Book Promotion Blog

Nearly every author who works with this book publicist has a dream: “Get me on NPR!” Any author whose book is featured on “Morning Edition” or any other National Public Radio show will be in literary and book publicity heaven.

Which is why it was particularly interesting for me to come across an article about Nancy Pearl, a librarian who comments about books on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” and who has created the Book Lust Rediscoveries program with Amazon. The program will reprint books some of Pearl’s favorite out-of-print titles that were originally published between 1960 and 2000. Pearl will add her own introduction and discussion questions to each reprinted book.

If Pearl puts her stamp of approval on a book than — fifty years old or not — there will be instant buzz about the title, and an instant surge of book promotion potential that, ultimately, will be a huge potential gain for the author. So Book Lust Rediscoveries is all good, right? You’d think so, except I ran across the article about Book Lust Rediscoveries in an article (ironically, one that was published on the NPR web site) titled: “Publishers And Booksellers See A ‘Predatory’ Amazon.”

There’s no doubt that Amazon’s experiments and goals are in conflict with those of many publishing industry professionals. At the same time, the publishing industry is changing so quickly, and so profoundly, that it’s almost impossible to single out one company as “all bad” or, even, as “all good.”

My job is to keep up with book promotion opportunities, and right now, I’m grateful to Amazon for providing a new book publicity opportunity — in this case, to books that are no longer in print. Tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll lament something else’s partnership with Amazon or a decision Amazon has made that can hurt small publishers … but, at least in this case, I’m willing to give credit where credit is due. And credit is certainly due to Amazon and to Nancy Pearl for their Book Lust Rediscoveries program.

How can you blow a book promotion opportunity? Let’s look to Christine O’Donnell for inspiration. O’Donnell, who is promoting her book, Troublemaker, walked off the set of “Piers Morgan Tonight” during a live interview.

Piers Morgan, in case you’ve missed it, is the TV talk show host who has succeeded Larry King in his old CNN time slot. Morgan hasn’t yet attained the status that King enjoyed, in this book publicist’s opinion; he hasn’t earned it yet. Still, an interview with Piers Morgan represents an important book promotion opportunity, and it’s one that every author would feel very lucky to score.

O’Donnell, apparently, wasn’t “every author.” Rather than feel grateful for the international exposure “Piers Morgan Tonight” offered, she decided that Morgan’s questions weren’t headed in the right direction … and she removed her microphone and walked off the set.

If Christine O’Donnell thinks she will go from behaving like a spoiled brat on the set of “Piers Morgan Tonight” to accepting her choice of subsequent book publicity venues, she’s mistaken. Book promotion opportunities were hers for the taking — as long as she graciously accepted them and played the good sport when things didn’t go exactly the way she hoped they would.

Instead, Christine O’Donnell had a tantrum in front of the TV cameras.

That was unwise. It also could have been easily avoided if Christine O’Donnell understood why she was invited to appear as a guest on “Piers Morgan Tonight.” What O’Donnell believed she was doing on “Piers Morgan Tonight” was showcasing her book.

Well, no. Book promotion opportunities may have the effect of letting authors showcase their books. But no author is invited to appear as a guest on any media outlet to sell books. Authors are invited to appear as a guest on a media outlet to entertain and inform the audience. The interview, at all times, is controlled by the host, not by the author.

The author is fortunate to have each book promotion opportunity. And whether the author in question is Christine O’Donnell or Jane Doe, the author’s gratitude should transcend any tendency to feel slighted, irritated, or unappreciated.

Christine O’Donnell was not supposed to let Piers Morgan get her dander up, and she was not supposed to behave like a prima donna, and she was not supposed to disregard her commitment to Piers Morgan’s audience (not to mention to his network and its sponsors) when she didn’t get her own way.

That was a mistake, and it’s one for which Christine O’Donnell’s book promotion campaign will suffer.

If you’re waiting for a slow news day to pitch your story ideas to the media, you’ll probably have a long wait. In fact, you might never succeed in shouting down the major events of the day, and you might find yourself waiting forever to find a lull in the news so that you can launch the book promotion campaign you’ve envisioned.

There’s always something happening: crime, war, politics, money, sickness, or a combination of all those things. These front-burner events will take priority over any other story ideas you offer producers and journalists, and they should. These are the news stories that affect people’s lives, and you can’t fight their impact. These are the news stories that affect people’s lives, and you can’t fight their impact. Instead, you can take advantage of new stories and their relationship to the messages you want to convey, and you can use them to get the top media placements you seek.

Here are five ways to let the news work for you so that today’s headlines can become your immediate media placements:

• Scout for opportunities. Make a habit of checking news outlets for stories that you can address as a professional, or as someone who has researched (or experienced) the subject matter. Ask your friends, relatives, associates, and publicist to do the same. You’re seeking news stories to which you can add expert advice, missing information, or an alternative perspective. Is everyone in the media discussing the stock market’s volatility? Then this might be a good time to pitch your knowledge of the long-term dangers of stress, ways to teach children about investments, or how delaying retirement can benefit your health. In other words, if you can tie your wisdom (or your novel’s themes) into hot news stories, then you can use all of the book promotion strategies at your disposal to pitch the media while the event is still unfolding – and while media decision-makers still need to find fresh ways to report it. You might discover news hooks you had never envisioned while you were writing your book or planning a promotional campaign, but those time-sensitive news angles are usually the ones that get the best media response of all.

• Be creative, but realistic. Sometimes, news stories jump out at you as obvious opportunities for contributing your voice and experience. At other times, it takes a bit more imagination to connect your expertise to the news. That can work in your favor. If all professional landscapers thought about sharing their advice about how to clean up after hurricanes at once, then you’d have far more competition to worry about. But, while it helps your cause to find clever connections that others miss, it could harm your relationship with the media – perhaps permanently — if your pitches are wildly and consistently off the mark.

• Be concise and professional. Because most time-sensitive pitches are online pitches (how many journalists and producers do you know who actually pick up their telephones anymore?), you’ll probably email, text, instant message, or tweet your pitches to the media. Make every word count. Be succinct, and offer hyperlinks (no unsolicited file attachments!) to help media decision-makers find relevant information easily. At the same time, be sure to proofread your pitches before you send them. If you compromise spelling, grammar, or accuracy in favor of speed, then you give journalists and producers a reason to question your communication skills, and you never want to do that.

• Make yourself available, or wait until next time. The media has just released the surprising results of a medical study, but they don’t know the whole story. You’ve let all the health editors in your database know that you have something important to add, but you’re committed to seeing patients, and you can’t do interviews until next month. That may be too late. When a news story is breaking, and you’re tempted to pitch the media, first ask yourself whether you really can make yourself available for a quick round of publicity opportunities. If you can, go for it. Otherwise, hold onto those media pitches for another time and another news story. Don’t offer media decision-makers something they want – in this case, yourself – and can’t have.

• Be confident. Modesty is admirable, but if you want the media to take you seriously, this isn’t the time for humility and hesitation. Your job is to convince media decision-makers that you’re the go-to person for a particular news story, and you can do that only if you believe it yourself, and if you convey authority, self-assurance, and credibility with each pitch.

Finally, persistence can work in your favor. If you’re disappointed with the media’s response to your initial pitch, then try again another time with a different news hook. The media’s silence isn’t an indication that your pitches are unwelcome. It only means the timing wasn’t right or that another expert came along with a more appealing angle. Keep trying, and who knows? The next unfolding news story could provide you with just the hook you need to score an appearance on a major media outlet. And, with luck, it might even happen before the day is through.

Stacey J. Miller is a book promotion specialist and founder of S. J. Miller Communications. Visit her at www.bookpr.com.

Jane Fonda’s appearance on the QVC television network, during which she could have sold copies of her new book (a memoir called Prime Time) was cancelled because QVC executives feared Jane Fonda’s presence on its network would inflame some of its viewers. Fair enough.

But, from a book promotion standpoint, I’d say that Jane Fonda walked away a winner here.

I mean, how many of us watch the QVC television network? A lot of us…but, perhaps, not enough to compare with the number of people who saw the flare-up between Jane Fonda and QVC in dozens, if not hundreds, of media outlets recently.

Were it not for the many stories I read about how Jane Fonda was prevented from http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifselling Prime Time on QVC, I would never have known that Jane Fonda had published an autobiography — and, to be honest, I wouldn’t have much cared. Jane, to me, means good acting (although I haven’t seen any new work she’s done in years) and those exercise videos from many years ago (which, back then, didn’t interest me). Now? I wouldn’t mind giving Prime Time a look to see what Jane Fonda’s selling. I don’t know whether or not I’d actually be willing to buy the book, but I’ll certainly bop by her book’s web site, now that I’ve heard about her book.

Perhaps I’ll be sold. And perhaps I won’t.

But that’s what book promotion is all about: making potential buyers aware that you’ve published a new book, and that you’re an author now (or an author again), and you’d like them to think about whether your work might benefit them in some way. In other words, “My book exists. Please consider buying it. Thank you very much.” If your book publicity efforts (or your book promotion accidents, such as Jane Fonda’s mess with QVC) can drive traffic to your book’s web site, so much the better.

So Jane Fonda is the clear winner here. QVC doesn’t have to sell Jane’s book. All of the book promotion Jane Fonda has received, and will continue to receive, will sell Jane’s book.

And if book promotion doesn’t sell very many books for Jane Fonda, then I doubt very much that cancelled appearance on the QVC television network would have, either.

Now that Casey Anthony has gone into hiding, perhaps there is room in the news — both the traditional media and online media outlets — for author interviews that do not bear on the subject of Casey Anthony once again. Those who are promoting books, including authors, publishers, and book publicists: stand back. Casey Anthony has left the building, and the media has moved on. Opportunities for book promotion (for books that don’t touch on the theme of murdering family members, anyway) have returned!

David Chura, author of I Don’t Wish Nobody to Have a Life Like Mine: Tales of Kids in Adult Lockup, has published a wonderful piece in the Huffington Post called “Book Peddlers: Why One Author Hits the Promotion Road.” Chura talks about trudging from one book event to another in countless cities, hoping that he isn’t left standing at the podium talking to himself.

Chura’s story is familiar to me, and I especially appreciate Chura’s feeling that, as long as he connects with his audience, his time is well spent. (It sure beats the unanswerable question I’m hearing too frequently these days from authors: “If I hire a book publicist and invest X number of dollars in book promotion, then how many dollars can I expect to earn in book sales?”)

It’s good to see that Chura is an example of an author who has embarked on a book promotion tour for the right reasons…gaining something besides, exclusively, book sales.  But it’s even better to see that, along with hitting the road to do book publicity events, Chura is also smart enough to engage in less taxing, perhaps more highly targeted book promotion efforts such as pitching a well-written, interesting article to the “Huffington Post” that gets out the word about the authorship of his book to far more people at once, far more painlessly, than a series of book events would!