Use The Power Of The Press To Promote Your Book
Most people assume that when you talk about PR you are talking about press releases. What PR usually means is Public Relations or Press Relations. This old saying “Advertising is what you pay for. Publicity is what you pray for” is so true. Using the power of the press is generally free – you just need to know where to go and what to do!
Here are three ways to work with the press:
1. Get quoted in the media: The media – journalists – are constantly looking sources who can comment on their stories. This is where you, as an expert, step in to help. Two resources for finding journalists who need what you have to offer is HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and PRLeads. HARO is free to use but PRLeads is not free. Take a look at both and see if one and/or the other will work with you.
2. Pitch a story about the topic of your book to a journalist: Come up with a unique story idea that can be tied in to your book. Research the top media outlets that write on your topic and look for journalists to contact. Send all of them a story pitch. You may have to do this several times before you get a response but don’t give up because it’s worth it!
3. Write and issue a press release. The traditional press release has evolved thanks to the internet. Combined with search engine optimization your press release can find a home on hundreds of media sites and get pushed out to readers through the use of RSS feeds. Press releases will not normally bring you many new readers but they will help with the search engine ranking of your book website while building your brand.