Self-published authors and book publicity services go hand-in-hand. That’s because self-published authors need help; they don’t have a big publisher’s publicity department behind them to write and send out press releases, pitch story ideas to target media, and book interviews on radio and TV.
Large book PR firms sometimes don’t take on self-published authors because they feel that top-tier media is more skeptical of self-published authors and their expertise.
But the times, they are a’changing.
Self-Published Books Are The Future
Today, anyone with an idea and a dream can write and publish their own book. Amazon has made it possible for micropublishers to sell and distribute their book worldwide. But writing your book and creating an Amazon site is only the first step.
Collaborate With A Reputable Book Publicist
It doesn’t hurt for a self-published author to consult a good book publicist to find out what their options are. For example, when Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett, self-publishers of the international bestseller Trim Healthy Mama, contacted our firm, they were looking for a way to break out of the Christian market and become more mainstream. We focused on women’s media, and they made a name for themselves on the cover of Women’s World with an inside spread to boot.
Take Advantage of Your Book Publicist’s Contacts
Similarly, self-published author Bob Cranmer who wrote The Demon of Brownsville Road, was trying to find a way to get his book known to millions of people timed to coincide with Halloween, which was a month after the release date. We used our connections to book him on Coast to Coast, a call-in radio program that boasts 3 million listeners.
Modest Goals Are Okay Too
Let’s say you’re a self-published author with a limited budget, so you want to do most of the publicity and pitch writing yourself. Medical researcher Julia Schopick is a good example of this. The author of the self-published Amazon bestseller, Honest Medicine: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life Threatening Diseases, Schopick needed access to a database of thousands, where she could send out an email blast and hope to attract a percentage of media “hits” from that. A book publicity firm like ours can create a targeted list with up-to-date emails—in Schopick’s case, we introduced her to medical and health journalists, editors, and producers, and she did a lot of the footwork after that.
Strategize, Then Make The Call
As a self-published writer, you need to write down reasonable objectives. “Become a bestseller” isn’t reasonable, although it is possible. A better one would be, “book a radio show every 2-3 weeks,” or ” place one guest post online once a month.” The more specific you are, the better a book publicist will be able to customize a book PR campaign to fit your budget and needs.