Self-published authors enjoy top marketing strategy with #AnnieJenningsPR

 

Self-published authors seek top book promotion strategies.  Self-published author book marketing is basically the same as book promotion for traditionally published books. Several good marketing strategies are getting booked as a guest on radio talk shows or getting booked as a guest on a local TV show. The show can be in your city or in other cities.

In my experience as a National Publicist, the major online media venues are not noticing whether your book is self-published. The media is evaluating the entire package you present to the media.

For self-published authors radio publicity, local city TV appearance and online  media are all available to you. These outlets generally do not require a major publisher as a booking factor.  So enjoy. Get your message out into the world!

Self-published authors can sometimes feel that they are at a disadvantage. There is no need to feel that way. There are so many authors self-publishing by choice these days that the media is looking more at the author themselves than at the publishing house. The media cares about your area of expertise, your credentials and your social relevancy.

Here is a link to a recent Bowker’s press release on the number of new self-published books (print on demand) and they note that self publishing is growing at a significant rate. Bowker.com says this

According to the latest report from ProQuest affiliate Bowker, self-publishing grew at a rate of 40 percent in 2018 – and shows no signs of slowing down. The combined total of self-published print books and ebooks with registered ISBNs grew from almost 1.2 million in 2017 to more than 1.6 million in 2018. The vast majority of those books came from the top three independent publishing platforms.

With millions of self-published books, you’ll need some marketing strategies to work for the self-published.

A great marketing strategy for a self-published book is one that will provide a meaningful deliverable to the media and serves the needs of the marketplace. Your media pitch should be specifically written to be a match for the profile of the media outlet. Each media outlet has a certain type of guest or expert they like to have contribute to their site. They know their audience demographics well. With this in mind, the media likes authors or experts who can contribute articles, blog posts or interviews they audience will enjoy. Keep in mind that the producers will book guests whose contribution will be a fit for their audience. The media makes it a point to book the author or expert according to what topics and formats they know will do well on their site.

Mistake: Thinking it is the media’s job to figure out the segment, the article or your contribution to their site.

Truth: It’s your job, or the job of your publicity firm, to create segments and story ideas that are authentic to you and also match the media outlet’s demographics and profile.

Observation: This is hard to due for anyone who is not a PR expert. The media is savvy. They know a good segment or good idea when they see it. They jump on it. Professionals have a highly skilled ability to create the perfect pitch for the matching media outlet for you. Those who are not trained in publicity will have a hard time creating materials that would capture the interest of the media.

Create a targeted self-published author marketing and promotion strategy.

With this in mind, the self-published author’s marketing strategy should be a targeted approach to venues that match their subject matter. Their approach should not fall into the spam category at all. Spamming the media hurts all authors. The media gets too many pitches to take the time to read and consider each one. There are only so many hours in the day and the media has lots of work to do. So make it easier for the media and for yourself to get bookings by pitching the right media contact whose interest falls within your area of expertise. Developing a targeted media list will take time. But it is well worth the time as you are approaching the exact media that is right for you. You increase your chances of securing a media opportunity.

Mistake: Blasting the media hoping someone contacts you for a media booking.

Truth: Although it takes time, carefully target your media contacts and outlet. Think of this way, a secured booking on a media site that you love for yourself is worth a lot more than thousands of unanswered blast pitches. Don’t be fooled by the number of media contacts your pitch reaches. They make not open your email pitch. The certainly will find it time consuming to work with someone they don’t know, love and trust.

Observation: It’s important to work with a publicity firm who has a talent for booking media that is of interest to you. Hire the right PR firm who can demonstrate a history of bookings on the venues you wish to pursue. Look for performance guarantees and guaranteed deliverables. Annie Jennings PR offers performance publicity. Our clients do not pay a monthly retainer.

Annie Jennings PR offers a top market radio publicity campaign that includes free unlimited media training and a guaranteed deliverable. What does a guaranteed deliverable mean? It means that Annie keeps her promises to you. It’s in the Contract. You get what you sign up for with “what you get” clearly written in your Contract with us.

Annie is an author advocate who works for the betterment of all. Authors LOVE to know that their money is invested in their goals and dreams. They love that someone cares about them, like Annie does, and is willing to offer them a performance guarantee. As one client says, “be careful what you wish for because Annie will get it for you.”

Publicity & marketing strategy basics for self-published authors.

The important part of a successful marketing strategy for any author, from self-published to traditionally published, is determining your book’s core messages. The author should know why they and their book matter in the world today. Authors should know the 5 ways they can contribute to the socially relevant issues in their subject matter.

I recommend that authors begin with identifying the topics that are trending in their area of expertise. They would also determine their message points and their contribution to the conversation. Knowing the top trends along with their point of view within these trends helps the author create an authentic pitch. This authentic pitch, along with a streamlined and direct subject matter, will help them stand out in the hundreds of pitches the media reports they receive daily.

Be sure your subject title is direct and describes the pitch inside exactly. This way, the media can decide if your pitch should be looked at further by reading your email. If your subject line is unclear or too long they will most likely pass you by. So begin your pitch with a compelling yet definitive subject line.

Self-published authors should include radio talk show interviews in their marketing strategy.

Being a guest on radio talk shows is a great place to start!

Radio talk show interviews build a strong foundation for any author regardless of how they are published. Radio talk shows are conversation-based and interested in topics that would be a good fit for the profile of their show. They are looking for credentialed, media savvy guests who know how to inspire and intrigue an audience. So no worries for self-published authors with radio show interviews. The producers of the show care more about the author’s expertise and contribution to the show. Radio enjoys lively conversational guest. An extra tip is to get media training for radio. This will help you become a great guest!

Here is a good pointer for you to keep in mind. The radio show is not scheduling an interview with a book. This is something new authors may not realize. They mistake their PR outreach to be all about the book when in reality it is about the author and their conversation. The exception to this is when the author is seeking a book review, inclusion in a book club or a sponsored link in an online bookstore.

This is how radio bookers work. The show wants to schedule a conversation with a qualified guest to discuss a certain topic or subject matter. Successful media campaigns keep this in mind as they pursue media placements. Your book can certainly be a lure or attention getter. Especially if the name of the book promises a great conversation is sure to follow.

The media may review your book ahead of your interview to identify topics they would like to explore further. Be sure your book is professionally edited, spell-checked and published with top quality in mind. Don’t look like an amateur. This can be a red flag that you may not be ready for radio interviews just yet. The shows could pass on your pitch, as your materials and/or book don’t appear to be professional.

Should self-published authors work with a publicist?

Yes, for access to the media, it is good to work with a publicist with a top-notch track record of booking authors on the bigger radio shows in the stronger, more populated cities. This will get you a lot more exposure. Plus, the publicist knows how to position you for a segment, present your credentials, expertise and experience in just the right way for the show to say yes to booking you for a segment.

There are many ways authors can help promote their book themselves by sharing on social media or buying targeted or sponsored advertisement. Authors can hold book signings and workshops. However, if you want major media outlets, hiring a publicist that knows and books the outlets is important.

The key to successful self-published book marketing is to perform many of the outreach strategies yourself and hire a publicity and book promotion professional for the more challenging aspects of your PR strategy.

Let Annie know of your interest in working with #AnnieJenningsPR for your PR, marketing and book promotion.