Whether hardback, paperback or digital, books can be excellent tools for marketing your business and elevating your reputation as a credible expert in your field. Long before CEO Lonny Kocina became a best-selling author, Media Relations Agency was using PR to help other authors achieve their business goals. In fact, over the last 30 years we’ve represented dozens of authors. We’ve learned some valuable do’s and don’ts for promoting books as part of your marketing campaign.
DON’T: Presume the media will want to book you for interviews specifically because you’ve written a book.
According to one estimate, more than one million books were self-published in 2017. There are a plenty of authors vying for the media’s attention.
DO: Come to the table with measurable experience to support what you’ve written.
If you’re a board certified nutritionist who has spent decades helping clients use dietary changes to overcome health challenges, and now you’ve written a book on the subject, then you’ve got a mediagenic hook.
Likewise, when Media Relations Agency CEO Lonny Kocina penned The CEO’s Guide to Marketing, he poured 30+ years of practical marketing experience – working with thousands of clients from around the world – into 236 pages. The business media are interested in what he has to say, and his book has been an Amazon-best seller almost from the time it debuted in October 2017.
As he does these interviews, Lonny always mentions our business. We’re proud to hear from many people who have read the book, then express interest in doing business with us.
DON’T: Make your own gain the top priority of your book publicity campaign.
Unless you’re already a celebrity, most people only care about what they’ll get from reading what you’ve written.
DO: Consider what’s in it for the media’s audiences.
Tell your story as they may see it through their eyes. Why should they want to know what you have to say? How will it make their lives better? From authors who share their very personal and motivational stories of overcoming adversity, to business writers such as Lonny who want to help other business people become more successful, our PR strategists know that to have a successful book PR campaign, you’ve got to focus on the value of your message.
Only then will your book – your story – become the type of high-value content that attracts media attention. Only then will your book help you establish rapport with your target audience. Only then will your book help to elevate and reinforce your reputation and that of your business.
Here’s the pleasant surprise
A successful book PR campaign may not result in an avalanche of book sales. In fact, book sales are secondary to the positive media coverage and resulting reputation boost that you’ll get from promoting your book. That’s because many of the people interested in your story will find it easier to jump onto your website and browse your social channels for more information about you and your business. And while they may never actually read your book, but they may come to trust you because of your media interviews. That’s the power of the media’s third-party credibility.
We love working with authors! If you’d like to discuss how we might approach getting publicity for your book, call us at 952-697-5269 or complete our contact form.
