Do Your Own Book PR - Quick Tips for Success

​The KBC Media book PR division has represented over 500+ authors which include ‘Best Sellers’ from celebrities to business leaders, lifestyle and fiction novels. If it is not in your budget to hire a publicist, you can still garner media attention and sell books!
The good news is any book today, traditional or self-published can become a bestseller. If your book tells an incredible story, or information the consumer needs, you can make it a top seller.
Planning the promotion should start at least 6 months prior to the publication release date.
Your book launch is crucial to future sales and building and branding your name as an author. You need to strategically plan the groundwork for the book release.
Easy Steps to Success:

• Social Media:  You need to begin to establish your online presence.
•  Design your own website (utilize free sites such as Wix or Weebly) or hire a freelance graphics designer.
• Create your book and author Facebook. Upload interesting information about you and snippets from the book. Join Facebook groups with similar interest as your book and interact.
• Next, launch your book Twitter account. Follow people who you think would have interest in your book. Tweet interesting info each day, and they should follow you back.
• Other social media sites such as Goodreads.com and of course Pinterest is an ideal tool for promotion.

Press Materials- Digital Press Kit 

• You can develop your own press kit materials.
• Author Bio and contact information
• Press Release- Announce the book release
• Author Q and A – average about 10 sample questions and answers
• Author Photo- Headshot
• Synopsis about the book- Any specific information not in the press release
• A jpeg or 2 from the book (if applicable)
• You can also include any editorial reviews, testimonials, links to relevant media content like audio and video, any awards you’ve won.

 

• Press kits do not have to be fancy- just concise and to the point.

 
Book Galley’s and ARC Mailing

• Long -lead magazines are important to reach out to at least six months before actual publication. You want to physically send your book galley (if your publisher provides copies) with press materials and a personalized cover letter.
• As well as to local papers, blogs, radio shows, anywhere you feel your book niche will interest the media.

* Digital galleys you can send electronically through services like Edelweiss. http://www.abovethetreeline.com/edelweiss/

Email ‘Blast’

• It is important to build an email list six to twelve month before your release date. You can accomplish this by placing a ‘teaser’ website with book information, enable pre- orders, offer signed copies of the book. You can compile a good email list of interested parties. For the media, depending on the niche, locate blogger and book reviewers as well as journalists.
• Once you have a quality list, then blast an email (you can use a service such as Constant Contact, or Mailchimp to send your book announcement with appropriate links to your website.

Finished Book Mailing
Once the final book is printed, send to key media and contact, editors, bloggers, radio/ podcast producers and hosts.
 
Follow up
Follow up with all media you sent the book to- via phone or email.
 
Book Sales Support 

• Arrange signings at local bookstores
• Library meet and greets
• Local clubs
• Speak at groups that fits your book topic

 
 
Strategize Publicity “Hooks” If you are doing your own publicity, you need to have a solid “newsworthy” reason for the press to report on your book. So, think of how your book can fit into ‘news’ that the m media is reporting on.
 
Social Media

• Make sure you have your Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest accounts active.
• Place your book on social media a few months before publication.
• Join facebook groups that fit your niche.
• Facebook advertise your book once its released.
• You should be ready to announce and launch your book!

 
Quick Tips Checklist  To Do Your Own Book PR
1: Write your own press release and distribute it via a press release wire service. This will provide good backlinks and some online buzz.
2: Design a digital media kit. There are many templates online or you can hire a freelance artist on Guru.com or Upwork.com. These kits are useful to send to media upon request.
3: Design a high-quality website- seek out national best-selling books and study their websites for tips on what would make your book website stand out. Quality is more valuable than quantity when it comes to your site. Once again, you can hire a web designer to do a great site if you do not have the time.
3.  You can contact your local newspapers and offer yourself as an “expert” in the topic of your book. The journalist may interview you or you can be used as a “resource” for future stories on a similar topic. Offer yourself as an ‘expert’ as well to local radio and local broadcast news. Being a ‘published’ author adds credibility to you as an ‘expert’.
4: You can arrange with local libraries, schools, rotaries, book clubs and book fairs to provide free talks about your book topic. You can also sell books at these events and it is also a great reason to contact local media to cover the event.
5.Think about donating a few copies of your books to local libraries for their local author displays. This is a fabulous opportunity to get your book displayed and allow the public to learn about your book and hopefully purchase their own copy. Offer to sign the books, as this makes it more special to the reader.
6. Research bloggers online who review books in your genre.  There are countless blogs, even if it is not well-known such as a Huffington Post, if it is in your niche, you will get sales.
7. Develop your own blog on the same topic of your book. Remember to post new content daily, as that is what gets it ranked higher in the search engines.
8. Contact and send a pitch to local news/ talk radio. If the topic of the book is valuable to your area city or community, you may get interviewed.
 
9. Contact local bookstores about doing book signings in their stores.
11. Use social media such as Twitter and Facebook to post messages about where to find the book or about signings, conferences or other events where you will be appearing.
12. Get word-of-mouth promotions started through those that are referenced in the book as case studies or expert commentary.
13. Ask family and friends to help spread the word about your book or write a review for it.
It is important to create a need for your book and develop a must-have perception for it. These public relations tactics can be implemented immediately and at a relatively low cost to effectively get the word out about your book.