Why Should An Author Hire A Book Publicist?
Have you written one or more books or are you close to finishing your first one? Have you considered how you’re going to promote your book to potential readers or have you tried and failed or barely succeeded with various book promotion strategies? Find out the reasons you’re not breaking through on your book publicity and learn why it’s so important for authors to have a book publicist.
Being a full time author and earning an income from your books can be as challenging as trying to break into the entertainment industry as a performer. While you may be one of the most talented writers, you won’t get far without an effective book publicity plan.
While there are various self-publication companies to help you get your book published for a lower price, the question of distribution still remains. You may or may not have looked into various book distribution outlets; and if you have, you’ve discovered that your options are limited if you haven’t sold a certain volume of books. So how do you sell enough books in order to have your book on the shelves and websites of major distributors? That’s where a book publicist comes in.
Book publicity is a process of identifying target readers and appealing to those readers through various outlets. While you may very well know the age or social group for which you’ve been writing this whole time, you may not be aware of the best methods of reaching your target audience. An experienced book publicist is well-versed in different influential markets and knows exactly which tactics to utilize in order to make your target readers aware of your upcoming or currently available book.
Even if you do have some good ideas on where to promote your book online or through other venues, remember that a seasoned publicist has an entire contact list of talk show hosts, radio personalities, magazine editors, bloggers, book reviewers, and other contacts in the media who are able and willing to interview you for their entire audience. A publicist will also be able to help you with other critical steps like getting book reviews and posting them in all the right places, promoting book signings and other fan outreach events, social networking, distributing press releases, and many other book publicity techniques.
While some authors have a background in PR, most authors have dedicated their time to developing their literary skills. You’ve crafted your art and you’ve written a masterpiece for the entire world to enjoy. Now it’s time to allow a book publicist who’s also been developing and honing skills for a number of years to help you get your book into the hands of interested readers.
If you don’t have public relations education or book publicity experience, your odds of ever selling enough books on your own to make a living are low. Try to find a qualified book publicist to help you achieve your professional goals as an author.
List Of The Best Press Release Distribution Websites
Whether you are a small business or author, if you have a website you should be distributing press releases on a regular basis to build your online presence. Press releases provide the media with the information they need to write a news story. For authors, a press release can announce a book signing, book reading, new book release, blog tour, celebrity endorsements, sponsorships, price changes, a new blog, awards, or other newsworthy events. A search engine optimized (SEO) press release can help generate media coverage, increase traffic to your website, improve your ranking in search engines, and attract new customers. Press releases are essential in a PR campaign.
There are so many different press release distribution websites that it can be confusing trying to figure out which ones to use. After years of distributing press releases, we have come up with a list of the best free and paid press release distribution websites. In no specific order, here are our favorite press release distribution websites –
iNewswire – http://www.i-newswire.com/
PR.com – http://www.pr.com/
1888 Press Release – http://www.1888pressrelease.com/
24-7 Press Release – http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
Big News – http://bignews.biz/
Online PR News – http://www.onlineprnews.com/
Before It’s News: http://beforeitsnews.com/
PRLog – http://www.prlog.org/
PRWeb: PRWeb has the cheapest distribution option. We used the Basic package, which is only $99. However, it provided ZERO results. Seriously, not a single site picked up our press release. It was an absolute waste of money. You get what you pay for right?
eReleases: Our favorite press release distribution site is eReleases, but they keep raising their rates, which is frustrating. We used to distribute press releases through eReleases for only $149, and now it seems the price increases every month or so. The lowest package that eReleases offers right now is $249 for the Newswire Lite. With this package, they will publish your press release on PR Newswire, and it will get published on an additional 100 – 300 news sites. Having your press release published on this many news sites helps increase your online presence significantly.
PR Newswire: PR Newswire is the most expensive distribution site, and they provide similar results to eReleases.
We recommend distributing your press release through 1 major paid distribution service, like eReleases, and a handful of free press release websites, like PRLog or 24-7 Press Release, to generate more backlinks to your website. Backlinks help increase your ranking in search engines and traffic to your website. Also, be sure to post the press release on your own website or blog.
We chose the websites listed above because they are the easiest to use and provide the best results. What sites would you add to this list?
Public Relations Tips for Self-Published Authors
It has never been easier to publish your own book, but getting customers to buy it is another story. The success of Fifty Shades of Grey and its sequels has given new hope to aspiring authors everywhere. What started as a side project and self-published novel has become a worldwide phenomenon, with movie rights and lucrative contracts for the writer.
While opinions are mixed on the literary value of these books, many experts agree that at least part of the success is the result of savvy book publicity. Self-published authors everywhere can learn a lot from this example as they learn to promote their own books more effectively.
The existence of Amazon and other outlets had made it easier than ever to self-publish books, from full-sized novels to how-to guides. The problem is that most of those books will be lucky to sell even a few copies a month. Having a publicist, or doing your own book publicity, is crucial to making your book stand out from the competition.
One of the biggest keys to self-publishing success is preparation. Now that the book has been written and you are ready to publish, it is important to prepare and start book publicity efforts before the release. That means setting up a website where potential buyers can get more information about the book and its author. It also means setting up a social media presence, complete with Facebook page and Twitter account, before the publication date. Laying the groundwork ahead of time is one of the best book publicity moves a self-published author can make.
Making the book available in a number of different formats can be a huge help as well. There are a number of competing e-readers on the market, from the Nook and Kindle to reading applications on the Apple iPad and other tablet computers. Successful self-published authors work hard to ensure that readers can access their book no matter what kind of device they have. Smart authors also make sure readers are able to order actual physical copies of their books if they prefer.
Participating in blogs and online discussion boards is another way self-published authors can get the word out about their work and boost their sales. This strategy works particularly well for non-fiction books and how-to guides, but it can be adapted to the fiction market as well. Buyers are more likely to purchase a book from someone they see as an expert in the field, whether that field is growing the most beautiful roses or putting a deck on the back of the house.
While not every author can afford to retire on the wealth of their words, the potential for self-published works is nearly limitless. The stigma that was once associated with self-published novels is largely gone – thanks to the internet and the vast number of books now available at the click of a mouse. Authors who are able to effectively promote their books can enjoy great success, and smart PR is a big part of the process.
How To Promote Your Book On A Budget
You have finally finished your first book and are anxious to see a return on all of your hard work. But how are you going to get people to buy your book? After pulling many late-nighters to get your thoughts into digital form, you’re hoping to be rewarded with a flood of sales and good reviews. Unfortunately, even well-written books don’t sell themselves unless you’re already a best-selling author. Suppose you don’t have a ton of money to work with a book publicist, and you want to get the word out as inexpensively as possible. In this post, you’ll learn how to promote your book online on a budget.
Start a Free Blog
If you are on a budget, starting a blog is one of the best ways to promote your writing, because a blog usually gets good search engine rankings, it draws significant traffic, and it’s free! Set-up a free blog using WordPress or Google Blogger, and you can be publishing within ten minutes. Use your blog to write keyword-rich tips that relate to the topic of your book. At the end of each post, leave a link to your book. Do this consistently, and you’ll develop a loyal group of followers eager to get your next tip – and buy your book. The comments your readers leave will give you ideas for future books or blog posts, so read them carefully and respond.
Send Out a Press Release Online
Write a keyword-rich press release and submit it to free press release sites like PRLog. They’ll distribute your press release to major search engines like Google and Bing. This a great way to build your online presence, but if you have the money, using a paid press release distribution service like PRWeb will get you much better results. Paid press release distribution sites usually cost $100-$300 per press release, but for the extra money they’ll send your press release to local and national media including major news sites such as CNN. Using their detailed analytics, you’ll be able to track who reads your press release and what sites posted it. Either way, whether you distribute the press release through free PR sites or paid services, sending out press releases online is a great way to promote your book and build your online presence.
Promote Your Writing By Participating in Relevant Forums
Look for forums that focus on your book topic and participate in the discussions. Set aside an hour each day to answer questions and offer helpful tips. Don’t try to directly sell your book. It’ll only annoy people and get you kicked off the forum. Simply leave a link to your book in your signature file. Be sure to follow the rules of the forum you’re posting to.
Promote Your Book by Giving Away Copies
After becoming comfortable with forum and blog promotion, offer to give away a copy of your book to the first ten people in exchange for posting a review. Books that have favorable reviews on sites like Amazon sell more quickly, especially when you’re a new author. Another strategy is to offer a free book chapter to your blog readers. This will let them see the quality of your writing, and create the desire to read more of your work.
Other Ways to Promote Your Book Online On A Budget
Write articles on your book topic, and submit them to online article databases. Include a link to your book in the resource box at the end of article. Be a guest writer for other blogs and websites in exchange for a link. Make a short video with tips and publish it to YouTube with a link to your book. Start accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites. Be sure to include detailed information about your book on your profiles. Answer questions, make friends and develop followers. Be helpful but not overly promotional. This will help establish you as an expert.
Promote Your Book: The Bottom Line?
Promoting your book doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a multitude of online resources to help. All you have to do is take advantage of them. It can be or time-consuming though, which is why a publicist makes sense for most authors. What are you waiting for? Start promoting your book online today without spending a fortune.
7 Quick Tips to Writing a Great Press Release
Press releases are an effective way to build your presence online, generate publicity, and get the word out about a newsworthy event, such as a announcing a blog tour, book release, or book signing. Many people shy away from creating press releases, but once you know the basics, writing these on a regular basis can become second nature. In this post, we cover 7 quick tips for writing a great press release.
For a successful book publicity campaign, we recommend distributing 1 press release a month. A press release should include all of the information that a reporter would need to write a news story about it. The essential components of a press release are a headline, lead paragraph, main body, background information, and contact information. Try to shorten your press release to 1 page or less. If it is over 1 page, then it is too long.
1. Write an attention grabbing headline. Be creative and think outside the box. It should intrigue the reporter to read the press release to find out more information.
2. The lead paragraph should expand on the headline, and entice the reader to follow through with reading the rest of the press release. The lead paragraph is also sometimes referred to as the “hook.” It should be newsworthy, relevant, and attention catching. The lead paragraph should be 2-3 sentences.
3. You should use the body of the press release to back up any statements you make in your headline and lead paragraph. Get the facts out – who, what, when, where and why. Use quotes from reputable sources. Don’t beat around the bush, get straight to the point. If you write too much fluff and irrelevant material, no one will stick around to read your main message or cover the story.
4. Make it interesting. A long, boring rambling press release does not hold anyone’s interest. When you are writing the press release, do not make it personal by using “I” or “We”. Write the body of the release as a reporter would, reporting on a news story, using an impartial voice. Understand your audience and write something that they want to read. By giving your audience what they want, you guarantee that they will read your press release from beginning to end and actually share the information.
5. Avoid using hype filled phrases; they do nothing to enhance your press release. In fact, phrases such as “state of the art” can be a real turn off for readers because it gives the press release a sales feel. Hype and excessive punctuation such as exclamation marks remove the professional feel from your press release. Remove your instinct to use your press release to sell. You are simply giving information, not trying to make a sale. The information that you give should be useful and to the point. You have plenty of time to make a sale once you get some traffic to your web site.
6. The last paragraph of the press release should have a sentence or two of background information, a link to your website, and contact information.
7. Proofread your press release carefully. Nothing removes credibility faster than obvious typos or grammatical errors.
A great press release is one of the most important tools you can use to connect with people and let them know about your news. Learning how to craft an attention grabbing press release is one of the best weapons you can have in your book publicity campaign.
