Tag: book publicity

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Why You Need Publicity For Your Book

We’ve all been there. The writing is finished, you’ve spent a fortune on an editing service and now, you just want the book to be published. Sound familiar? But, it’s vital that you don’t rush the publicity process because your book needs it. As an author, there is much you can do to promote your own book and to start gaining interest from potential readers but, to do it properly, you will need a professional book publicity service.

publicity

Why have a professional book publicity campaign?

A professional publicist or company who specialises in this service will help the whole world to know about your book. A professional will look at it differently than you will, after all, it’s your baby and you have sweated blood and tears over it. But, from a professional viewpoint, your book will have unique aspects that you may not have even considered. A good publicist will be able to detect this and discuss its potential with you in media terms.

Successful books

Most of the books that you see listed as best-sellers would have a publicity campaign. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rule but, if you want your book to have a fighting chance in a highly-competitive marketplace, it makes sense to do so.

Publishing – as a business

It’s perhaps a sad truth that publishing is all about the business aspect of selling books. It’s not about a book that deserves to be published anymore. So, as an author and no doubt, creative being, you must adopt a business approach too. This can be hard for many to do. Most authors live and breathe the creative process and balk at the marketing processes that must follow however, if you want a successful book, you’ll do what is necessary.

Publicity and peace of mind

publicity

Hire a good book publicist and you’ll have peace of mind that your book is in good hands. Any publicist is going to tell you that it’s not just about the sales. It’s about you as a brand and it’s about, inciting continued interest in books you write thereafter. Ideally, you should approach a publicist prior to the book being . However, it is true that there are tricks of the trade that can spotlight a book with flagging sales.

If you are in the middle of writing a book now, and still have some months before the book is even ready, this is the ultimate time to speak to a publicist. They will guide you through the process. The costs vary and so, it’s customary to send a quick email to explain what your book is about and when it is likely to be finished and they will clarify what they can do.  It’s certainly worth opening up the lines of communication if you wish to accelerate the sales on your book. Want more information? Email: contact@creative1publishing.com please mark the subject line with book publicity

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The Personal Touch – Book Promotion Made Easy

Book Marketingby Annette Young

In my previous blog post, I mentioned the potential for being interviewed on local radio and I know this is something that many authors dread, that of self-promotion and having to embrace their time in the spotlight. But, the publishing industry has moved on so much in the last ten years and it’s a whole new beast to deal with if you wish to become a success, so book marketing these days is an essential component of getting the word out there.

I often have writers say to me that the words within their book speaks for them. Well, great, but, it’s worth noting that even if your book is the most amazing collection of words ever, the story is strong, the characters compelling, if no one knows of its existence, then, it will remain on the shelf and just grow dusty.

By actively seeking out and being prepared for an interview through radio or TV, this can really escalate your book sales and you will come across well. But, remember, your book alone will not get you the promotion you need to sell numerous copies. You are the one that people will want to talk to, they will want to understand who you are, your background, what made you write this book. They want to know about you and you need to engage with your potential readers and share a little of yourself. Make sure you know your stuff, be engaging, articulate and definitely entertaining.

Prepare a list of potential questions so you don’t feel under pressure or unprepared and do your best to enjoy it.

If you feel uncomfortable being in the spotlight, then, get friends and family to interview you so you feel more comfortable being asked questions and with the attention fully on you. Have them video you so you are used to cameras. This will help you to feel more natural on screen or, even prepare you if you are participating in a radio interview. Ultimately, it’s about making these opportunities work for you.

 

 

Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Self-Promotion Vs. Self-Procrastination – Do it the Right Way

Self-promotion

by Annette Young

When it comes to book promotion, you may well be one of a large group of authors who like to bury their heads in the sand but, newsflash, procrastinating, hiding or refusing to join the self-promotion bandwagon will get you precisely nowhere.

As a publisher and author, I know how important your book is to you. You wouldn’t have written it if it didn’t mean something. But, your book is just one among masses, not just competing for physical book space but, for digital space too. So, remember, you only have a short space of time to make an impact for your book and this should start long before the publishing date. You can pay for publicity, have someone set up ads for you, create flyers, etc. But, there are things you can do for FREE and it makes sense to make the most of any publicity available. But, you had best get your timing right.

I am a firm believer in the power of the press release. Even if you don’t use one of the professional distributors, you can still write a press release and distribute it to your local newspapers. Make it concise and play the local angle. Start promoting your book approximately two months in advance. So, send announcements to your local radio and TV stations, newspapers, book distributors and so on.

When your book is published i.e. you have a physical copy in your hands, send an updated press release along with a copy of your book to some or all of those you had contacted previously. You may not hear anything or, you may find yourself contacted for interviews or even book signings. Don’t faint at the thought. Try to enjoy your moment in the spotlight. You can also have fliers made of the book jacket and ask local bookshops if they will display it near the till point.  But don’t just leave it there, give them some copies of the book too – try the Sale or Return angle. If they decline, give them a copy and ask them to read it and encourage their friends to buy it.

Are your friends avid readers? Ask them to talk about your book (be fair, only when they have read it and liked it) word of mouth is a really powerful way to promote and if they talk about it enough, others are likely to buy a copy. Ask your local library or doctors or dentists if they will stock your promotional fliers. When people are bored, nervous or sick, they will want to distract themselves and your colourful looking promotional literature may incite interest.

Is your book about a subject that local people will really want to see? Is your book about something that local groups will be interested in? If you have written a book on Yorkshire Terriers and there happens to be a specific group of dedicated enthusiasts regarding this breed of dog, well, drop them a line. You must always look for the angle.

Local interest is a great way to promote for free but you must be prepared to put yourself out there and promote with enthusiasm. Don’t be shy. Self-promotion is essential these days. If you want to be an author, you must also be a marketer. Accept it, relish it and now promote like crazy.

 

 

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Good Publicity

Book Publicity

So, you’ve written a book and are now in the exciting stages of publishing it.  But then what happens? It’s often a misconception that new books will fly off Amazon’s (or other) proverbial shelves and the author is sent, hurtling towards millionaire status. Sadly, it’s highly unlikely, even if your book is beautifully written and word perfect, unless you are a well-known name and, even then, the odds are stacked against that type of success.

So what can you do to make your book perform well? The answer is simple.  Get some good publicity going. Tell the world about it before you even publish it… if you can. Don’t worry, if you’ve already pressed that button, it’s never too late to start promoting but you do need to throw yourself whole-heartedly into the process.

Create a plan.

Sounds easy doesn’t it? But stay on track. You must always remain focussed on all that you are trying to achieve. There are so many options available to you but you need to consider what will work best for your book? How much time can you dedicate to book promotion? Would you prefer to hand over the marketing aspects to someone else?

Write down all options and then consider in full:

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