Publicity and Book Marketing

And so we begin April as the month of the publicists and book marketing experts. I will be interviewing four people this month who understand the publishing industry and know how to make the most out of your advertising dollar. Some of these experts are authors and others know the industry, inside and out. Getting the word out about a new book or product is very important, and the hope is that the advertising takes the form of social media viral “buzz”.

First let's look at the definitions of the terms publicity and marketing. Both appear to mean the same thing. The idea is to be noticed in order to find someone to purchase your books. Simply, publicity is local or national media coverage such as newspaper, magazine, or print reviews in the form of interviews or book reviews. It can also mean radio or television interviews. Today this definition is expanded to include media coverage via blog promotions, blog tours, or podcasts. Publicity is free exposure for you, and you gain notoriety in the form of the coverage. A press release is a good way to help shape your image and busy media outlets appreciate the help of a well worded synopsis of your book, photograph and bio.



Marketing on the other hand takes many forms. It can be paid advertising in order to present your product to the masses and is a direct approach in order to obtain sales from consumers. Marketing allows you to word the ad or hire a professional to write one for your use. This can also be the tools such as business cards, postcards, book marks, websites, pay per click ads, and other resources to use at book signings. Marketing can also take the form of author blog posts, and social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

I have interviewed many authors who have hired a publicist for their book promotions and were very happy with the results. Publicists are not cheap, yet if they obtain the contact and publicity you hope for, they are well worth the money spent. As with anything publishing related it helps to have a goal and share this with the person you hire. Do you want to travel and speak? Do you want to be paid for your speaking engagements? Do you desire bookstore book signings? Or, would you rather speak from a telephone at home and talk about your book project?

Can you successfully promote your own book? Yes, it does not matter if you are a first time self-published author or you are an author with a traditional press. You can promote your own book, all it takes is time. There are many resources and guides available and we will discuss this on the broadcasts on my radio show, this month.

Here is the upcoming line-up:

April 5, 2010 Marc Grant: Mentor Equity Press  http://www.MentorEquityPress.com
April 12, 2010 John Kremer: 1001 Ways to Market Your Book: http://www.bookmarket.com
April 19, 2010 Kathy Carlton Willis: Publicist http://www.kathycarltonwillis.com/
April 26, 2010 Leili McKinley: Branding for Authors: http://www.leilimckinley.com/speaker/