this once, I thought I'd grab what my back and legs needed. Book promotion requires creativity and hard work, and both creativity and hard work require a chair that one can actually sit in without adding chair cushions for height, padding, or better positioning.
My book promotion clients will thank me. I just wish one of them would offer to swing by tomorrow and assemble my chair for me.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Book Promotion: What's New?
What's new in book promotion? According to a June 10, 2008 Boston Herald article by Lauren Beckham Falcone, everything about book promotion -- for novelists, anyway -- is new. Publishers expect their novelists to spend as much time building their brand as they do writing their novels.
That's fine, but what are publishers expecting their novelists to do by way of book promotion? Appear on the Oprah Show? ? Do an inteview with the New Yorker? Get a guest gig on "Fresh Air"?
Nope, that's too simple. According to Falcone, publishers today expect their novelists to appear in retail stores, on MySpace, and even -- at least in the case of Emily Giffin, the author of a St. Martin's bestseller called Love the One You’re With -- to appear on a televised soap opera!
If you're still thinking that traditional book reviews will appease your publisher and fulfill your book promotion duties, think again. A new age of book promotion is dawning, and book publicists are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on creative ways to help you build your brand. Get ready to meet your readers -- under conditions you never would have dreamt of just a few years ago!
That's fine, but what are publishers expecting their novelists to do by way of book promotion? Appear on the Oprah Show? ? Do an inteview with the New Yorker? Get a guest gig on "Fresh Air"?
Nope, that's too simple. According to Falcone, publishers today expect their novelists to appear in retail stores, on MySpace, and even -- at least in the case of Emily Giffin, the author of a St. Martin's bestseller called Love the One You’re With -- to appear on a televised soap opera!
If you're still thinking that traditional book reviews will appease your publisher and fulfill your book promotion duties, think again. A new age of book promotion is dawning, and book publicists are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on creative ways to help you build your brand. Get ready to meet your readers -- under conditions you never would have dreamt of just a few years ago!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Change, Change, Change
Well, literary boys and girls, I'm sorry to be the book publicist to break it to you, but...well, there's just not easy way to say this. Amazon and Borders are getting a divorce.
It wasn't anything that you did. In fact, it wasn't about you at all. It was just that Borders needed its own Web site. Sometimes, that happens, even when two companies loved each other once upon a time and cohabitated (or, at least, shared a Web site) for years and years (in this case, seven years).
Borders new Web site, you may not be surprised to learn, is Borders.com/. And Publishers Weekly's story about the Amazon / Borders breakup is right here.
Note that Baker and Taylor is handling fulfillment for Borders.com. Also, whereas Amazon offers free shipping for book orders that total more than $25, Borders lets you pick up orders at your local bricks-and-mortar bookstore for just the price of the gas you'll need to get there. Hmmm....
It wasn't anything that you did. In fact, it wasn't about you at all. It was just that Borders needed its own Web site. Sometimes, that happens, even when two companies loved each other once upon a time and cohabitated (or, at least, shared a Web site) for years and years (in this case, seven years).
Borders new Web site, you may not be surprised to learn, is Borders.com/. And Publishers Weekly's story about the Amazon / Borders breakup is right here.
Note that Baker and Taylor is handling fulfillment for Borders.com. Also, whereas Amazon offers free shipping for book orders that total more than $25, Borders lets you pick up orders at your local bricks-and-mortar bookstore for just the price of the gas you'll need to get there. Hmmm....
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Stifle yourself, Barry Nolan?
Barry Nolan, beloved Boston media personality, was told to stifle his outrage at the local Emmy Award that was granted to Fox News Channel's Bill O’Reilly. He didn't. He was fired from his hosting job at "Backstage" that airs on CN8, The Comcast Network.
Acoording to a Boston Herald article, Nolan knew he was risking his job when he disseminated leaflets that contained some of O'Reilly's quotations, but "nobody likes it when people tell them to stifle, not even Edith Bunker."
No, they don't. And I'm surprised and disappointed that a major market media outlet such as CN8 would penalize Barry Nolan -- a personality whom Bostonians grew to admire during his days as co-host of the long-gone, but never forgotten "Evening Magazine" -- for his respectful and justified demonstration of dismay over the local Emmy Award's choice of honorees.
We, as media consumers, enjoy telling ourselves that we control the media with our choices. If we admire Barry Nolan, then we watch him, and he gets more airtime. If we find Bill O’Reilly's belligerence intolerable, then we ignore him, and he gets less airtime.
It seems that, in this case, media consumers didn't get a vote. But, if this media consumer did get a vote, then TV viewers in New England would continue enjoying Barry Nolan for many, many years to come as the host of "Backstage," and Bill O’Reilly would be pounding the pavement right now looking for another platform for his malice.
I also believe that no one -- no author, no expert, and no well-intentioned person with a respectful message to disseminate -- should be barred from airing that message. No one should be "stifled." And certainly not a good soul like Nolan.
But that's just this media consumer's opinion.
Acoording to a Boston Herald article, Nolan knew he was risking his job when he disseminated leaflets that contained some of O'Reilly's quotations, but "nobody likes it when people tell them to stifle, not even Edith Bunker."
No, they don't. And I'm surprised and disappointed that a major market media outlet such as CN8 would penalize Barry Nolan -- a personality whom Bostonians grew to admire during his days as co-host of the long-gone, but never forgotten "Evening Magazine" -- for his respectful and justified demonstration of dismay over the local Emmy Award's choice of honorees.
We, as media consumers, enjoy telling ourselves that we control the media with our choices. If we admire Barry Nolan, then we watch him, and he gets more airtime. If we find Bill O’Reilly's belligerence intolerable, then we ignore him, and he gets less airtime.
It seems that, in this case, media consumers didn't get a vote. But, if this media consumer did get a vote, then TV viewers in New England would continue enjoying Barry Nolan for many, many years to come as the host of "Backstage," and Bill O’Reilly would be pounding the pavement right now looking for another platform for his malice.
I also believe that no one -- no author, no expert, and no well-intentioned person with a respectful message to disseminate -- should be barred from airing that message. No one should be "stifled." And certainly not a good soul like Nolan.
But that's just this media consumer's opinion.
Friday, May 16, 2008
As a consequence of a book tour...
As a consequence of a book tour, there is now something singular and very much appreciated available on FoxNews.com: a decent current photo of William Shatner. Well, everything's relative.
Shatner's new book is called Up Till Now. He appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor," as part of his book tour, to promote it. You can reach the transcript of the interview online, in case you missed it.
Naturally, the interview revolves around the famous "Star Trek" feud. It turns out that Shatner and Nimoy did not instantly love each other, nor did everyone else in the "Star Trek" cast necessarily worship at Captain Kirk's shrine.
Big shock there, huh?
Seems that, even if you're William Shatner, you still have to pitch the "news hook" to producers if you want to promote your book, and then suffer the indignity of seeing the interview focus solely on that.
Bummer.
But, okay. At least we got a reasonably bearable new photo of William Shatner out of it. Beats watching those Priceline commericals.
Shatner's new book is called Up Till Now. He appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor," as part of his book tour, to promote it. You can reach the transcript of the interview online, in case you missed it.
Naturally, the interview revolves around the famous "Star Trek" feud. It turns out that Shatner and Nimoy did not instantly love each other, nor did everyone else in the "Star Trek" cast necessarily worship at Captain Kirk's shrine.
Big shock there, huh?
Seems that, even if you're William Shatner, you still have to pitch the "news hook" to producers if you want to promote your book, and then suffer the indignity of seeing the interview focus solely on that.
Bummer.
But, okay. At least we got a reasonably bearable new photo of William Shatner out of it. Beats watching those Priceline commericals.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
And speaking of social networking...
How funny! I was just blogging about social networking and the fact that Facebook (and other social networking sites) are rendering Oprah (and other traditional media venues) irrelevant for the under-25 crowd. And now I read an article on a ZDnet blog that announces Comcast's acquisition of Plaxo.
Which means (says the social-networking savvy book publicist) that a cable television giant has just melded its world with that of a social network. By extension, that may mean that, in the not-so-distant future, any TV show that you (or members of the millennium generation) are watching may have to compete with on-air updates, invitations, pokes, messages, and who-knows-what-else from their online social networking buddies.
Think about it. You've finally scored a national TV show appearance. You've even enticed a wider audience than your specific target audience to the airing of that TV show. It's the perfect, dream-come-true book promotion opportunity. And then -- SLAM! -- your appearance is interrupted by special bulletins from Plaxo members across the globe who must, must let other Plaxo users know about the date they had last night or an upcoming exam or....
It's a vastly different world out there for those of who promote books. Ready? Get set? Learn!
Which means (says the social-networking savvy book publicist) that a cable television giant has just melded its world with that of a social network. By extension, that may mean that, in the not-so-distant future, any TV show that you (or members of the millennium generation) are watching may have to compete with on-air updates, invitations, pokes, messages, and who-knows-what-else from their online social networking buddies.
Think about it. You've finally scored a national TV show appearance. You've even enticed a wider audience than your specific target audience to the airing of that TV show. It's the perfect, dream-come-true book promotion opportunity. And then -- SLAM! -- your appearance is interrupted by special bulletins from Plaxo members across the globe who must, must let other Plaxo users know about the date they had last night or an upcoming exam or....
It's a vastly different world out there for those of who promote books. Ready? Get set? Learn!
More confessions of a book publicist
This book publicist has to confess something: this morning, she wrote on a wall. But it wasn't vandalism or desecration. No. The wall in question was a Facebook feature. And another thing: this book publicist was invited to write on it, and that makes a difference.
At least, I think it does.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I am not only a book publicist. I am also an adult, and in a perfect world, I wouldn't have to ever log onto Facebook, mySpace, or any other social networking venue. I could beg off and let the young'uns play in their virtual world while I limited my communications to, well, the real world.
But here's the thing. Book promotion is what I do for a living, and although I'm still conducting book promotion campaigns the way that I did 15 years ago, I'm also integrating new book promotion strategies that weren't even invented 5 years ago.
To me, keeping up with the new methods of communication and media outlets is an important part of my job. How can I function effectively as a book promotion specialist if everyone under age 25 is scrawling on a Facebook wall, and reading other users' Facebook walls, unless I can scale a Facebook wall, too?
And how can I know that mySpace is "out" and Facebook is "in" until, as a registered user of both sites, I've noticed a lack of activity on one site and a surge of activity on the other?
Ultimately, how can anyone promote books if she's only targeting traditional media outlets, and media consumers under age 25 don't even turn on their television sets except to watch DVDs?
So, yes, I'm exploring some of the social networks, and I'm toying with texting instead of emailing, and I'm twittering, and I'm keeping up with everything that's invented, as it's invented, and I think anyone who's seriously contemplating a book promotion camaign has to be experimenting with more media outlets, and more types of communication, than the old tried-and-true venues.
Sure, we're adults. But those who spend their free time writing on Facebook walls won't necessarily hold that against us. And twittering? That's as legal for us grownups as it is for the college crowd. Unless new laws are now published first on Facebook....
At least, I think it does.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I am not only a book publicist. I am also an adult, and in a perfect world, I wouldn't have to ever log onto Facebook, mySpace, or any other social networking venue. I could beg off and let the young'uns play in their virtual world while I limited my communications to, well, the real world.
But here's the thing. Book promotion is what I do for a living, and although I'm still conducting book promotion campaigns the way that I did 15 years ago, I'm also integrating new book promotion strategies that weren't even invented 5 years ago.
To me, keeping up with the new methods of communication and media outlets is an important part of my job. How can I function effectively as a book promotion specialist if everyone under age 25 is scrawling on a Facebook wall, and reading other users' Facebook walls, unless I can scale a Facebook wall, too?
And how can I know that mySpace is "out" and Facebook is "in" until, as a registered user of both sites, I've noticed a lack of activity on one site and a surge of activity on the other?
Ultimately, how can anyone promote books if she's only targeting traditional media outlets, and media consumers under age 25 don't even turn on their television sets except to watch DVDs?
So, yes, I'm exploring some of the social networks, and I'm toying with texting instead of emailing, and I'm twittering, and I'm keeping up with everything that's invented, as it's invented, and I think anyone who's seriously contemplating a book promotion camaign has to be experimenting with more media outlets, and more types of communication, than the old tried-and-true venues.
Sure, we're adults. But those who spend their free time writing on Facebook walls won't necessarily hold that against us. And twittering? That's as legal for us grownups as it is for the college crowd. Unless new laws are now published first on Facebook....
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A reflection on the media
Every now and again, you realize that book promotion isn't the most important thing in the world. In China, at least 18,000 people may have lost their lives because of an earthquake. I can't imagine the suffering the Chinese are experiencing now. I can empathize, because I've felt pain -- but not that kind of pain.
And, as a separate but related matter, try to imagine this: You're a journalist in Myanmar. You've just survived a natural disaster that has killed thousands. And now you're living in fear of the government which, according to a CNN.com article, is scapegoating members of the media now. See (I'm trying to see, but again, it's almost impossible to imagine this): the government feels that, if word about how tragic the cyclone really was ever leaked out beyond Myanmar, then its (the government's) credibility would be undermined. Therefore, journalists must fear for their lives if they do their jobs and report the story.
You know, we're trying to get publicity for books, and we see journalists as a means to an end: increased visibility and, ultimately, more book sales. But try telling a Myanmar-based journalist whose life is in danger today that your focus is on book promotion. Sort of puts things in perspective for this book publicist.
But here's a story that I read yesterday that makes me feel that, sometimes, journalists have the best job in the world. Before her widely-published obituary, had you ever heard of Irena Sendler? To see her picture is to know that she was an angel. Ms. Sendler was a Polish hero who saved the lives of 2,800 Jewish children and babies during World War 2. She went into the Warsaw Ghetto, and she found a way to take out these children -- illegally, obviously -- and to give them a chance. What's more, she made a list of their real names hoping that somehow, some way, they could be reunited with their biological families after the war.
Well.
Ms. Sendler was living in relative obscurity in Poland until a journalist, somewhere, figured out who she was and what she'd done. Now she's the object of worldwide appreciation, veneration, and awe.
That's what a journalist should be doing. They shouldn't be in hiding, and they shouldn't be fearing a knock on their doors, as they must be now in Myanmar.
As my immigrant grandmother told me about 15 million times, during her lifetime, we are very lucky to be U.S. citizens. We may not always appreciate it, but on days like today, I think I do. Reflecting on the media makes me realize how lucky we are to be here, now, and contacting the media about our books -- rather than trying to find food, water, shelter, or lost family members.
And, as a separate but related matter, try to imagine this: You're a journalist in Myanmar. You've just survived a natural disaster that has killed thousands. And now you're living in fear of the government which, according to a CNN.com article, is scapegoating members of the media now. See (I'm trying to see, but again, it's almost impossible to imagine this): the government feels that, if word about how tragic the cyclone really was ever leaked out beyond Myanmar, then its (the government's) credibility would be undermined. Therefore, journalists must fear for their lives if they do their jobs and report the story.
You know, we're trying to get publicity for books, and we see journalists as a means to an end: increased visibility and, ultimately, more book sales. But try telling a Myanmar-based journalist whose life is in danger today that your focus is on book promotion. Sort of puts things in perspective for this book publicist.
But here's a story that I read yesterday that makes me feel that, sometimes, journalists have the best job in the world. Before her widely-published obituary, had you ever heard of Irena Sendler? To see her picture is to know that she was an angel. Ms. Sendler was a Polish hero who saved the lives of 2,800 Jewish children and babies during World War 2. She went into the Warsaw Ghetto, and she found a way to take out these children -- illegally, obviously -- and to give them a chance. What's more, she made a list of their real names hoping that somehow, some way, they could be reunited with their biological families after the war.
Well.
Ms. Sendler was living in relative obscurity in Poland until a journalist, somewhere, figured out who she was and what she'd done. Now she's the object of worldwide appreciation, veneration, and awe.
That's what a journalist should be doing. They shouldn't be in hiding, and they shouldn't be fearing a knock on their doors, as they must be now in Myanmar.
As my immigrant grandmother told me about 15 million times, during her lifetime, we are very lucky to be U.S. citizens. We may not always appreciate it, but on days like today, I think I do. Reflecting on the media makes me realize how lucky we are to be here, now, and contacting the media about our books -- rather than trying to find food, water, shelter, or lost family members.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Spreading Your Eggs Into Various Baskets
The key to success -- book promotion success, or any other kind of success -- is to spread your eggs into various baskets. Thinking "this is the one!" or "getting on this show will be the making of my book!" is a sure-fire way to disappoint yourself and sabotage your book promotion campaign.
Here's a case in point: authors who think that Google is the only search engine in town, and who are putting all their SEO (search engine optimization) eggs into Google's basket will be in for a hard landing (and a painful reality check) when the Next Big Thing in search engines comes along, and Google is out of the picture.
I just read an article on MSNBC.com called "Where Does Google Go Next" that talked about employees fleeing Google, as they do all companies -- whereas, once upon a time, they probably had hoped that working at Google would be a lifetime appointment. The article points out that Google, too, is vulnerable to the shortcomings of all companies.
It's hard to think about the Great and Almight Google as a corporation, but that's all it is: an ordinary companies that has risen high and, one day, will hit the earth again. Signs of that are already visible. Imagine if Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo really came to fruition? Good grief! How fast can you refocus your SEO efforts, when the need arises?
So, yes, optimizing your book Web site for Google is still the smart thing to do. But be ready for that to change. One day, in the forseeable future, gaining visibility for your book Web site will be focuses on a search engine other than Google. And authors and publishers who put all their digital eggs into Google's basket might find their book promotion campaign floundering because of that choice.
Here's a case in point: authors who think that Google is the only search engine in town, and who are putting all their SEO (search engine optimization) eggs into Google's basket will be in for a hard landing (and a painful reality check) when the Next Big Thing in search engines comes along, and Google is out of the picture.
I just read an article on MSNBC.com called "Where Does Google Go Next" that talked about employees fleeing Google, as they do all companies -- whereas, once upon a time, they probably had hoped that working at Google would be a lifetime appointment. The article points out that Google, too, is vulnerable to the shortcomings of all companies.
It's hard to think about the Great and Almight Google as a corporation, but that's all it is: an ordinary companies that has risen high and, one day, will hit the earth again. Signs of that are already visible. Imagine if Microsoft's offer to buy Yahoo really came to fruition? Good grief! How fast can you refocus your SEO efforts, when the need arises?
So, yes, optimizing your book Web site for Google is still the smart thing to do. But be ready for that to change. One day, in the forseeable future, gaining visibility for your book Web site will be focuses on a search engine other than Google. And authors and publishers who put all their digital eggs into Google's basket might find their book promotion campaign floundering because of that choice.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Book Promotion Costs Increase - Part 2
Well, the Post Office Guy let me down. As of yesterday, he still didn't know how much it would cost to mail flat-rate Priority evelopes -- the type that I routinely use for mailing out books and press kits to the media. I know. I asked. He shrugged.
The Supervisor Post Office Guy heard and saw the exchange, and he jumped into the conversation. Yay! A Supervisor Post Office Guy! Now I'd get the answer! I was especially hopeful to get clarity about the book promotion costs increase -- which will take effect on Monday -- when the Supervisor Post Office Guy offered up the information that he'd ordered the new postage. Yay! An answer! And what, exactly, will the book promotion cost increase be, Mr. Supervisor Post Office Guy?
Well, he couldn't say, exactly. He knows that he ordered $4.80 stamps (the old rate for flat-rate Priority envelopes was $4.60). But he doesn't know for sure whether $4.80 will be enough to mail all my flat-rate Priority packages. In fact, lamentably, the Supervisor Post Office Guy doesn't know if there will still be a flat-rate Priority package rate as of Monday.
Priority rates might depend on zones which, as you've probably learned by now (presuming you use the US Postal Service to mail packages as part of your book promotion campaign), is post office parlance for "the distance your package is traveling." So, if your package is crossing enough zones -- according to the Supervisor Post Office Guy at my local post office -- then the $4.80 rate might increase. Maybe. To something, that he can't say just now. Because he doesn't know for sure.
In fact, he suggested that I just sit tight until Monday, when he and I can find out together.
I love surprises. Most people love surprises.
So here's a surprise that awaits us. We'll be surprised to find out how our book promotion campaign costs will increase as of Monday.
Yay.
The Supervisor Post Office Guy heard and saw the exchange, and he jumped into the conversation. Yay! A Supervisor Post Office Guy! Now I'd get the answer! I was especially hopeful to get clarity about the book promotion costs increase -- which will take effect on Monday -- when the Supervisor Post Office Guy offered up the information that he'd ordered the new postage. Yay! An answer! And what, exactly, will the book promotion cost increase be, Mr. Supervisor Post Office Guy?
Well, he couldn't say, exactly. He knows that he ordered $4.80 stamps (the old rate for flat-rate Priority envelopes was $4.60). But he doesn't know for sure whether $4.80 will be enough to mail all my flat-rate Priority packages. In fact, lamentably, the Supervisor Post Office Guy doesn't know if there will still be a flat-rate Priority package rate as of Monday.
Priority rates might depend on zones which, as you've probably learned by now (presuming you use the US Postal Service to mail packages as part of your book promotion campaign), is post office parlance for "the distance your package is traveling." So, if your package is crossing enough zones -- according to the Supervisor Post Office Guy at my local post office -- then the $4.80 rate might increase. Maybe. To something, that he can't say just now. Because he doesn't know for sure.
In fact, he suggested that I just sit tight until Monday, when he and I can find out together.
I love surprises. Most people love surprises.
So here's a surprise that awaits us. We'll be surprised to find out how our book promotion campaign costs will increase as of Monday.
Yay.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Book Promotion Costs Increase
If you use the US Postal Service's flat-rate Priority offering to mail books and media kits, then the price of your book promotion campaign is about to increase. As of Monday, the rates will change. That's the good news.
Well, okay, it's not good news, but it's the best news that I have for you.
As I mailed out a handful of books and media kits today via the flat-rate Priority service, I asked the Post Office Guy at my local branch what the new rates would be. The Post Office Guy shrugged sheepishly and showed me his voluminous update postage rate information package that covered every possible postage rate increase-related topic under the sun -- but didn't contain even a hint about upcoming Priority rate changes.
The Post Office Guy, who has spent much of the past 15 years or so helping hapless customers like me keep up with the ever-evolving rules, quirks, and pricing structures of the US Postal Service, promised to put a note into my post office box with the information I requested as soon as it becomes available. "Or you can just come in here with some unstamped flat-rate Priority packages on Monday and be surprised," offered the Post Office Guy as an alternative.
Thanks, Post Office Guy. And thank you, too, Pundits in Charge of the US Postal Services Communication Flow. Thanks to all of you, I now know exactly how much my book promotion campaign costs are going to increase as of next week, and I can clearly inform my cilents and other concerned citizens who are in the midst of book promotion campaigns about what the specific changes will be.
Any time after the new rates take effect, that is.
Oh, yeah. And one more thing. The Post Office Guy told me that the flat-rate Express service the Postal Service once offered is no longer exactly a flat-rate service. The rate will depend, in part, on the destination zone. He fears the same will be true of the new flat-rate Priority rates, but he can't say for sure. Stay tuned...or check with your local post office on Monday.
Well, okay, it's not good news, but it's the best news that I have for you.
As I mailed out a handful of books and media kits today via the flat-rate Priority service, I asked the Post Office Guy at my local branch what the new rates would be. The Post Office Guy shrugged sheepishly and showed me his voluminous update postage rate information package that covered every possible postage rate increase-related topic under the sun -- but didn't contain even a hint about upcoming Priority rate changes.
The Post Office Guy, who has spent much of the past 15 years or so helping hapless customers like me keep up with the ever-evolving rules, quirks, and pricing structures of the US Postal Service, promised to put a note into my post office box with the information I requested as soon as it becomes available. "Or you can just come in here with some unstamped flat-rate Priority packages on Monday and be surprised," offered the Post Office Guy as an alternative.
Thanks, Post Office Guy. And thank you, too, Pundits in Charge of the US Postal Services Communication Flow. Thanks to all of you, I now know exactly how much my book promotion campaign costs are going to increase as of next week, and I can clearly inform my cilents and other concerned citizens who are in the midst of book promotion campaigns about what the specific changes will be.
Any time after the new rates take effect, that is.
Oh, yeah. And one more thing. The Post Office Guy told me that the flat-rate Express service the Postal Service once offered is no longer exactly a flat-rate service. The rate will depend, in part, on the destination zone. He fears the same will be true of the new flat-rate Priority rates, but he can't say for sure. Stay tuned...or check with your local post office on Monday.
Perfect Book Promotion Pitches
If you send out a lot of book promotion pitches, the way that I do, then you write for a tough audience: the media. In fact, if the editors and writers of top magazines and newspapers are on your media contact list, then you are writing for the toughest -- and, potentially, the most critical -- audience imaginable. A press kit (and that term now includes traditional press kits as well as online, digital press kits) is not the place to demonstrate your confusion about grammar, spelling, or word usage. Even casual emails to the media -- surprise! -- have to be cogent, correct, cohesive, and clear.
It's easy to write perfectly, all the time, if you're a well-programmed software program -- but I've never met an author, publisher, or book publicist who falls into that category. Alas. The second-best way to create book promotion pitches that enhance your credibility, rather than encourage recipients to roll their eyes and shake their heads, is to look up anything of which you're unsure.
I've just found a great online resource, and I want to share it with everyone who's in the midst of a book promotion campaign. In fact, I want to share it with everyone on the planet! Note: The site doesn't charge users, and even if it ever starts to charge users, the owners aren't paying me a referral fee. My enthusiasm comes not from the potential to profit from this referral but, rather, from my deep and abiding love of the English language. Check out this link: http://www.bartleby.com/.
Why? I'm glad you asked. On Bartleby's Web site, you'll find searchable copies of Fowler's The King's English (yes, it's British, but still); The Elements of Style; the American Heritage® Book of English Usage, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, and more.
Finding this site has made my day. It's also eliminated my last excuse for getting anything wrong, ever, in any of my outbound book promotion pitches.
It's also, potentially, addictive. Note to clients: Don't worry, I'm bookmarking the site now and won't click it on again until after hours. I can do it! I can do it!
It's easy to write perfectly, all the time, if you're a well-programmed software program -- but I've never met an author, publisher, or book publicist who falls into that category. Alas. The second-best way to create book promotion pitches that enhance your credibility, rather than encourage recipients to roll their eyes and shake their heads, is to look up anything of which you're unsure.
I've just found a great online resource, and I want to share it with everyone who's in the midst of a book promotion campaign. In fact, I want to share it with everyone on the planet! Note: The site doesn't charge users, and even if it ever starts to charge users, the owners aren't paying me a referral fee. My enthusiasm comes not from the potential to profit from this referral but, rather, from my deep and abiding love of the English language. Check out this link: http://www.bartleby.com/.
Why? I'm glad you asked. On Bartleby's Web site, you'll find searchable copies of Fowler's The King's English (yes, it's British, but still); The Elements of Style; the American Heritage® Book of English Usage, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, and more.
Finding this site has made my day. It's also eliminated my last excuse for getting anything wrong, ever, in any of my outbound book promotion pitches.
It's also, potentially, addictive. Note to clients: Don't worry, I'm bookmarking the site now and won't click it on again until after hours. I can do it! I can do it!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Book promotion mistake: torturing your message
Don't get me wrong. One of the most effective ways to garner book promotion opportunities is to tie your book (and blog, seminars, multimedia book shows, podcasts, and other informational offerings) into the headlines. As a book publicist, it's part of my job to keep an eye on news stories and current events, and to suggest ways to tie your messages into the news.
But a common mistake this book publicist sees is: taking it too far.
If there's a presidential election coming up, suddenly, every author is trying to find a presidential election media angle. Sometimes, it works, but when you have to put your message through torturous machinations ("as a nutritionist, I can talk about how Hillary Clinton's diet has probably changed during the campaign based on how her clothes seem to be fitting her" or "as a real estate professional, I'd suggest waiting until the Democratic party has nominated its candidate before putting your home on the market") to justify a pitch.
I've had two clients, already, ask me to craft a pitch to the media that would run something like, "here's some fashion advice for Barak, Hillary, and John" and "here are the five verbal mistakes that the presidential candidates must avoid."
Now put yourself in the shoes of a producer or editor. Every publicist who approaches you, and every author and publisher who pitches you, has an election-related media angle. Every one of them wants to advise presidential candidates. And you've been running dozens of election stories each week, and you've spoken with hundreds of experts who are tying their messages into the election. You've heard thousands of election-related news hooks, and at this point, you have election story ideas all over your desk, your floor, your email box, and your voice mail. You're drowning in election stories.
Which would appeal to you more: yet another election-related news hook, or an unrelated story idea?
The answer is that, when coverage of a particular news event (today, it's the presidential election, but soon it will be another story -- a celebrity's demise, another O. J. Simpson trial, a natural disaster, or what-have-you) reaches the saturation point, then the media welcomes -- in fact, the media demands -- other story pitches.
Be bold. When other authors, publishers, and book publicists are offering advice to presidential candidates or Britney Spears or O. J. Simpson, try offering a more hard-hitting news angle. Conversely, when the news is filled with natural disasters, crime, and morbid economic predictioins, try pitching a light feature story idea. Instead of torturing your message to fit the news story of the day, offer your expertise in ways that the media will find refreshing.
Producers and editors, too, need a break from politics (and the recession, and O.J., and the Olympics, and...). During those times -- when the media is weighing itself down with the same-old, same-old news hooks -- try offering them something, and I think you'll see the book promotion opportunities you've been seeking.
But a common mistake this book publicist sees is: taking it too far.
If there's a presidential election coming up, suddenly, every author is trying to find a presidential election media angle. Sometimes, it works, but when you have to put your message through torturous machinations ("as a nutritionist, I can talk about how Hillary Clinton's diet has probably changed during the campaign based on how her clothes seem to be fitting her" or "as a real estate professional, I'd suggest waiting until the Democratic party has nominated its candidate before putting your home on the market") to justify a pitch.
I've had two clients, already, ask me to craft a pitch to the media that would run something like, "here's some fashion advice for Barak, Hillary, and John" and "here are the five verbal mistakes that the presidential candidates must avoid."
Now put yourself in the shoes of a producer or editor. Every publicist who approaches you, and every author and publisher who pitches you, has an election-related media angle. Every one of them wants to advise presidential candidates. And you've been running dozens of election stories each week, and you've spoken with hundreds of experts who are tying their messages into the election. You've heard thousands of election-related news hooks, and at this point, you have election story ideas all over your desk, your floor, your email box, and your voice mail. You're drowning in election stories.
Which would appeal to you more: yet another election-related news hook, or an unrelated story idea?
The answer is that, when coverage of a particular news event (today, it's the presidential election, but soon it will be another story -- a celebrity's demise, another O. J. Simpson trial, a natural disaster, or what-have-you) reaches the saturation point, then the media welcomes -- in fact, the media demands -- other story pitches.
Be bold. When other authors, publishers, and book publicists are offering advice to presidential candidates or Britney Spears or O. J. Simpson, try offering a more hard-hitting news angle. Conversely, when the news is filled with natural disasters, crime, and morbid economic predictioins, try pitching a light feature story idea. Instead of torturing your message to fit the news story of the day, offer your expertise in ways that the media will find refreshing.
Producers and editors, too, need a break from politics (and the recession, and O.J., and the Olympics, and...). During those times -- when the media is weighing itself down with the same-old, same-old news hooks -- try offering them something, and I think you'll see the book promotion opportunities you've been seeking.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Authors: have you been to Boston lately?
Boston, Massachusetts is a literary hotbed. So says novelist Mameve Medwed as quoted in a May 4 Boston Globe article titled "Novices peek at literary world."
Well, yes. I knew that Massachusetts had bragging rights to some of my favorite authors, past and present. Louisa May Alcott, famously of Concord, once lived on Beacon Hill, for heaven's sakes! I've read in her bio that Lois Lowry -- The Giver, anyone? -- lives, part of the time, on Beacon Hill, too. So of course: Boston is filled with literary greats.
But who knew that Boston was also the home of "Muse and the Marketplace," which the Globe describes as a two-day conference run by the independent writing center Grub Street Inc." I didn't, I'm ashamed to say, even though this was its seventh year in operation.
Me? I'm not only a Boston-based book publicist, but I'm also a rabid Massachusetts-based book reader, and I can guarantee you: the eighth annual "Muse and the Marketplace" will find me in attendance, drinking in the company, and talents, of the Massachusetts-based writers who help make Boston a literary hub.
Is the "Muse and the Marketplace" a book promotion opportunity? Certainly, but it's also a chance to meet new Boston-area authors and get a first-peek at their works -- and I, for one, will never let that opportunity slip by again.
Well, yes. I knew that Massachusetts had bragging rights to some of my favorite authors, past and present. Louisa May Alcott, famously of Concord, once lived on Beacon Hill, for heaven's sakes! I've read in her bio that Lois Lowry -- The Giver, anyone? -- lives, part of the time, on Beacon Hill, too. So of course: Boston is filled with literary greats.
But who knew that Boston was also the home of "Muse and the Marketplace," which the Globe describes as a two-day conference run by the independent writing center Grub Street Inc." I didn't, I'm ashamed to say, even though this was its seventh year in operation.
Me? I'm not only a Boston-based book publicist, but I'm also a rabid Massachusetts-based book reader, and I can guarantee you: the eighth annual "Muse and the Marketplace" will find me in attendance, drinking in the company, and talents, of the Massachusetts-based writers who help make Boston a literary hub.
Is the "Muse and the Marketplace" a book promotion opportunity? Certainly, but it's also a chance to meet new Boston-area authors and get a first-peek at their works -- and I, for one, will never let that opportunity slip by again.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Do you need a blog promotion specialist?
Everyone blogs. But it occurs to me that a lot of bloggers are making the same mistake. They're thinking: If you blog it, they will come. Well, no.
If you blog it, they will come -- if you promote your blog.
You know the drill. You can be the world's best blogger, but if no one knows about your blog, then you're blogging for your own amusement. That may be fine, if you're a hobbyist with lots of time on your hands to express yourself on a subject and then move onto your real life.
But if blogging is part of your real life -- if you're blogging to promote your book, to bring visitors to your Web site, to help producers and editors find you, to optimize your Web site for search engine placement, to build brand, to enhance your online visibility, and to disseminate your messages -- then you have to publicize your blog.
You have to think of your blog as a product that needs your publicist's time and energy, just as you think of your book, Web site, and seminars as products that must be promoted and marketed. Your blog publicist should understand the viral marketing potential of your blog and should have a track record at bringing visitors to your blog.
If you blog, they will come -- but your blog promotion specialist has to "think outside the blog" to make that happen. Does your book publicist lack the blog promotion experience? We can help. We also offer ghost blogging services. Email us at sjmiller@bookpr.com, or visit our web site for more information.
If you blog it, they will come -- if you promote your blog.
You know the drill. You can be the world's best blogger, but if no one knows about your blog, then you're blogging for your own amusement. That may be fine, if you're a hobbyist with lots of time on your hands to express yourself on a subject and then move onto your real life.
But if blogging is part of your real life -- if you're blogging to promote your book, to bring visitors to your Web site, to help producers and editors find you, to optimize your Web site for search engine placement, to build brand, to enhance your online visibility, and to disseminate your messages -- then you have to publicize your blog.
You have to think of your blog as a product that needs your publicist's time and energy, just as you think of your book, Web site, and seminars as products that must be promoted and marketed. Your blog publicist should understand the viral marketing potential of your blog and should have a track record at bringing visitors to your blog.
If you blog, they will come -- but your blog promotion specialist has to "think outside the blog" to make that happen. Does your book publicist lack the blog promotion experience? We can help. We also offer ghost blogging services. Email us at sjmiller@bookpr.com, or visit our web site for more information.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
I'd like to thank the Academy, and....
This year's YouTube Video Awards have just been handed out, and for this book publicist, that begs the question: could your multimedia book show (presuming you've uploaded it to YouTube and other video-sharing sites) go "viral," be seen by millions of people, and perhaps even win the online video equivalent of an Emmy?
And, if it did, would that necessarily turn your book into a bestseller?
Historically, book promotion efforts have been related to book sales (book publicists of integrity won't tell you exactly how the two are related, because we can't know for sure -- but we do know that there's usually a correlation between the two). But there's been no one huge book promotion hit -- no, not even an appearance on "Oprah" -- that can guarantee an author will sell a specific number of books on a given day, or that the number of books sold will be enough to catapult the book to the bestseller lists.
But, then again, traditional media outlets haven't resulted in the type of viral marketing enjoyed by the winners of the 2007 YouTube Video Awards. Those videos are everywhere. Links to those videos are in your inbox, because several people you know sent them to you. Those people didn't even have to enjoy those videos to pass along those links. They simply had to be get a chuckle, learn a couple of things, or believe that -- in some way -- the videos were worth a few minutes of your time. And that's it: the links land in your inbox, you pass them along to others, and those recipients pass them along to still others, and...before long, the number of viewers for that video probably leaves the number of viewers that any national TV show boasts in the dust.
Which leads me to wonder: for authors with a book to promote, and the budget to create a multimedia book show, why are you not getting out there and hiring a production conmpany to create a video for you? Why are you putting all of your book promotion muscle behind traditional book publicity instead of exploring the possibilities of online book promotion such as multimedia book shows?
There may be reasons that I don't understand. But perhaps someoone could explain them to me, because -- after watching the success of the videos featured in this year's YouTube Video Awards -- I believe that book videos should be a part of every author and publisher's bag of tricks. And you?
And, if it did, would that necessarily turn your book into a bestseller?
Historically, book promotion efforts have been related to book sales (book publicists of integrity won't tell you exactly how the two are related, because we can't know for sure -- but we do know that there's usually a correlation between the two). But there's been no one huge book promotion hit -- no, not even an appearance on "Oprah" -- that can guarantee an author will sell a specific number of books on a given day, or that the number of books sold will be enough to catapult the book to the bestseller lists.
But, then again, traditional media outlets haven't resulted in the type of viral marketing enjoyed by the winners of the 2007 YouTube Video Awards. Those videos are everywhere. Links to those videos are in your inbox, because several people you know sent them to you. Those people didn't even have to enjoy those videos to pass along those links. They simply had to be get a chuckle, learn a couple of things, or believe that -- in some way -- the videos were worth a few minutes of your time. And that's it: the links land in your inbox, you pass them along to others, and those recipients pass them along to still others, and...before long, the number of viewers for that video probably leaves the number of viewers that any national TV show boasts in the dust.
Which leads me to wonder: for authors with a book to promote, and the budget to create a multimedia book show, why are you not getting out there and hiring a production conmpany to create a video for you? Why are you putting all of your book promotion muscle behind traditional book publicity instead of exploring the possibilities of online book promotion such as multimedia book shows?
There may be reasons that I don't understand. But perhaps someoone could explain them to me, because -- after watching the success of the videos featured in this year's YouTube Video Awards -- I believe that book videos should be a part of every author and publisher's bag of tricks. And you?
Monday, April 28, 2008
Who's competing for the media's attention?
You're trying to promote your book. Who's competing for the media's attention? Just about everyone, according to an article in the New York Times' Sunday Book Review called "You’re an Author? Me Too!" Columnist Rachel Donadio points out that, while fewer Americans are reading, many more of us are publishing books.
Are you seeking book promotion opportunities? So is every other author. And so is every other publisher.
Are you seeking endorsements for your book? So is every other author. And so is every other publisher.
In fact, columnist Brandon Griggs of the Salt Lake City Tribune points out that everyone is seeking a blurb for his or her book, and even well-meaning blurbers (that is, those who genuinely enjoy a book and want to support it, as opposed to those authors who are just seeking promotional opportunities for their own books) tend to look like, well, "blurb whores" if they endorse more than fifty books.
What are authors to do if their book promotion opportunities are diminishing because of the crowded field of competition? Work harder. Seek out online book promotion opportunities as well as the traditional venues. And make book promotion a part of your job and your mission.
Are you seeking book promotion opportunities? So is every other author. And so is every other publisher.
Are you seeking endorsements for your book? So is every other author. And so is every other publisher.
In fact, columnist Brandon Griggs of the Salt Lake City Tribune points out that everyone is seeking a blurb for his or her book, and even well-meaning blurbers (that is, those who genuinely enjoy a book and want to support it, as opposed to those authors who are just seeking promotional opportunities for their own books) tend to look like, well, "blurb whores" if they endorse more than fifty books.
What are authors to do if their book promotion opportunities are diminishing because of the crowded field of competition? Work harder. Seek out online book promotion opportunities as well as the traditional venues. And make book promotion a part of your job and your mission.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Book Promotion Is Tough. Poetry Promotion Is Tougher.
If book promotion is tough, then promoting poetry books is the toughest book promotion challenge of all. So how would you get people -- many of whom aren't "into" poetry -- to attend a poetry festival?
The organizers of the Newburyport (Massachusetts) Poetry Festival had a brilliant book promotion idea. Using the Book Crossing model, they had volunteers distribute 25 copies of books written by poets participating in the festival. The idea was that people would find the books, browse through them, get hooked, and tell their friends about the festival -- and they'd pick up new fans and festival attendees.
I'll bet it worked, too.
For more information about the challenge of bringing people to the Newburyport Poetry Festival, click here. If you can bring readers to poetry, then you can bring readers to any type of book. Way to go, Newburyport, for thinking outside the book promotion box!
The organizers of the Newburyport (Massachusetts) Poetry Festival had a brilliant book promotion idea. Using the Book Crossing model, they had volunteers distribute 25 copies of books written by poets participating in the festival. The idea was that people would find the books, browse through them, get hooked, and tell their friends about the festival -- and they'd pick up new fans and festival attendees.
I'll bet it worked, too.
For more information about the challenge of bringing people to the Newburyport Poetry Festival, click here. If you can bring readers to poetry, then you can bring readers to any type of book. Way to go, Newburyport, for thinking outside the book promotion box!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Web-based TV show for novelists and poets
I may have just seen the future of book promotion, and if so, then it is TitlePage TV. It wasn't easy to run across; I did, because I was paying attention to the April 22 PaperCuts blog (which is a New York Times book blog). Once I got past the baffling book multimedia show for a book by Sloane Crosley called, I Was Told There'd Be Cake (don't get me wrong -- it was a wonderfully-produced show, but I was at a loss to figure out its message), I gleefully found the TitlePage TV show (hosted by editor and novelist Daniel Menaker).
Way to go, Daniel! Your show looks as nice as anything you might see on broadcast TV, and I'll bet its attracting more prospective guests than you have the time to interview.
Web-based TV shows about books. This may well be the future of book promotion -- or, at least, one sizeable chunk of it.
Way to go, Daniel! Your show looks as nice as anything you might see on broadcast TV, and I'll bet its attracting more prospective guests than you have the time to interview.
Web-based TV shows about books. This may well be the future of book promotion -- or, at least, one sizeable chunk of it.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
YouTubing for Book Promotion
Are you using youtube.com as part of your book promotion campaign? You probably should be, if some recent stats are correct. Last Wednesday, an organization called comScore Inc. released this surprising (to this book publicist, anyway) factoid: This year, 66% more people than last year are viewing online videos. You can read the Associated Press article on MSNBC here. Even television network executives, who acknowledge that they're losing viewers to the Internet, are trying to bring their content online.
That's probably good news for authors and publishers who are currently contemplating book promotion campaigns and for book publicists. Rather than pitching television shows and hoping the producer picks your book to feature, or your author to interview, you can create a multimedia book trailer, post it on YouTube (which is where most viewers go to indulge their online video-watching habit) and on your own Web site.
There are a couple of caveats.
First, you'll have to bring viewers to your online video. When you do a traditional TV show, you'll automatically have viewers; those TV shows are on the air because they've built up their audience base. With your own book video, you'll have to find viewers yourself. That means an effective book promotion campaign, these days, includes a video promotion campaign component (and a book Web site promotion campaign), too.
Second, your book's multimedia show has to be professionally conceptualized and executed. The production values must be top-notch. They don't necessarily have to include video components, which can really jack up the cost (and, ironically, lower the quality) of multimedia shows for books. But they do have to leave PowerPoint presentations in the dust, and -- as talented as your college-age nephew might be -- this is a project for production professionals, not relatives and students. The multimedia show is a reflection on your book, so if you can't afford a first-rate production, then put the idea on hold until you can.
When your multimedia book show is built, and viewers are watching it on YouTube (and on your Web site), you might ask: Who needs "Oprah?" Why should I bother to pitch traditional national TV shows when I now have my own book multimedia show online? Well, for now, we all need "Oprah" (and other tradtional book promotion opportunities).
Next year...who knows?
That's probably good news for authors and publishers who are currently contemplating book promotion campaigns and for book publicists. Rather than pitching television shows and hoping the producer picks your book to feature, or your author to interview, you can create a multimedia book trailer, post it on YouTube (which is where most viewers go to indulge their online video-watching habit) and on your own Web site.
There are a couple of caveats.
First, you'll have to bring viewers to your online video. When you do a traditional TV show, you'll automatically have viewers; those TV shows are on the air because they've built up their audience base. With your own book video, you'll have to find viewers yourself. That means an effective book promotion campaign, these days, includes a video promotion campaign component (and a book Web site promotion campaign), too.
Second, your book's multimedia show has to be professionally conceptualized and executed. The production values must be top-notch. They don't necessarily have to include video components, which can really jack up the cost (and, ironically, lower the quality) of multimedia shows for books. But they do have to leave PowerPoint presentations in the dust, and -- as talented as your college-age nephew might be -- this is a project for production professionals, not relatives and students. The multimedia show is a reflection on your book, so if you can't afford a first-rate production, then put the idea on hold until you can.
When your multimedia book show is built, and viewers are watching it on YouTube (and on your Web site), you might ask: Who needs "Oprah?" Why should I bother to pitch traditional national TV shows when I now have my own book multimedia show online? Well, for now, we all need "Oprah" (and other tradtional book promotion opportunities).
Next year...who knows?
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Agree to disagree
A client recently was interviewed by a Christian radio show. After the interview, he called to request that, in the future, I refrain from booking him on Christian radio shows. When I asked why, he said, "Well, the hosts disagree with my book's thesis, so there's no point in talking with them."
Well, I disagree. Every radio interview, on any type of radio station, is a book promotion opportunity. And nearly every host who disagrees with you provides you with an opportunity to make your case. (Those who don't provide you with an opportunity to make your case present a particular challenge, but there are ways to rise to that challenge, too.)
Book promotion opportunities aren't easy to come by. If they were, then book publicists would be out of business. As a book publicist, I work hard to schedule each and every interview, and the last thing I want is to screen potential interviewers to make sure their perspective is identical to my client's point of view before finalizing the interview.
I can appreciate a client's wish to attract interviews from media outlets that he or she respects the most (particularly, from those venues that are on his or her media "wish list"). And I can understand a client's desire to say, in advance of the book promotion campaign, "I'll do an interview that comes up except A, B, and C" (where A, B, and C are radio talk show hosts who make their living beating up or mocking or humiliating guests just for the sport of it). I'm very comfortable, for example, with the client who says, "Don't bother to pitch Howard Stern, because I wouldn't consider doing his show."
But I don't appreciate it when clients sabotage their own book promotion potential by restricting the pool of interviewers to "known, safe" quantities. No book publicist can predict what will happen during an interview; therefore, no interviewer is perfectly "safe." Anyone can disagree with a client, for any reason, and it shouldn't be the end of the world.
But limiting the media outlets that might help you promote your book can very well be the end of your book promotion campaign.
Well, I disagree. Every radio interview, on any type of radio station, is a book promotion opportunity. And nearly every host who disagrees with you provides you with an opportunity to make your case. (Those who don't provide you with an opportunity to make your case present a particular challenge, but there are ways to rise to that challenge, too.)
Book promotion opportunities aren't easy to come by. If they were, then book publicists would be out of business. As a book publicist, I work hard to schedule each and every interview, and the last thing I want is to screen potential interviewers to make sure their perspective is identical to my client's point of view before finalizing the interview.
I can appreciate a client's wish to attract interviews from media outlets that he or she respects the most (particularly, from those venues that are on his or her media "wish list"). And I can understand a client's desire to say, in advance of the book promotion campaign, "I'll do an interview that comes up except A, B, and C" (where A, B, and C are radio talk show hosts who make their living beating up or mocking or humiliating guests just for the sport of it). I'm very comfortable, for example, with the client who says, "Don't bother to pitch Howard Stern, because I wouldn't consider doing his show."
But I don't appreciate it when clients sabotage their own book promotion potential by restricting the pool of interviewers to "known, safe" quantities. No book publicist can predict what will happen during an interview; therefore, no interviewer is perfectly "safe." Anyone can disagree with a client, for any reason, and it shouldn't be the end of the world.
But limiting the media outlets that might help you promote your book can very well be the end of your book promotion campaign.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
A vulgar way to get book promotion opportunities.
Here's a vulgar way to get book promotion opportunities. Although I'm willing to share it, I don't advocate it either as a book publicist or as a human being. That said, here's how to get more book publicity opportunities than you can handle: get involved with O.J. Simpson, and then offer your "exclusive" perspective into the man's psyche.
That's just what "a key figure in the O.J. Simpson case" did, according to an Associated Press article that's making the rounds. The O.J. Simpson case in question, interestingly enough, isn't the O.J. Simpson case. It's the other O.J. Simpson case -- you know, the one that involves sports memorabilia, a hotel room, possible kidnapping, and (potentially) at least one gun. And the "key figure" who has something to do with the case -- it ain't O.J., and I couldn't quite get myself to commit the name of the person it was to long-term memory -- is cashing in on his, um, proud association with O.J. Simpson here in our world. He wrote a book, he had it published, and now he's promoting it.
Somewhere, I'll bet a book publicist (or book publicists) are cringing at the thought of what they've involved themselves in. I hope the publisher is cringing, too.
As for me, I'm not exactly proud of myself for adding this blog to the book promotion this "key figure" is receiving for his O.J. Simpson-related title. But I'll defend myself, partially, by reminding you that I never mentioned the name of the author's book.
I'll conclude by saying this. If you don't always get as many book promotion opportunities you deserve, at least you can be thankful that you haven't stooped to the level of some authors, who right about certain vulgar topics, to get the book promotion that you do receive. It's a trade-off, I suppose, but I'd never promote a book related to O.J. Simpson -- and I'm glad that, as an independent book promotion specialist, that choice is mine to make.
That's just what "a key figure in the O.J. Simpson case" did, according to an Associated Press article that's making the rounds. The O.J. Simpson case in question, interestingly enough, isn't the O.J. Simpson case. It's the other O.J. Simpson case -- you know, the one that involves sports memorabilia, a hotel room, possible kidnapping, and (potentially) at least one gun. And the "key figure" who has something to do with the case -- it ain't O.J., and I couldn't quite get myself to commit the name of the person it was to long-term memory -- is cashing in on his, um, proud association with O.J. Simpson here in our world. He wrote a book, he had it published, and now he's promoting it.
Somewhere, I'll bet a book publicist (or book publicists) are cringing at the thought of what they've involved themselves in. I hope the publisher is cringing, too.
As for me, I'm not exactly proud of myself for adding this blog to the book promotion this "key figure" is receiving for his O.J. Simpson-related title. But I'll defend myself, partially, by reminding you that I never mentioned the name of the author's book.
I'll conclude by saying this. If you don't always get as many book promotion opportunities you deserve, at least you can be thankful that you haven't stooped to the level of some authors, who right about certain vulgar topics, to get the book promotion that you do receive. It's a trade-off, I suppose, but I'd never promote a book related to O.J. Simpson -- and I'm glad that, as an independent book promotion specialist, that choice is mine to make.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Are these books even worth promoting?
HarperCollins is launching an imprint which will be led by Robert S Miller, founder of Hyperion. A new imprint, you say. Wow! Great!
Well, not so much. The new HarperCollins imprint, the name of which hasn't yet been announced (or this book publicist has missed it), has two drawbacks. First, it doesn't pay an advance to authors (or the advance is so small that it may as well not exist, since it won't cover the author's time in preparing the book and waiting for it to pay royalties). Also -- and this is the biggie -- the books will be nonreturnable.
I've just read a Guardian Weekly article that quotes Miller as saying that he'll have to figure out a way to get booksellers to buy his books on a nonreturnable basis. Yes. And right after he figures that out, he can end world hunger, get the U.S. troops out of Iraq, and cure AIDS.
I'll sit here and wait.
The new HarperCollins imprint begs the question: Are the books they publish even going to be books, given the fact that -- unless Miller pulls a rabbit out of a hat that has long proven itself hostile to bunnies -- bookstores won't even entertain the idea of carrying them? Worse, since the books are nonreturnable, most bookstores won't even know how to order the books and will, mostly likely, turn customers away. Even an appearance on "Oprah" couldn't turn a book that probably won't be ordered by bookstores into a success.
I just hope that, before authors sign on with the new HarperCollins imprint do their homework and determine whether they can live with its drawbacks. With changes occurring in the publishing industry, the homework never ends.
Well, not so much. The new HarperCollins imprint, the name of which hasn't yet been announced (or this book publicist has missed it), has two drawbacks. First, it doesn't pay an advance to authors (or the advance is so small that it may as well not exist, since it won't cover the author's time in preparing the book and waiting for it to pay royalties). Also -- and this is the biggie -- the books will be nonreturnable.
I've just read a Guardian Weekly article that quotes Miller as saying that he'll have to figure out a way to get booksellers to buy his books on a nonreturnable basis. Yes. And right after he figures that out, he can end world hunger, get the U.S. troops out of Iraq, and cure AIDS.
I'll sit here and wait.
The new HarperCollins imprint begs the question: Are the books they publish even going to be books, given the fact that -- unless Miller pulls a rabbit out of a hat that has long proven itself hostile to bunnies -- bookstores won't even entertain the idea of carrying them? Worse, since the books are nonreturnable, most bookstores won't even know how to order the books and will, mostly likely, turn customers away. Even an appearance on "Oprah" couldn't turn a book that probably won't be ordered by bookstores into a success.
I just hope that, before authors sign on with the new HarperCollins imprint do their homework and determine whether they can live with its drawbacks. With changes occurring in the publishing industry, the homework never ends.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Being a book publicist is no joke.
Being a book publicist is no joke, and book promotion isn't a joke, either. So when a client approached me about sending out a press release parody on her behalf for April Fool's Day, I declined.
The press release would have contained how-to tips that were "funny," because they represented ideas that were diametrically opposed to the author's "real" how-to tips. I declined to send out such a press release on the grounds that it was irresponsible.
The author in question isn't irresponsible. She's been offering the media her how-to tips for years, and the media loves them and rewards her for being the expert in her field by providing her with tons of high-profile interview opportunities on a regular basis. But, in this case, I believe the author was misguided.
An author can have fun during her book promotion campaign. I hope book publicity is fun. I want it to be fun.
But an author, like book publicists, has to guard her credibility. All she has to offer the media, finally, is her credibility -- just as all book pubicists have to offer the media, finally, is the trust they've earned over the years they've spent nurturing relationiships. It would be a very bad call, in my judgment, to throw away that credibility and trust for the privilege of being able to chortle "April Fool!" when someone believes a press release (and, perhaps, is ready to schedule an interview that revolves around a press release) that contains false information.
That is why this book publicist declined to play an April Fool's Day joke on the media. I think it's a very bad idea, and as a book promotion professional, I choose to associate myself with only very good ideas. Onward....
The press release would have contained how-to tips that were "funny," because they represented ideas that were diametrically opposed to the author's "real" how-to tips. I declined to send out such a press release on the grounds that it was irresponsible.
The author in question isn't irresponsible. She's been offering the media her how-to tips for years, and the media loves them and rewards her for being the expert in her field by providing her with tons of high-profile interview opportunities on a regular basis. But, in this case, I believe the author was misguided.
An author can have fun during her book promotion campaign. I hope book publicity is fun. I want it to be fun.
But an author, like book publicists, has to guard her credibility. All she has to offer the media, finally, is her credibility -- just as all book pubicists have to offer the media, finally, is the trust they've earned over the years they've spent nurturing relationiships. It would be a very bad call, in my judgment, to throw away that credibility and trust for the privilege of being able to chortle "April Fool!" when someone believes a press release (and, perhaps, is ready to schedule an interview that revolves around a press release) that contains false information.
That is why this book publicist declined to play an April Fool's Day joke on the media. I think it's a very bad idea, and as a book promotion professional, I choose to associate myself with only very good ideas. Onward....
Monday, March 31, 2008
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
One of the responsibilities of a book publicist -- or of anyone who's organizing a book promotion campaign -- is to keep abreast of changes in the media. Producers, editors, and hosts come and go, and keeping up with those changes can be disheartening (as when Don Imus lands another on-air gig) or puzzling (as when Kathie Lee Gifford is hired to be part of the "Today Show" team).
Kathie Lee Gifford? The fluffy co-host of "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee?" The perky half of morning television's fluffiest, perkiest show ever? On the "Today Show?"
I'm puzzled. What could Kathie Lee Gifford bring to a news program that includes -- but doesn't focus on -- lighter features?
Well, like everyone else who promotes books, I'll find out soon, I suppose. Stay tuned....
Kathie Lee Gifford? The fluffy co-host of "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee?" The perky half of morning television's fluffiest, perkiest show ever? On the "Today Show?"
I'm puzzled. What could Kathie Lee Gifford bring to a news program that includes -- but doesn't focus on -- lighter features?
Well, like everyone else who promotes books, I'll find out soon, I suppose. Stay tuned....
Friday, March 28, 2008
Could blogs ever replace books?
Could blogs ever replace books in the hearts and souls of book lovers? Of course not. But will there ever be a generation that grows up without books -- favoring, instead, the chunks of information they can get by logging onto the Internet and reading Web sites, ezines, and blogs? Maybe. Check out this article on Icwales.com/.
Another survey -- this one, done in Great Britain, I'm pleased to say -- finds that young people are reading fewer books than their parents did. And how many books will their children read? That's the really disturbing question.
If young people today prefer reading blogs to curling up with a good book, then what will become of the generation that follows them? And the generation after that? And the generation after that?
Book promotion is difficult enough with all the competition for readers' attention. What will happen when the definition of "reader" changes to mean "someone who frequently logs onto the Internet and scans information that might be of interest?"
To whom will we promote our books then?
Another survey -- this one, done in Great Britain, I'm pleased to say -- finds that young people are reading fewer books than their parents did. And how many books will their children read? That's the really disturbing question.
If young people today prefer reading blogs to curling up with a good book, then what will become of the generation that follows them? And the generation after that? And the generation after that?
Book promotion is difficult enough with all the competition for readers' attention. What will happen when the definition of "reader" changes to mean "someone who frequently logs onto the Internet and scans information that might be of interest?"
To whom will we promote our books then?
Friday, March 07, 2008
Thinking Outside the Blog: An Update
Since I last posted about Gary David Goldberg's blog entry, "WWAKD: What Would Alex Keaton Do," there have been two major developments.
To backtrack a bit, Gary David Goldberg (creator of "Family Ties" and author of the new book, Sit, Ubu, Sit) posted a blog entry on his Web site. I'm fortunate enough to be handling the online portion of Gary's comprehensive book promotion campaign.
The article moved me, and I asked for (and received) permission to "think outside the blog" and pitch the article to other media outlets. Within 24 hours, the New York Times blog, Campaign Stop, posted Gary's article. That was on March 3.
A couple of days later, on a hunch, I checked Google and discovered that the blog entry had spread virally. Blogs ranging from Politico to the Atlantic had linked back to Gary's article (as published by the New York Times blog). I published, in my previous blog entry (Thinking Outside the Blog) a partial list of the links back to the article I'd found as of a couple of days ago.
I'm excited to report that the article is still spreading around the Internet in the best example of viral marketing that I've ever been involved with. New York Magazine's Web site has linked back to the article, and the Los Angeles Times' LA Funny Pages 2.0 blog has also featured part of the article and a link back to the complete text on the New York Times blog.
And if that weren't enough, the real-world version of the Chicago Tribune ran the article yesterday, and its Web site featured the article, as well. The (Allentown, PA) Morning Call also ran the article yesterday and featured it on its Web site. And the LA Daily News is running the article this Sunday (and I feel confident that it will show up on their Web site, too).
Gary David Goldberg is a fantastic writer with an unmatched instinct for choosing topics that are current, poignant, and controversial. His work has inspired "water cooler chats" for decades. So it's not surprising that his thoughts about how an iconic character whom he created, Alex P. Keaton of "Family Ties," would vote in the upcoming presidential election has garnered a tremendous amount of interest and discussion (as of now, there are 215 readers' comments posted on the New York Times blog).
Good for him. Gary David Goldberg is a man who's earned success and found it many times over, and it's unsurprising that he's found more of it with this article. But there's a lesson for all of us to be drawn here, and that is simply this: blog! And when you think you don't have time to blog, blog anyway! And then extend your blog entries beyond the blog. See how far you can take them. You might be able to launch a viral marketing campaign of your own just because of one great piece of writing. It's hard to overlook the success this particular blog entry, "What Would Alex Keaton Do," has enjoyed.
To backtrack a bit, Gary David Goldberg (creator of "Family Ties" and author of the new book, Sit, Ubu, Sit) posted a blog entry on his Web site. I'm fortunate enough to be handling the online portion of Gary's comprehensive book promotion campaign.
The article moved me, and I asked for (and received) permission to "think outside the blog" and pitch the article to other media outlets. Within 24 hours, the New York Times blog, Campaign Stop, posted Gary's article. That was on March 3.
A couple of days later, on a hunch, I checked Google and discovered that the blog entry had spread virally. Blogs ranging from Politico to the Atlantic had linked back to Gary's article (as published by the New York Times blog). I published, in my previous blog entry (Thinking Outside the Blog) a partial list of the links back to the article I'd found as of a couple of days ago.
I'm excited to report that the article is still spreading around the Internet in the best example of viral marketing that I've ever been involved with. New York Magazine's Web site has linked back to the article, and the Los Angeles Times' LA Funny Pages 2.0 blog has also featured part of the article and a link back to the complete text on the New York Times blog.
And if that weren't enough, the real-world version of the Chicago Tribune ran the article yesterday, and its Web site featured the article, as well. The (Allentown, PA) Morning Call also ran the article yesterday and featured it on its Web site. And the LA Daily News is running the article this Sunday (and I feel confident that it will show up on their Web site, too).
Gary David Goldberg is a fantastic writer with an unmatched instinct for choosing topics that are current, poignant, and controversial. His work has inspired "water cooler chats" for decades. So it's not surprising that his thoughts about how an iconic character whom he created, Alex P. Keaton of "Family Ties," would vote in the upcoming presidential election has garnered a tremendous amount of interest and discussion (as of now, there are 215 readers' comments posted on the New York Times blog).
Good for him. Gary David Goldberg is a man who's earned success and found it many times over, and it's unsurprising that he's found more of it with this article. But there's a lesson for all of us to be drawn here, and that is simply this: blog! And when you think you don't have time to blog, blog anyway! And then extend your blog entries beyond the blog. See how far you can take them. You might be able to launch a viral marketing campaign of your own just because of one great piece of writing. It's hard to overlook the success this particular blog entry, "What Would Alex Keaton Do," has enjoyed.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Open letter to the National Enquirer editors
Dear National Enquirer editors:
You could publish that story, NATIONAL ENQUIRER WORLD EXCLUSIVE: PATRICK SWAYZE HAS 5 WEEKS TO LIVE, so you did. You get the glory of scoring an exclusive on a "breaking news story."
And what do members of Mr. Swayze's inner circle get?
Pain.
And what do his fans get?
Sadness. And anger.
This fan didn't want to find out about Mr. Swayze's health condition from you, dear editors. She wanted to find out -- when and if appropriate -- from Mr. Swayze himself or those who are authorized to speak on his behalf.
Shame on you for depriving the Swazye family, and those who care about them, of that opportunity. Shame on you for deciding to publish what best served your purposes just because you could -- regardless of the consequences.
You could publish that story, NATIONAL ENQUIRER WORLD EXCLUSIVE: PATRICK SWAYZE HAS 5 WEEKS TO LIVE, so you did. You get the glory of scoring an exclusive on a "breaking news story."
And what do members of Mr. Swayze's inner circle get?
Pain.
And what do his fans get?
Sadness. And anger.
This fan didn't want to find out about Mr. Swayze's health condition from you, dear editors. She wanted to find out -- when and if appropriate -- from Mr. Swayze himself or those who are authorized to speak on his behalf.
Shame on you for depriving the Swazye family, and those who care about them, of that opportunity. Shame on you for deciding to publish what best served your purposes just because you could -- regardless of the consequences.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Thinking Outside the Blog
Why blog? It's a lot of work, and it's time-consuming, even for professional writers and those who just love to write. So why do it?
Because one blog entry -- if you think outside the blog -- can get your message all over cyberspace (and, by extension, all over the globe) just about instantly. Could that benefit your book promotion campaign?
Are you serious?
Here's an example of how it can work.
A client, Gary David Goldberg, recently wrote a blog entry called "WWAKD (What Would Alex Keaton Do)" He posted it on his personal blog on his Web site. His site, which is new, is already building a very respectable following and helping to promote his new book, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair .
The article is about how the fictional character, Alex P. Keaton of "Family Ties," might vote in the upcoming presidential election, and I think it's insightful and witty and compassionate and touching (and I'd expect no less from its author).
Because I believe in the power of "thinking outside the blog," I pitched the article as an op-ed piece to various media contacts at the same time as Goldberg uploaded it to his Web site.
The New York Times asked for (and received) permission to publish the article in their own political blog called Campaign Stops. The Times posted the article on the evening of March 3, and the next morning, there was a hyperlink to the story on the NYT.com home page (with a vintage file photograph of Michael J. Fox dressed to play the role of Alex P. Keaton). As of this writing, the story has elicted 196 readers' comments on the New York Times' blog (which run the gamut, by the way, from "Who is Alex Keaton? I’ve never heard of him before" to "To see a picture of Alex P. Keaton on the New York Times is worth this article alone").
On an inspired hunch, I Googled the phrase "What Would Alex Keaton Do" this morning and found that the following Web sites -- many of which you'll recognize -- have linked to the NYT blog:
Atlantic.com
Politico.com
NowPublic.com
Topix.com
KWOFF.com.au
Wilshire and Washington
NewsVine.com
North American Patriot
Suburban Correspondent
Yedda.com
Memeorandum.com
Electionbid2008
Twitter.com
Intermedia Outdoors Forums
BlogoWogo.com
Abram’s Nickels
Democratic Underground
Red Blue America blog
And I've begun the process of submitting a press release I drafted about how Alex Keaton might vote, and the fact that the New York Times cares about the topic, all over the Web. The release has already appeared in Google News along with a photo of the Sit, Ubu, Sit book cover.
Also, about a dozen newspapers (including one of the major dailies) from coast to coast have asked for an author's photo in anticipation of publishing the article -- both on their Web sites and in their real-world newspapers.
All that media coverage has come from one really great, well-conceived, and well-written blog entry. Granted, the blog entry was written by Gary David Goldberg, who has been a household name in many TV-watching households for more than two decades, so you might ask what Gary's success in promoting his article has to do with the exposure your blog entry is likely to receive.
Well, okay. You can say, "Forget it. No one cares about my blog entry. I'll upload it to my Web site and move on. Let's think of some more realistic book promotion strategies, please."
Or you can think outside the blog.
And who knows what might happen?
It's your choice.
Because one blog entry -- if you think outside the blog -- can get your message all over cyberspace (and, by extension, all over the globe) just about instantly. Could that benefit your book promotion campaign?
Are you serious?
Here's an example of how it can work.
A client, Gary David Goldberg, recently wrote a blog entry called "WWAKD (What Would Alex Keaton Do)" He posted it on his personal blog on his Web site. His site, which is new, is already building a very respectable following and helping to promote his new book, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair .
The article is about how the fictional character, Alex P. Keaton of "Family Ties," might vote in the upcoming presidential election, and I think it's insightful and witty and compassionate and touching (and I'd expect no less from its author).
Because I believe in the power of "thinking outside the blog," I pitched the article as an op-ed piece to various media contacts at the same time as Goldberg uploaded it to his Web site.
The New York Times asked for (and received) permission to publish the article in their own political blog called Campaign Stops. The Times posted the article on the evening of March 3, and the next morning, there was a hyperlink to the story on the NYT.com home page (with a vintage file photograph of Michael J. Fox dressed to play the role of Alex P. Keaton). As of this writing, the story has elicted 196 readers' comments on the New York Times' blog (which run the gamut, by the way, from "Who is Alex Keaton? I’ve never heard of him before" to "To see a picture of Alex P. Keaton on the New York Times is worth this article alone").
On an inspired hunch, I Googled the phrase "What Would Alex Keaton Do" this morning and found that the following Web sites -- many of which you'll recognize -- have linked to the NYT blog:
Atlantic.com
Politico.com
NowPublic.com
Topix.com
KWOFF.com.au
Wilshire and Washington
NewsVine.com
North American Patriot
Suburban Correspondent
Yedda.com
Memeorandum.com
Electionbid2008
Twitter.com
Intermedia Outdoors Forums
BlogoWogo.com
Abram’s Nickels
Democratic Underground
Red Blue America blog
And I've begun the process of submitting a press release I drafted about how Alex Keaton might vote, and the fact that the New York Times cares about the topic, all over the Web. The release has already appeared in Google News along with a photo of the Sit, Ubu, Sit book cover.
Also, about a dozen newspapers (including one of the major dailies) from coast to coast have asked for an author's photo in anticipation of publishing the article -- both on their Web sites and in their real-world newspapers.
All that media coverage has come from one really great, well-conceived, and well-written blog entry. Granted, the blog entry was written by Gary David Goldberg, who has been a household name in many TV-watching households for more than two decades, so you might ask what Gary's success in promoting his article has to do with the exposure your blog entry is likely to receive.
Well, okay. You can say, "Forget it. No one cares about my blog entry. I'll upload it to my Web site and move on. Let's think of some more realistic book promotion strategies, please."
Or you can think outside the blog.
And who knows what might happen?
It's your choice.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
"If it ain't broke, break it."
This is only tangentally related to book promotion, but since it affects those of us who want to continue to watch television with our lower-tech TV sets after the Digital TV Revolution overthrows the Analog TV Regime (or something like that -- sadly, the details escape this book promotion specialist), I'll share what I just learned.
The NTIA (The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration) is offering up to two discount coupons for each TV-watching household for digital converter boxes for its much-hyped Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. So, if you still want to watch television on your less than state-of-the-art TV set after the Revolution -- and you'd like a discount coupon from the government to help you pay for this privilege -- then you can call the FCC's Digital Converter Box Hotline at 1-888-388-2009. Alternatively, you can click here.
If you're far braver than this book publicist and want to try to figure out what in the world the Digital TV Revolution is all about, and how it will/won't/may affect your television-watching life, then click here.
If anyone can wade through all that information and make sense of it, I invite him or her to pass along the geek-free details here.
The NTIA (The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration) is offering up to two discount coupons for each TV-watching household for digital converter boxes for its much-hyped Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. So, if you still want to watch television on your less than state-of-the-art TV set after the Revolution -- and you'd like a discount coupon from the government to help you pay for this privilege -- then you can call the FCC's Digital Converter Box Hotline at 1-888-388-2009. Alternatively, you can click here.
If you're far braver than this book publicist and want to try to figure out what in the world the Digital TV Revolution is all about, and how it will/won't/may affect your television-watching life, then click here.
If anyone can wade through all that information and make sense of it, I invite him or her to pass along the geek-free details here.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Are book tours part of your book promotion strategy?
If conventional book tours (as opposed to online book tours) are a part of your book promotion campaign, then you might want to consider memorializing your book tour stops on BookTour.com. The site allows fans who are in the market to go to book signings to connect with authors who will be in the neighborhood as part of a book tour.
You can read more about the BookTour.com site and its benefits here, at author Connie Briscoe's site. As Connie implies, one of the site's fringe benefits is that it lets search engines know about your book tour by getting your book's title "out there" on the Net. So not only do authors get to connect with their fans through BookTour.com, but they also get to connect with search engines. And BookTour.com is free (at least, it's free for now).
So, if you are using book tours as part of your book promotion strategy, why not take a look at BookTour.com? You have nothing to lose, and who knows? You might even bring a few extra people into your book signings.
You can read more about the BookTour.com site and its benefits here, at author Connie Briscoe's site. As Connie implies, one of the site's fringe benefits is that it lets search engines know about your book tour by getting your book's title "out there" on the Net. So not only do authors get to connect with their fans through BookTour.com, but they also get to connect with search engines. And BookTour.com is free (at least, it's free for now).
So, if you are using book tours as part of your book promotion strategy, why not take a look at BookTour.com? You have nothing to lose, and who knows? You might even bring a few extra people into your book signings.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Book promotion ups and downs.
Book promotion ups and downs: every author who has ever engaged in a book publicity campaign can tell the same story. This particular tale belongs to a blogger whose blog is called Shoshanahala's Weblog. Check out the experiences of a first-time nonfiction author here.
To veteran book promoters out there, does any of this sound familiar? Any thoughts about which is less stressful: television or radio interviews?
To veteran book promoters out there, does any of this sound familiar? Any thoughts about which is less stressful: television or radio interviews?
Friday, February 15, 2008
As Judge Judy says....
Say what you will about Judge Judy Sheindlin's shortcomings as a gracious and kind adjudicator, but she's inarguably right about at least one thing: when you tell the truth, you don't ever have to worry about getting your story straight.
I was reminded of that as I read the news reports of Roger Clemens' and Brian McNamee's recent testimony at the Congressional hearings. Both of them, according to all the sources I checked, looked and sounded suspiciously as though they were, at best, covering up something and not telling the whole truth.
There's a lesson in here for authors who are promoting their books and granting media interviews as part of their book promotion campaigns. If you want to look and sound credible, keep your answers simple and above board. Be sure your pitch is honest, too. Using a headline such as "Local author has just discovered a cure for AIDS" may get you the interview, but it will also earn you instant animosity when the reporter or host finds out it just isn't true.
Be honest. Always. Tell the truth, and present yourself as you are -- nothing more, and nothing less.
Hyperbole isn't your friend. Stammering, pausing, and twitching nervously while you try to figure out which version of the story you're supposed to be sharing with the media is the enemy of a successful book promotion campaign. And it wouldn't score any points with Judge Judy Sheindlin, either.
I was reminded of that as I read the news reports of Roger Clemens' and Brian McNamee's recent testimony at the Congressional hearings. Both of them, according to all the sources I checked, looked and sounded suspiciously as though they were, at best, covering up something and not telling the whole truth.
There's a lesson in here for authors who are promoting their books and granting media interviews as part of their book promotion campaigns. If you want to look and sound credible, keep your answers simple and above board. Be sure your pitch is honest, too. Using a headline such as "Local author has just discovered a cure for AIDS" may get you the interview, but it will also earn you instant animosity when the reporter or host finds out it just isn't true.
Be honest. Always. Tell the truth, and present yourself as you are -- nothing more, and nothing less.
Hyperbole isn't your friend. Stammering, pausing, and twitching nervously while you try to figure out which version of the story you're supposed to be sharing with the media is the enemy of a successful book promotion campaign. And it wouldn't score any points with Judge Judy Sheindlin, either.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Do you want to know how important radio is? Think: Jess Cain.
Do you want to know how important radio is to listeners? Here's how important it is.
A friend left a voice mail message for me this morning at work. It said, "Jess Cain died." And I started to sob.
So who was Jess Cain? If you have to ask, then you probably didn't live within range of the old WHDH-AM Boston-area radio signal anytime between 1958 and 1991 or, if you did, then you probably weren't an early riser.
Jess sent me off to school each morning. He was the first person to talk to me when I awoke, he was the first person to make me smile each day, and he was usually the first person to break the really, really bad news to me each morning, too (my mom actually woke me in the wee hours of a particular morning in December of 1981 expressly so that I wouldn't hear about John Lennon's murder from Jess) -- and to share the really, really good news (snow day! yay!) with me.
I still remember his last day on the air as clearly as I remember other huge losses in my life. I'm sure I have plenty of company in feeling that Jess Cain, and all those larger-than-life, local radio personalities of the time -- smart and talented, respectful and kind -- were never replaced, and never will be.
The intimacy of radio persists, though, and if authors and publishers ever question whether it's worth it to do an interview on a small radio station, this blog entry is my response. Yes. Do it. It's worth it. There's nothing as intimate and satisfying as connecting with a radio audience.
Jess was almost a member of my family. His successors (at other area radio stations -- WHDH radio doesn't even exist any longer, alas) aren't in his league, but I still feel a strong bond with some of the on-air personalities who populate the airwaves these days. They're an important part of my life, and my newsgathering, and my entertainment, and my waking up in the morning -- and they're an integral part of the lives of other members of their listeners, too. Who wouldn't want to tap into that powerful relationship as part of a book promotion campaign?
If you love Jess Cain, the way that I do, you might want to read about him. Click here to do so at the Boston Globe's Web site.
A friend left a voice mail message for me this morning at work. It said, "Jess Cain died." And I started to sob.
So who was Jess Cain? If you have to ask, then you probably didn't live within range of the old WHDH-AM Boston-area radio signal anytime between 1958 and 1991 or, if you did, then you probably weren't an early riser.
Jess sent me off to school each morning. He was the first person to talk to me when I awoke, he was the first person to make me smile each day, and he was usually the first person to break the really, really bad news to me each morning, too (my mom actually woke me in the wee hours of a particular morning in December of 1981 expressly so that I wouldn't hear about John Lennon's murder from Jess) -- and to share the really, really good news (snow day! yay!) with me.
I still remember his last day on the air as clearly as I remember other huge losses in my life. I'm sure I have plenty of company in feeling that Jess Cain, and all those larger-than-life, local radio personalities of the time -- smart and talented, respectful and kind -- were never replaced, and never will be.
The intimacy of radio persists, though, and if authors and publishers ever question whether it's worth it to do an interview on a small radio station, this blog entry is my response. Yes. Do it. It's worth it. There's nothing as intimate and satisfying as connecting with a radio audience.
Jess was almost a member of my family. His successors (at other area radio stations -- WHDH radio doesn't even exist any longer, alas) aren't in his league, but I still feel a strong bond with some of the on-air personalities who populate the airwaves these days. They're an important part of my life, and my newsgathering, and my entertainment, and my waking up in the morning -- and they're an integral part of the lives of other members of their listeners, too. Who wouldn't want to tap into that powerful relationship as part of a book promotion campaign?
If you love Jess Cain, the way that I do, you might want to read about him. Click here to do so at the Boston Globe's Web site.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Free eBook, anyone? An experiment in book publishing.
Free eBook download, anyone? Or would you just like to read part of a book online at a really great discount (it would have to be at a really great discount if you only get to read part of the book, obviously)?
Well, they're doing it again. Yes. Two major publishing houses, HarperCollins and Random House, are making some of their novels available online either for free, or nearly for free, to entice people to read for recreation. Here's an article from Guardian Unlimited Books that will tell you all about the experiment.
Is it naive of this book publicist to believe that HarperCollins and Random House are trying a little bit too hard to entice people to read their books? I mean, how many of us who work in, and around, the publishing industry balk at the idea of reading books?
Okay, okay, I know. I've read the statistics, too. People aren't reading now as much as they used to. But do we change people's reading habits -- and, not so coincidentally, do we increase book sales -- by giving away free books?
I'd hate to think we have to resort to giving away the store to entice people to read good books. And what if people just don't want to read novels online? Is that supposed to tell HarperCollins and Random House that novels are dead?
I don't even want to think about what will happen if this book publishing experiment fails.
Well, they're doing it again. Yes. Two major publishing houses, HarperCollins and Random House, are making some of their novels available online either for free, or nearly for free, to entice people to read for recreation. Here's an article from Guardian Unlimited Books that will tell you all about the experiment.
Is it naive of this book publicist to believe that HarperCollins and Random House are trying a little bit too hard to entice people to read their books? I mean, how many of us who work in, and around, the publishing industry balk at the idea of reading books?
Okay, okay, I know. I've read the statistics, too. People aren't reading now as much as they used to. But do we change people's reading habits -- and, not so coincidentally, do we increase book sales -- by giving away free books?
I'd hate to think we have to resort to giving away the store to entice people to read good books. And what if people just don't want to read novels online? Is that supposed to tell HarperCollins and Random House that novels are dead?
I don't even want to think about what will happen if this book publishing experiment fails.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Going first class?
Is anyone going first class? If you're mailing your book promotion materials via first class mail these days, then it's time to stock up on the United States Postal Service's Forever Stamps. The USPS has just announced that, beginning in May, the price of a first class postage stamp will increase by a penny.
Now, I'm not petty. I won't argue a one-cent increase on an annual basis is going to break the bank for authors, publishers, and book publicists.
But I will say this. The USPS has announced that the price of a first class postage stamp will increase by a penny. No word from their spokeperson yet on what will happen to the price of flat-rate Priority mail (which I use all the time) or the rates for mailing books via media mail (which I rarely use, but still...).
Just thought I'd mention the price increases to come in May so that you can plan your book promotion mailings accordingly. If you can finish the bulk of them before the postal rate increases, so much the better for you.
Now, I'm not petty. I won't argue a one-cent increase on an annual basis is going to break the bank for authors, publishers, and book publicists.
But I will say this. The USPS has announced that the price of a first class postage stamp will increase by a penny. No word from their spokeperson yet on what will happen to the price of flat-rate Priority mail (which I use all the time) or the rates for mailing books via media mail (which I rarely use, but still...).
Just thought I'd mention the price increases to come in May so that you can plan your book promotion mailings accordingly. If you can finish the bulk of them before the postal rate increases, so much the better for you.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Are printed galleys a thing of the past?
Well, no. You still have to print galleys if you want such industry publications as "Publishers Weekly" and "Library Journal" to consider reviewing your book. But will that always be the case?
Maybe not.
According to an article in PW Daily, Rosetta Solutions is now providing a service called netGalley that might one day render printed ARCs and galleys obselete. For now, "Publishers Weekly" is using netGalley to capture such information as press materials and promotional plans, when publishers and authors submit their books for review.
But it sounds as though stage two of netGalley -- eliminating that short print run of galleys and sending the advance review media a digital copy of galleys -- is just around the corner. That's good news for those of us who love the thought of saving trees and postage even as we increase our efficiency. But it's bad news for those publishers and authors (and book publicists) who have been slow to adapt to the online world, or who just don't want to see how the Internet relates to book promotion.
Bob Dylan was right. The times, they are a'changing. And now would be a really good time to commit to moving forward with those changes so that, at the very least, you're still in the publishing game five years down the road.
Maybe not.
According to an article in PW Daily, Rosetta Solutions is now providing a service called netGalley that might one day render printed ARCs and galleys obselete. For now, "Publishers Weekly" is using netGalley to capture such information as press materials and promotional plans, when publishers and authors submit their books for review.
But it sounds as though stage two of netGalley -- eliminating that short print run of galleys and sending the advance review media a digital copy of galleys -- is just around the corner. That's good news for those of us who love the thought of saving trees and postage even as we increase our efficiency. But it's bad news for those publishers and authors (and book publicists) who have been slow to adapt to the online world, or who just don't want to see how the Internet relates to book promotion.
Bob Dylan was right. The times, they are a'changing. And now would be a really good time to commit to moving forward with those changes so that, at the very least, you're still in the publishing game five years down the road.
Who decides what Google sees?
What Google finds when someone searches for your name, or for your book, is key to your reputation and credibility. So who decides what Google sees? There's an article in the Technology section of Newsweek.com called "Google Yourself—And Enjoy It" that talks about how such companies as ReputationHawk, ReputationDefender, and International Reputation Management provide damage control when your online image is compromised.
But those companies don't do anything we can't do ourselves. The most important point the Newsweek.com article makes is that, to control what Google sees, just keep creating content. The more positive the content you create, the more positive your online reputation will be -- and the more positive an impression you'll make when others Google you. Keep writing articles and press releases, and keep creating blog entries. The positive will soon outweigh the negative -- or, at least -- the negative will be pushed off the front page of Google's results.
Online book promotion is a lot like online personal promotion. Sure, everything that's posted on the Net about your book won't read just the way it would if you'd written it yourself. But there's one way to cure that problem: get your keyboard going, and start typing. Google sees what you tell it to see. That's the good news. Take advantage of it!
But those companies don't do anything we can't do ourselves. The most important point the Newsweek.com article makes is that, to control what Google sees, just keep creating content. The more positive the content you create, the more positive your online reputation will be -- and the more positive an impression you'll make when others Google you. Keep writing articles and press releases, and keep creating blog entries. The positive will soon outweigh the negative -- or, at least -- the negative will be pushed off the front page of Google's results.
Online book promotion is a lot like online personal promotion. Sure, everything that's posted on the Net about your book won't read just the way it would if you'd written it yourself. But there's one way to cure that problem: get your keyboard going, and start typing. Google sees what you tell it to see. That's the good news. Take advantage of it!
Friday, February 01, 2008
A book promotion newsletter.
Here's a book promotion newsletter that I'd recommmend: Build Book Buzz. It's a free e-newsletter published monthly by Beckwith Communications. To subscribe, visit
www.buildbookbuzz.com. Its editor and publisher, Sandra Beckwith, can be reached through the Web site or you can write to her at sb at buildbookbuzz.com.
Scanning an archived newsletter -- the October edition, I believe it was -- I learned a different perspective on submitting op ed pieces to newspapers, and that's a good thing. Meditating on your own strategy doesn't help you grow as a book publicist (or as an author or publisher who's promoting books); finding out how your associates have created their successes, on the other hand, opens up the possibility of doing things more effectively all the time. So thank you, Sandra, and I hope everyone who wants proven advice from a book promotion professional with a great track record considers giving your Build Book Buzz newsletter a try!
www.buildbookbuzz.com. Its editor and publisher, Sandra Beckwith, can be reached through the Web site or you can write to her at sb at buildbookbuzz.com.
Scanning an archived newsletter -- the October edition, I believe it was -- I learned a different perspective on submitting op ed pieces to newspapers, and that's a good thing. Meditating on your own strategy doesn't help you grow as a book publicist (or as an author or publisher who's promoting books); finding out how your associates have created their successes, on the other hand, opens up the possibility of doing things more effectively all the time. So thank you, Sandra, and I hope everyone who wants proven advice from a book promotion professional with a great track record considers giving your Build Book Buzz newsletter a try!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Guest Blogger Kyra Hicks
A few days ago, I received an email from author/scholar/lecturer Kyra Hicks that, with her permission, I will reprint here in its entirety. Kyra is both a friend and client. I've had the privilege of promoting her breathtaking book, Black Threads: An African American Quilting Sourcebook and her stunning children's book, Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria. You can visit Kyra online by clicking here.
Here's the email Kyra sent to me:
Hello! Happy New Year! Hope you are doing well! I'm good. Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria continues to sell well. I thought about you and your Book PR blog. Here's a potential post for you!
Are you familiar with the Brown Bookshelf blog? It's a new effort by five African American children's book authors and illustrators to promote the category. One of the bloggers first national efforts is to promote African American children's book during the upcoming Black History Month.
The Brown Bookshelf is promoting a program called "28 Days Later" - featuring an African American children's book author or illustrator each day in February. Have a look at: http://thebrownbookshelf.com/28-days-later/.
Not only that - did you know the CCBC estimated that there were only 87 African American authors of children's books in 2006??
http://www.blackthreadsinkidslit.blogspot.com/2007/07/quick-how-many-childrens-books-were.html.
I'm thrilled about the Brown Bookshelf effort. In the more than 100 books they reviewed, my own Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria was selected for one of the days!!!
All the best, Kyra
www.BlackThreadsinKidsLit.blogspot.com
Here's the email Kyra sent to me:
Hello! Happy New Year! Hope you are doing well! I'm good. Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria continues to sell well. I thought about you and your Book PR blog. Here's a potential post for you!
Are you familiar with the Brown Bookshelf blog? It's a new effort by five African American children's book authors and illustrators to promote the category. One of the bloggers first national efforts is to promote African American children's book during the upcoming Black History Month.
The Brown Bookshelf is promoting a program called "28 Days Later" - featuring an African American children's book author or illustrator each day in February. Have a look at: http://thebrownbookshelf.com/28-days-later/.
Not only that - did you know the CCBC estimated that there were only 87 African American authors of children's books in 2006??
http://www.blackthreadsinkidslit.blogspot.com/2007/07/quick-how-many-childrens-books-were.html.
I'm thrilled about the Brown Bookshelf effort. In the more than 100 books they reviewed, my own Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria was selected for one of the days!!!
All the best, Kyra
www.BlackThreadsinKidsLit.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Ringo's loss is...someone's gain.
Don't you love it when a media interview goes so well that you're rewarded with extra air time? Or when there's a last-minute cancellation so you get the chance to go on the air or, again, to have your interview time extended?
Well, here's an interesting scenario. Imagine if an ex-Beatle is scheduled to sing a song on "Live With Regis and Kelly," and -- due to a misunderstanding (Ringo says he needs more time to perform the song, while the producer says there's no flexibility and the song has to be shortened). And, to make what sounds like a sad story even sadder, Ringo walks, leaving more airtime available for the remaining guests. That's what happened to a couple of lucky "Live with Regis and Kelly" guests today, according to this Associated Press news story.
I'll have to take the reporter's word for it since I didn't have the opportunity to watch the show myself. Of course, if I had known Ringo was scheduled to appear, I might have found a way to tune in....
Well, here's an interesting scenario. Imagine if an ex-Beatle is scheduled to sing a song on "Live With Regis and Kelly," and -- due to a misunderstanding (Ringo says he needs more time to perform the song, while the producer says there's no flexibility and the song has to be shortened). And, to make what sounds like a sad story even sadder, Ringo walks, leaving more airtime available for the remaining guests. That's what happened to a couple of lucky "Live with Regis and Kelly" guests today, according to this Associated Press news story.
I'll have to take the reporter's word for it since I didn't have the opportunity to watch the show myself. Of course, if I had known Ringo was scheduled to appear, I might have found a way to tune in....
Monday, January 07, 2008
Mixed news for Morton.
The buzz about Andrew Morton's new book, Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biograph, is both good news and bad news for Andrew Morton (not to mention for Tom Cruise and his family members). The good news for Morton is that, yes, the public is interested in Tom Cruise. He'll probably sell a lot of books, too, given all the book promotion opportunities Morton has received. Here's an example of one less-than-enthusiastic article about the book.
Now for the bad news: the amount of book publicity that Morton's book has garnered far outweighs the enthusiasm, and the respect, that the media is showing for the book and its author. How many authors would trade their media attention (or even their lack of media attention) for comments such as "the author knows he can’t back up many of the book’s claims," "a variety of other issues in the book involve clear inconsistencies or falsehoods," and "at best, Morton’s book is a best-of collection of Cruise rumors?" Not I, says this book publicist...and I'll bet my book promotion clients feel the same way.
Now for the bad news: the amount of book publicity that Morton's book has garnered far outweighs the enthusiasm, and the respect, that the media is showing for the book and its author. How many authors would trade their media attention (or even their lack of media attention) for comments such as "the author knows he can’t back up many of the book’s claims," "a variety of other issues in the book involve clear inconsistencies or falsehoods," and "at best, Morton’s book is a best-of collection of Cruise rumors?" Not I, says this book publicist...and I'll bet my book promotion clients feel the same way.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Book Promotion in 2008
This book publicist hopes that all authors and publishers can garner the book promotion opportunities they're seeking in 2008. That includes authors and publishers who can afford to hire a book publicist, and those who cannot.
For those who can afford to outsource their book promotion campaigns, I'm glad to consider taking on your project. Take a look at my client list to see the types of projects I've represented recently and, if your book fits into those genres, let me know. I've written about how to find a book promotion firm that's best-suited for your book project, but the concise advice on hiring a book publicist is this. Check out book publicity-related Web sites; contact book publicists; describe your project; narrow down the prospects based on book publicists' interest in your project; do a "chemistry check" with prospective book publicists; request book promotion proposals (these book publicity plans and associated costs should be free); and then make your choice.
But, each day, book publicists receive far more queries from prosective clients than we can handle. Sometimes, we even receive more queries than we can respond to. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate every inquiry I receive from an author or publisher, and I get in touch with each as quickly as possible -- whenever possible. But paying clients' needs and projects must take precedence over incoming emails and phone calls from authors and publishers, and sometimes my good intentions exceed my ability to help out all the book projects that deserve media attention.
There just aren't enough hours in the day to offer book promotion advice to every author and publisher whom I cannot represent, but as a next-best offering, I've put together some book promotion offerings -- some low-cost, and some free -- that all authors and publishers can use.
First, we've relaunched BookPromotionTools.com, a site where you can find more than 200 book promotion tips that have been tested in the field by book publicists and their clients. These tips are free. You'll also find The Online Pitch Kit, a book promotion tool that lets you contact national media online to pitch your story idea -- instantly and effectively.
And, for those who are interested in book promotion, publicity, and marketing, but who cannot afford to hire a book publicist and have the time to invest in a do-it-yourself compaign, I offer an affordable eBook called How to Market, Sell, Distribute, and Promote Your Book: Critical, Hard-to-Find Information for Authors and Publishers. It's available only online at my Web site -- click here for more information.
So, whether you can afford to hire a book publicist in 2008, or whether you're interested in garnering as much book promotion information as possible, there are book promotion tools available for you to start the new year off right. Happy 2008, and I wish you every book promotion success in the months to come.
For those who can afford to outsource their book promotion campaigns, I'm glad to consider taking on your project. Take a look at my client list to see the types of projects I've represented recently and, if your book fits into those genres, let me know. I've written about how to find a book promotion firm that's best-suited for your book project, but the concise advice on hiring a book publicist is this. Check out book publicity-related Web sites; contact book publicists; describe your project; narrow down the prospects based on book publicists' interest in your project; do a "chemistry check" with prospective book publicists; request book promotion proposals (these book publicity plans and associated costs should be free); and then make your choice.
But, each day, book publicists receive far more queries from prosective clients than we can handle. Sometimes, we even receive more queries than we can respond to. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate every inquiry I receive from an author or publisher, and I get in touch with each as quickly as possible -- whenever possible. But paying clients' needs and projects must take precedence over incoming emails and phone calls from authors and publishers, and sometimes my good intentions exceed my ability to help out all the book projects that deserve media attention.
There just aren't enough hours in the day to offer book promotion advice to every author and publisher whom I cannot represent, but as a next-best offering, I've put together some book promotion offerings -- some low-cost, and some free -- that all authors and publishers can use.
First, we've relaunched BookPromotionTools.com, a site where you can find more than 200 book promotion tips that have been tested in the field by book publicists and their clients. These tips are free. You'll also find The Online Pitch Kit, a book promotion tool that lets you contact national media online to pitch your story idea -- instantly and effectively.
And, for those who are interested in book promotion, publicity, and marketing, but who cannot afford to hire a book publicist and have the time to invest in a do-it-yourself compaign, I offer an affordable eBook called How to Market, Sell, Distribute, and Promote Your Book: Critical, Hard-to-Find Information for Authors and Publishers. It's available only online at my Web site -- click here for more information.
So, whether you can afford to hire a book publicist in 2008, or whether you're interested in garnering as much book promotion information as possible, there are book promotion tools available for you to start the new year off right. Happy 2008, and I wish you every book promotion success in the months to come.
Monday, December 31, 2007
It is what it is -- and other worn-out phrases to avoid using in 2008.
On behalf of readers everywhere, this book publicist urges authors to read this Reuters article (posted on MSNBC.com) before typing a single keystroke in 2008: ‘Perfect storm’ of cliches make bad English list: University targets 'surge' of words and phrases that deserve to be banned .
Okay, maybe a book that's loaded with tired old phrases such as "it is what it is" and "at the end of the day" can still enjoy terrific book promotion opportunities in the new year. But please, authors: when you're working on your next title, give your readers a break. Resolve that, in 2008, it won't be what it doesn't have to be, or even, it might not be what it should have been but probably won't be ... because of one too many cliches.
Yes. It's still the holiday season, and this book publicist is in avery silly holiday mood. But do read the Reuters article, when you have a chance...and do resolve to enjoy the new year safely and in good health. A productive and successful 2008 for all, filled with limitless book promotion opportunities!
Okay, maybe a book that's loaded with tired old phrases such as "it is what it is" and "at the end of the day" can still enjoy terrific book promotion opportunities in the new year. But please, authors: when you're working on your next title, give your readers a break. Resolve that, in 2008, it won't be what it doesn't have to be, or even, it might not be what it should have been but probably won't be ... because of one too many cliches.
Yes. It's still the holiday season, and this book publicist is in avery silly holiday mood. But do read the Reuters article, when you have a chance...and do resolve to enjoy the new year safely and in good health. A productive and successful 2008 for all, filled with limitless book promotion opportunities!
Friday, December 28, 2007
A book promotion opportunity no publisher or book publicist wants.
Here's an example of what book publicists and publishers mean by "book promotion opportunity": HarperCollins was about to publish a book written by Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when...well, you know what happened. Now, of course, that book, Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West, has been fast-tracked and will be published in February of 2008. Here's the Reuter's article, as published by MSNBC.com.
Any book publicist will tell you that, if you can find a news hook to promote your book, you'll exponentially increase your book promotion opportunities. Book publicists don't want to find news hooks like Bhutto's murder in order to promote books, and publishers don't want to find their authors' obituaries in the news, either. HarperCollins advanced $75,000 to Bhutto. That wasn't a king's ransom, nor was it a prime minister's fortune.
But now? The sales potential of Bhuto's book is almost immeasurable, and the book promotion opportunities are limitless.
HarperCollins has a goldmine here. I'm sure the good people at HarperCollins are glad to have the book on its list for February. But...someone...I also have to believe that, given a choice, HarperCollins would rather have its author, Bhutto, alive and looking forward to winning the election in Pakistan.
If only this particular book promotion opportunity had not presented itself....
Any book publicist will tell you that, if you can find a news hook to promote your book, you'll exponentially increase your book promotion opportunities. Book publicists don't want to find news hooks like Bhutto's murder in order to promote books, and publishers don't want to find their authors' obituaries in the news, either. HarperCollins advanced $75,000 to Bhutto. That wasn't a king's ransom, nor was it a prime minister's fortune.
But now? The sales potential of Bhuto's book is almost immeasurable, and the book promotion opportunities are limitless.
HarperCollins has a goldmine here. I'm sure the good people at HarperCollins are glad to have the book on its list for February. But...someone...I also have to believe that, given a choice, HarperCollins would rather have its author, Bhutto, alive and looking forward to winning the election in Pakistan.
If only this particular book promotion opportunity had not presented itself....
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