How to Get Your Book “Discovered” by the Media

You’ve either completed the book, or you are near completion, and now you’re looking for ways to raise awareness about your book. You’re looking for readers, and lots of them.
There are many great ways to gain visibility for your book. However, the sooner you work on publicity the better.
Prior to the publication date, not after, is when you need to start laying the foundation for:
• Interviews
• Book signings
• Speaking engagements
Although most authors who plan to promote their book tend to start after the book is published, it’s best to start long before the actual publication date, don’t let this discourage you if your book is already in print.
The reality is this; most authors do nothing to get maximum visibility for their book. They “hope” it somehow ends up in the hands of readers. And thus the reason why most books never make more than $100 a year in sales.
Regardless of where you’re at in the lifecycle of your book, it’s never too late to look for media visibility. The more evergreen your book, the easier it is to get media interviews months, even years, after the book is published.
Additionally, the more visible you are online, the better. Knowing how to market online is a huge plus.
Be prepared to create as much opportunity as possible with a proactive approach to marketing your book.
1) Build visibility on social media. The best way to get noticed by the media is to have a strong social media presence. Before taking a hit and miss approach to social media, determine where your potential readers are. For some authors, Facebook is perfect, while for others, LinkedIn is more suitable for the genre of your book.

Look for forums and social networks specific to where your market “hangs out.” For example, if your market are dentists, it’s likely Facebook is NOT going to be where you need to spend your social media time. A location like Dental Town would be a much better fit. Dental Town is an online community specific to the dental industry.

There are online communities specific to just about any industry and interest. It just takes a bit of research to find those that are a fit.

2) Position your expertise with content marketing. Content marketing is a “must do” in today’s online world of content hungry consumers. Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach tied into your overall digital marketing where you focus on the creation and distribution of valuable content to attract your “sweet spot” ideal readers and clients.

Content marketing is an ongoing process and one that requires consistent effort. For example, this article is part of my content marketing strategy. It will be distributed in specific online directories and on my blog.

Distribution to directories allows for new readers to find me. Posting it on my blog allows for my current followers to enjoy more relevant content.

From there, I can use the permalink from the blog post to share on social media, send an email to my subscribers and gain even more traction for my efforts.
These two strategies should be part of your long-term positioning to get noticed by the media. To get immediate results have a plan of action that gets you the fastest results in the shortest period of time.
1) Identify radio and podcast shows that are a great fit for your book. A quick Google search with “radio shows + your topic” will result in lots of choices. For podcast shows, visit iTunes and do a search for shows that fit for your topic or book title.
2) Keep a running list of show information such as the producer, host, or bookers for the show. Most show sites will have this information available.
3) Create a pitch for your book with great hooks that will spark the interest of the show contact. To pitch your idea, you can send a media release, but often a short email will work better.

When pitching your idea, keep in mind that the media is on constant overwhelm and doesn’t have time to wade through a bunch of information before getting to the heart of your message. Get right to the point. Avoid long emails with a bunch of back story before you get to the actual pitch.

Present your idea with the audience in mind. Why will the audience be interested in what you have to say? After all, if you know what gets the audience excited, that will likely get the host, producer or booker interested.
The bottom line is this; you have to put effort into your market visibility as well as how you reach out to the media. Many authorpreneurs avoid these important steps and their book sales reflect this fact.
Make this a part of your overall business practices and you will be far ahead of those who “hope” to be discovered.