Many writers and authors don’t want to wear their business hats, only their writer hats. By this I mean they don’t want to promote themselves or their writing. Big mistake. Today, you must be both a good business person and a good writer to succeed in the publishing world. That means seeking out promotional opportunities whenever possible.
To tell you more about this, I’ve asked Shel Horowitz, award-winning author of Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green, and six other books, to be my guest blogger. He’s going to explain why aspiring authors and established authors must seek publicity for their books.
Why Seek Publicity for Your Books?
By Shel Horowitz
Publicity is getting the word out about your product, service, and/or ideas. It brings visibility, credibility, opportunity, and sales.
Publicity provides the seal of approval of a trusted outside source: a journalist. Like testimonials and awards, this third-party validation helps the buyer choose your book in the crowded marketplace. It also means that a lot more people hear about your book.
When you get free publicity rather than pay for advertising, you give up control over the content. But you have the added legitimacy of being chosen to represent your field. Because news coverage at least pretends to be unbiased, it is more valuable than advertising; you get, in a sense, a testimonial—a disinterested, credible party who thinks you’re worthy of positive attention. Many people take news coverage more seriously than advertising—and may be more likely to be influenced by it than by a paid ad.
And of course, you can use media quotes in your book publicity, to leverage more coverage, and to boost Google’s ranking of your name, your site, and ultimately, your book.
Sometimes, publicity leads to more contacts that advance your career: a meeting planner contacts you to see about doing a speech, a different journalist sees the story and wants to cover you as well, a company president sees the article and decides you’re the perfect consultant to get that company out of a rut. In short, the book becomes a doorway to far more lucrative ventures.
Oh yes, and don’t forget that sometimes, an article or a TV or radio interview can actually motivate people to go out and buy that book! Especially if you make it easy by including your website, your phone number (toll-free is ideal), and some kind of special offer.
About the Author
Which would you rather read? “Electronic Privacy Expert Releases New Book” (snore!) or “It’s 10 O’Clock—Do You Know Where Your Credit History Is?” Press releases, book jackets, sellsheets, web pages from Shel Horowitz (award-winning author of Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green, and six other books) tell “the story behind the story.” Say goodbye to boring copy! Shel will write material so compelling that people thank you for letting them read it. www.FrugalMarketing.com/publishers.shtm
Shel is also available to speak on book publishing and marketing, green business/green marketing, and success with ethical business practices. He writes the monthly columns, Green And Profitable and Green And Practical.
All purchasers of Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green are entitled to more than $2000 worth of bonuses, just by registering at http://www.guerrillamarketinggoesgreen.com/resources-2/bonuses
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