If You Need Public Relations for Your Book, Then Read On!
It’s hard to say it any better: “Publicity is the voice of visibility.” And its lesson to authors is clear nothing can spotlight your book faster than good publicity.
The trick is to find a terrific publicist to help you gain media attention for your book. But how do you do that? What should you be looking for? Here Marsha Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of EMSI, a national pr firm shares her 10 tips to find the best publicist for your book.
1. Find a publicist that works in your genre. So, if your book is religious, find a firm that specializes in religious media as they’ll have the strongest contacts and will know which shows and publications represent the best exposure for you. Marsha Friedman says, “Same goes for all of the other genres as well.”
2. Find a publicist that will take the time to research your topic enough to understand how to communicate your message to the media. Marsha Friedman adds, “You don’t want a publicist that will rush through your topic and campaign to varying successes. Choose one who is interested enough to ask questions and really grasp what your message is.”
3. Make sure that the publicist is a specialist in your choice of media. Marsha Friedman says, “Not every publicist is a master at every medium. It is a known fact in the industry that if a publicist does not specialize in the media you choose, they will refer your business to another company.” So if you have written an exercise book, then TV would be best. Thus you would need to find a publicity firm that specializes in TV.
4. Make sure that you request to see sample campaigns. Sure, it will be the publicist’s best foot forward, but a sample will still demonstrate their skill and proficiency at obtaining media.
5. Request the opportunity to contact the publicity firm’s past clients. This way you can have a conversation with someone that actually worked with the firm. This may hold a few pearls of wisdom for you.
6. Find a firm whose fees are in range with other firms. Don’t use the most expensive publicity firm simply based on the fact that they have a fancy address in a major metropolitan city.
7. And speaking of fees - in the book industry you’ll find many publicists who work on a performance or project basis. Marsha Friedman says, “There are many firms out there that charge on a project basis while there are others that will charge you every month regardless of their results. I strongly suggest that you avoid monthly retainer based firms and focus on finding ones where you pay for THEIR performance.”
8. Look past the hype. Marsha Friedman adds, “Sales people can really build confidence, but in the end they are not the ones that will be handling the campaign Don’t be afraid to ask who will be handling your campaign, writing your press releases, scheduling your media. You need to see what their experience level is, the amount of time they were at the firm and anything else you want to know about them. After all the time, money and hard work you invested in writing your book, you want to make sure your campaign isn’t being delegated to a rookie out of college.”
9. Don’t limit your search to local agencies. Marsha Friedman says, “This point is really important if you are interested in gaining the attention of the local media. Virtually none of the work with your publicist will require “face time”, so just look for the best … period!” 9. Finally make sure that the publicity firm is enthusiastic about your topic! Many times, the determination of your publicity team can be a major reason for their successes in obtaining media coverage for you.
So think about it: Nothing can get your book more visibility than the right publicist! The journey to finding the perfect publicist for your book is down to these ten easy tips.If you would like to learn more about gaining national or local media attention for your company, product or service, without the financial burden of monthly retainers, Marsha would love to help. Feel free to contact her directly at mfriedman@emsincorporated.com or visit her firm online at http://www.emsincorporated.com. As a PR expert Marsha Friedman has the ability to get the media attention that you desire without budget busting monthly retainers.
Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations for nearly two decades as CEO of Event Management Services, Inc (EMSI). If you would like to receive her free Ebook “How to Be a Great Talk Radio Guest” visit http://www.emsincorporated.com.
- Marsha Friedman
