How to Create a Media Frenzy for Your Book

How to Create a Media Frenzy for Your Book

by: Dr. Jamie Fettig

Learn to use the media to create free exposure for yourself and to sell your books. And most importantly, how to be a great guest once you get on the air.

Prepare talking points before making media appearances.

Many new authors spend so much time and energy trying to get in the newspaper or on radio that when they get there, they don’t know what to say. But if you take an hour to prepare concise, compelling comments about your book, youกll come off as a real pro, increase sales, and maybe even be asked back!

The average radio interview lasts five minutes, of which three might be broadcast, and on average you might get six inches of coverage in your local newspaper. You don’t have a lot of time to waste hemming and hawing about your book, and the journalist interviewing you doesn’t want to waste his or her time either. So before you even start soliciting press coverage, write down and memorize your talking points.

You say you know your book? Iกm sure you do. But when you’re under the gun of a timed interview, or an interviewer hits you with a surprise question, itกs easy to stammer or get confused. Talking points are your lifeline. I suggest preparing a list that looks like this:

a. Whatกs the กelevator pitchก (a 10second summary) of my book?

b. Who is my book targeted to?

c. How did I decide to write it?

d. What are three passages in my book that I want to quote?

e. What can people get out of my book?

f. Where can people buy my book?

Write those down on note cards and memorize them, but keep the cards with you when you do interviews, just in case. That way, youกll come off more professional and make the most of the time you get.

Focus heavily on PR.

If you don’t believe in the power of public relations and the media to turn an unknown book into a bestseller, I have two words for you: Oprah Winfrey. Get your book 15 minutes on her show and youกll sell a million copies. Thatกs the power of the media.

Of course, getting on Oprah is the Holy Grail of book marketing, and while you shouldn’t NOT try to get on her show, you shouldn’t focus only on that. PR is your most powerful tool for creating awareness and selling books. So early on, while you’re still in final editing, start making lists of media outlets, cashing in on contacts, making calls and sending out emails.

PR works because itกs got credibility. Instead of a paid ad, people see an objective journalist reviewing your book, or a talk show host whoกs chosen to have you on her show because she liked your book. Media exposure carries tremendous weight with book buyers. Ask your friends how many books theyกve bought after hearing about them on กFresh Airก on National Public Radio.

These are some of the PR avenues you can pursue:

Reviews in any and all publications, print and online especially.

Features in print and online publications.

Radio interviews.

Television interviews.

A regular column in a magazine or newspaper or online.

Speaking engagements.

A role as an กexpert sourceก for one or more journalists.

Creating press events.

Tying your book to a charity or cause.

It all begins with your press kit. Thatกs a snazzy folder that contains the press release about your bookกs publication, a bio of you, a black and white photo of you (professionally done) and any press coverage you may have already received. Once youกve identified your media list, send that kit to the key contacts at each paper, magazine, TV or radio station.

But don’t stop there. PR is about relationships, and youกve got to strike the right balance of กeager to helpก and ‘respecting your time.ก Follow up your press kit with an email in a week or so, and stay in touch. Offer story ideas or to be quoted for a feature. Make yourself an asset to journalists and editors and youกll be surprised at the results.

Two final tips:

Always include your Web address in your PR, stories, interviews, etc.

Always get reprints, videotapes, etc. of your press coverage to use later.

Learn to use the media to create free exposure for yourself and to sell your books. And most importantly, how to be a great guest once you get on the air.

Prepare talking points before making media appearances.

Many new authors spend so much time and energy trying to get in the newspaper or on radio that when they get there, they don’t know what to say. But if you take an hour to prepare concise, compelling comments about your book, youกll come off as a real pro, increase sales, and maybe even be asked back!

The average radio interview lasts five minutes, of which three might be broadcast, and on average you might get six inches of coverage in your local newspaper. You don’t have a lot of time to waste hemming and hawing about your book, and the journalist interviewing you doesn’t want to waste his or her time either. So before you even start soliciting press coverage, write down and memorize your talking points.

You say you know your book? Iกm sure you do. But when you’re under the gun of a timed interview, or an interviewer hits you with a surprise question, itกs easy to stammer or get confused. Talking points are your lifeline. I suggest preparing a list that looks like this:

g. Whatกs the กelevator pitchก (a 10second summary) of my book?

h. Who is my book targeted to?

i. How did I decide to write it?

j. What are three passages in my book that I want to quote?

k. What can people get out of my book?

l. Where can people buy my book?

Write those down on note cards and memorize them, but keep the cards with you when you do interviews, just in case. That way, youกll come off more professional and make the most of the time you get.

Focus heavily on PR.

If you don’t believe in the power of public relations and the media to turn an unknown book into a bestseller, I have two words for you: Oprah Winfrey. Get your book 15 minutes on her show and youกll sell a million copies. Thatกs the power of the media.

Of course, getting on Oprah is the Holy Grail of book marketing, and while you shouldn’t NOT try to get on her show, you shouldn’t focus only on that. PR is your most powerful tool for creating awareness and selling books. So early on, while you’re still in final editing, start making lists of media outlets, cashing in on contacts, making calls and sending out emails.

PR works because itกs got credibility. Instead of a paid ad, people see an objective journalist reviewing your book, or a talk show host whoกs chosen to have you on her show because she liked your book. Media exposure carries tremendous weight with book buyers. Ask your friends how many books theyกve bought after hearing about them on กFresh Airก on National Public Radio.

These are some of the PR avenues you can pursue:

Reviews in any and all publications, print and online especially.

Features in print and online publications.

Radio interviews.

Television interviews.

A regular column in a magazine or newspaper or online.

Speaking engagements.

A role as an กexpert sourceก for one or more journalists.

Creating press events.

Tying your book to a charity or cause.

It all begins with your press kit. Thatกs a snazzy folder that contains the press release about your bookกs publication, a bio of you, a black and white photo of you (professionally done) and any press coverage you may have already received. Once youกve identified your media list, send that kit to the key contacts at each paper, magazine, TV or radio station.

But don’t stop there. PR is about relationships, and youกve got to strike the right balance of กeager to helpก and ‘respecting your time.ก Follow up your press kit with an email in a week or so, and stay in touch. Offer story ideas or to be quoted for a feature. Make yourself an asset to journalists and editors and youกll be surprised at the results.

Two final tips:

Always include your Web address in your PR, stories, interviews, etc.

Always get reprints, videotapes, etc. of your press coverage to use later.

About The Author

Dr. Jamie Fettig

Are you interested in the one seminar that has created more BestSelling authors than any other seminar? A seminar put on by the guy who has sold more books than every other book in the history of the world except the bible? Then get yourself to the Mega Book Marketing Seminar and train yourself to be a megasuccessful author and become a sought after speaker. Make the difference with your book that you want to make. To Register and for more information go to http://www.bazuji.com/book

This article was posted on March 18, 2005

by Dr. Jamie Fettig

Ebook Review: How to Write and Publish Your Own eB

Ebook Review: How to Write and Publish Your Own eBook in as little as 7 days

by: Andy George

Jim Edwards and Joe Vitale who are both well known in the Internet online industry wrote this eBook. The 2004 version of this book is 206 pages long though it should be mentioned that less than 100 pages are concentrated on the theme of the eBook whereas the rest of the eBook involves interviews with various successful eBook authors (in the eyes of Edwards and Vitale) and bonus reports.

I believe that Edwards and Vitale were wrong to follow this approach since when one tries to overkill with respect to information, the result is opposite to the one intended since the reader may be confused even more and in my opinion the eBook would have been more effective if it was shorter and did not include the interviews with these authors whose approaches were different. Perhaps Vitale and Edwards should have sold the interviews by the eBook experts as a separate eBook.

The 7day eBook was written in an unorthodox style in that it was written in a ขchattyข style rather than in a formal manner. To be fair to the authors this did help in maintaining the interest of the reader.

The content of the eBook contained some very useful aspects such as:

Distinguishing between a successful and failure formula for an eBook.

Tips for selecting a topic for an eBook

How to write the eBook in 7 days – though I think this target may be ambitious in practice the methodology mentioned by the authors is worth considering.

Various tips on how to publish the eBook.

The price of the eBook is in my opinion reasonable value considering the money that can be saved by reading this eBook and the valuable links that can be obtained from the eBook. But I felt at times that the authors over elaborated and could have been more concise in their writing.

Overall I believe that a purchase of the eBook for a price under $30 is worth buying despite its limitations.

About The Author

Andy George is a qualified chartered accountant who was born in Birmingham, England and who has had many years’ experience in public practice, industry, and commerce and as a lecturer. Since 1991 he has been based in the island of Cyprus. Andy was a financial correspondent for eight years at the Cyprus Financial Mirror where he wrote articles on business and accounting related issues to a nontechnical audience.

He is the author of eBooks: How to write and Publish Your Own With a Shoestring Budget http://www.budgetebook.com

http://www.cbmall.com/?storefront=akgeorge

[email protected]

This article was posted on August 31, 2004

by Andy George