Create Some Noise!Using publicity to sell books

Marketing and Publicity Activities

u Coveru Blurbu Traditional media

publicityu Reviewsu Featuresu Newsu Listings

u Social media publicity

u Reader Reviewsu Websiteu Blog / Blog Toursu Events

u Festivalsu Launch eventsu Book Fairsu Public Speaking

u Price promotions

u Mailing listsu Advertising

u Traditional u Online

u Sponsorship

Book Publicity and Marketing

u How to talk about your booku Book autopsyu Elevator pitch

u Where to get publicityu Traditional mediau Social media

u How to pitch your booku Getting help

The Publicity Autopsy

The Booku Subjectu Settingu Charactersu Key points or events in booku Research – the story behind

your booku USP of book

The Authoru Expertise / Experienceu Locationu Your USP

The Reader (to pinpoint media)u Male/Femaleu Ageu Subject knowledge level

The Free Will DelusionBooku Hot/breakout topic in current philosophyu Counter-intuitive insight into something we

don’t normally think aboutu Expert quotesu Extra topics: Social justice, Human behaviour

Authoru Banker / Philosopheru Explains difficult concepts wellu Up for a fight!u London

Hats of FaithBooku Useful content - purposeu Larger message about respectu Niche as well as mainstreamu Education

Authoru Great story behind booku Talks about book wellu Christian, Muslim and Catholicu London and Glasgow

Know Your Media - Outlets

u Televisionu Nationalu Regional

u Radiou Nationalu Regional

u Newspapersu Nationalu Regionalu Local

u Magazinesu Subject areas / Audienceu Local

u Journals / Mailing lists / Newsletters

u Onlineu Traditional media websitesu Websitesu Bloggers

Know Your Media - Coverage

u Book reviewsu Feature articlesu Interviews u Expert news commentary

and analysisu Book excerptsu Event listings / coverageu By-line articles

u Op-ed Articles / Letters to the Editoru Blog postsu Author life / writing adviceu Sidebar hints and tipsu Personal experiencesu Family historyu Anniversary insightsu Top 10 lists

Know Your Media - Journalists

Identify Your Best Contactsu Media biasu Journalist subject areasu Specific features

The Journalist Mindsetu Audienceu Point of viewu Workload / Deadlines / Pressure

Traditional Media vs Social Media

Media

ReadersYou

You Readers

TRADITIONAL PUBLICITY SOCIAL NETWORKING

Social Media

Platformsu Facebooku Twitteru Pinterestu Instagramu Goodreads

Purposeu Long-term publicityu 2-Way communicationu 80/20 Ruleu Images / Videou Author communityu Build an identity

Pitch Perfect

Top Tips for Pitching to the Mediau Press releaseu Email / phoneu Sending booksu Get to the point quicklyu Be honest about the appeal of your book to a journalistu Focus on the most likely journalistsu Follow-up and be persistent!!!u Accept rejection (eventually and politely)u Turn interest into coverage

Interviews

Top Tips for Interviewsu Perfect your elevator pitchu Understand what kind of interview it will be and read, listen or watch

previous interviewsu Anticipate questions by looking again at your pitch and press releaseu Practice your answersu Record yourself answering questionsu Make an impact with a story or an emotional pullu Be sure to mention your book title (but not too much)u Perfect your elevator pitch (again!)u Relax and be confident because you know what you are talking about

Working With a Publicist

Top tips for getting on with a publicist (or any author promotion service)u Only work with people or services that you are confident about and

that will keep you up to dateu Make sure that your project is understood, including key subjects,

events and datesu Make sure that your goals are understoodu Have realistic expectations that are acknowledgedu Be really really nice to them (but a little pushy)u Compare contacts and suggest outlets and journalistsu Insist on an end of promotion chat