Today is the launch day for DEFENDING JACOB by William Landay. When I saw this online, I was shocked. I could have sworn that book had been out since the summer. I saw authors recommending it on Twitter, the book was given away at Book Expo America (May) and Bouchercon (Oct), and I’ve read plenty of mentions and reviews. In fact, I have an advance copy sitting in my TBR pile right now. So, how did the publisher create a book that everyone is talking about months before the book came out?

Advance Reading Copies, also known as ARCs, are necessary to generate pre-pub buzz. If you’re with a small publisher, you may only receive a handful of ARCs. If you’re with a bigger publisher, they usually print 50-100. With DEFENDING JACOB, I suspect at least 500 ARCs were printed. In order to generate buzz, you need to have people read the book. A handful of copies isn’t going to do the job. You need to spread those books across the country in order to create this type of buzz. If your publisher isn’t printing enough, have your agent attempt to negotiate more, or offer to pay for additional copies.

But it’s not just giving away free books, you have to get the books to influential people.  These are book critics, booksellers, librarians, publishing pros, twitter influencers, bloggers, anyone with an attentive audience who’s going to spread the word. This is why the book was given away at Book Expo (BEA). It gave Random House a chance to get the book into the hands of hundreds of influencers in a matter of hours.

Once the books are out there, people have to read them, and the problem with influencers, is that their too-be-read piles are stacked high. Enter the publicist. The publicist must follow up with the influencers to ensure they read the book. Otherwise, it could sit there until pub date.

However, once a few influential readers start tweeting or blogging about the book, the rest will follow suit. Now that you have a few people talking, you have to build the hype.  This is best done through social media, so make sure you, your publisher, and your friends are re-tweeting, re-posting, and interacting with those influencers. You can also run a pre-pub contest or giveaway, write an op-ed, or if you have the time, establish a blog. All of this will build and strengthen your community (and make the people who don’t have an ARC, pre-order the book.)

So happy launch day to William Landay. The Associated Press says, “DEFENDING JACOB is sure to generate buzz.” Too late.

Just as social media and blog outreach is included in every book campaign, contests have also become the status quo. Authors and publishers are giving away copies of the book, raffling off e-readers, anything that will get readers to participate.

I’m a big proponent of contests, but like everything else, they need to be done right. When you’re in the process of coming up with a contest, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your goal? Is it to generate pre-sales? Increase your social media following? Build your mailing list?
• How is the contest going to accomplish that goal?
• Who is your audience? New fans? Your existing following? Does your audience use social media or they internet novices?

Addressing these questions will help you figure out how to structure your contest and make it worthwhile. To get you started, here are a few popular contests that have run successfully:

Contest: Tipping Point Promotion

Rules: When you hit x number of followers on Twitter or likes on Facebook, everyone gets something. The more followers you get, the more prizes you give away. For example, if you hit 500 followers, you give everyone the first chapter of the upcoming book. When you hit 1000 followers, you reveal the book cover. And so on.

Pros:

• Since everyone gets something, the promotion becomes more of a team effort and people are more likely to spread the word.
• Since everyone gets something, people are more likely to participate.
• There’s no need to track entries or choose a winner.

Cons:

• It can seem desperate always asking people to “like” you.
• You may not attract quality followers but people interested in getting free stuff.

Contest: Daily Twitter/Facebook Contest

Rules: Respond to a daily question on Twitter or Facebook. The most responses wins or each entry is a chance to win. Examples include Marcus Sakey’s Ready, Go contest (every day he asked a question like, “What would you with a million dollars? Ready, go” and Lynn Sheen’s Debut In Paris contest (every day she posted a photo with her novel at a Parisian landmark. People responded with the location.)

Pros:

• A good twitter/Facebook contest will get lots of responses and generate buzz
• It gives you a chance to interact with readers and get them excited for the book in a non-promotional way
• It can help establish your brand. In the instance of Marcus Sakey’s contest, Ready, Go was a game his characters played in THE AMATEURS. Lynn Sheene’s novel takes place in Paris, so the contest attracted fellow Francophiles.

Cons:

• There’s less viral momentum. People will participate, but they’re less likely to tell their friends about the contest.
• It’s difficult to measure how it affects sales.
• Tallying the entries can be a lot of work.

Contest: Pre-order or first week sales promotion.

Rules: Send in your proof of purchase for a chance to win.*

Pros:

• You can directly measure sales.
• It helps condense sales into the first week (which is crucial if you’re shooting for a bestseller list.

Cons:

• There’s less viral momentum. People will participate, but they’re less likely to tell their friends about the contest.
• It won’t work if you’re doing a lot of events since readers will want to wait and get your book at the event.

Hopefully, this will give you a few ideas and demonstrate which contest works best for you. If you’ve held a successful contest, feel free to share it in the comments section.

*Please note that laws regarding purchase-required contest vary by state. If purchase cannot be required, you can still run the contest, but anyone who emails and says, “I’d like to enter without purchase” will have to be allowed entry. Please check with your individual state.

When authors make excuses for why they can’t do more to market themselves and their books, it always comes down to two things: time and money. So here are ten things you can do that are free and take less than ten minutes:

1. Call your local library and see if they carry your book. If they don’t, offer to mail them a free reading copy.
2. Email your local newspaper or radio station. Introduce yourself as a local author and offer to mail them an advance copy of your book.
3. Send a signed reading copy to your local bookstore. Offer to come in and sign stock.
4. Contact a local reading series or book club and offer to participate.
5. Email your alumni newsletter or magazine and ask them to announce your book in the news or “class notes” section.
6. If you’re a member of SinC, RWA, or one of the other writing organizations, email your local chapter and ask them to announce your book in an upcoming newsletter.
7. Comment on a high traffic blog.
8. Post comments on pertinent Facebook pages (local bookstores, your publisher, author friend, etc.)
9. Interact with a potential reader on Twitter of Facebook.
10. Email a few fellow authors and offer to trade links (you’ll link to their website, they link to yours.)

Last week, we discussed how to find contact information for book reviewers, radio producers, and other members of the media. But once you have their contact information, what’s the best way to approach them? Do you send a query letter? A press release? A muffin basket and a book?

Every publicist and PR agency is different. We all have a different style. Some agencies will send a full press release and media kit. Others prefer pitch emails and some send a book blind and follow up over the phone.

In my opinion, how you reach the media depends on the story. If you’re interested in having your book reviewed by your local newspaper, emailing the books editor with a short, yet informative, pitch can do the trick. If your launching a new publishing company or doing any sort of national promotion, you’d want to draw up a full press release.

Most of my media outreach is review/feature related, though you can find samples of my press releases here:

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When crafting your query letter, I always adhere to the following rules:

• Keep it short and simple.
• State who you are, why you’re writing, and what you want within the first paragraph.
• Always be direct and offer them something in the last paragraph (review copy, interview)

Too often, I’m confronted by long rambling emails that give a lot of information but the sender never states why they’re contacting me. On the other hand, I also receive emails which read, “I’m writing about representation. Here’s my book (link to website), let me know.” You want to strike a balance.

Here is an example of a recent pitch email I used:

I’m with Kaye Publicity and represent author and Kansas City native, Ashley Ream. Her debut novel, LOSING CLEMENTINE, launches on March 6^th and she will be celebrating with a launch party at The Writer’s Place on March 11^th. We’d love (outlet) to run a review or feature in conjunction with the event.

LOSING CLEMENTINE begins as world renowned artist and sharp-tongued wit Clementine Pritchard has decided that she’s done. She gives herself thirty days to tie up loose ends in preparation of her planned suicide—finish one last painting, make nice with her ex-husband and find a home for her cat. She plans to spend her last month in a swirl of artworld parties, manic work sessions, and outrageous acts—but what she doesn’t expect is to uncover secrets surrounding the tragedy that befell her mother and sister. Will Clementine find herself or will she follow through with her thirty-day deadline?

This hilarious, yet tragic debut takes a usually macabre subject and makes it accessible, relatable, and darkly comedic. Ream has created one of the most endearing and unforgettable characters in recent years, and her debut is already generating national buzz. Like the author, Clementine’s roots are in KC and a portion of the novel takes place there. The novel’s local ties and Ream’s fresh new voice will be of interest to your readers.

Please let me know if you’d like an advance copy of the book or are interested in scheduling an interview with Ashley. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Within the first paragraph, the recipient knows who I am, why I’m writing, and what I want. Therefore, when the editor reads the rest of the email, s/he will be reading with a more focused eye. I also give enough of the plot to entice, don’t include every single detail. Finally, I tailor it to the publication. This was sent to magazines and newspapers in Kansas City, MO, so I highlighted the local tie. Always emphasize why your book would interest the publication’s readers.

Here’s the same pitch to a publication in Columbia, MO:

I’m with Kaye Publicity and I represent author and Mizzou Journalism School grad, Ashley Ream. Her debut novel, LOSING CLEMENTINE, launches March 6^th and she will be in Columbia on March 12^th and 13^th. We’d love to schedule an in-person interview while she’s in town.

LOSING CLEMENTINE begins as world renowned artist and sharp-tongued wit Clementine Pritchard has decided that she’s done. She gives herself thirty days to tie up loose ends in preparation of her planned suicide—finish one last painting, make nice with her ex-husband and find a home for her cat. She plans to spend her last month in a swirl of art world parties, manic work sessions, and outrageous acts—but what she doesn’t expect is to uncover secrets surrounding the tragedy that befell her mother and sister. Will Clementine find herself or will she follow through with her thirty-day deadline?

This hilarious, yet tragic debut takes a usually macabre subject and makes it accessible, relatable, and darkly comedic. Ream has created one of the most endearing and unforgettable characters in recent years, and her debut is already generating buzz from the likes of LA Magazine and Writer’s Digest. As a Mizzou grad and Missouri journalist turned successful novelist, a feature or profile would be a great addition to your publication.

Please let me know if you’d like an advance copy of the book or are interested in scheduling an interview with Ashley. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

The differences are small, but make an impact when it comes to pitching media. Make sure you show the editor or producer why your book is a perfect fit for their media outlet.
Additional key points:

• Avoid attachments – Many media contacts are unable to receive attachments and it causes your email to get sucked into spam
• Include a date in the subject line – If you’re asking for a review, include the book launch date. If you’re writing about an event, lead off with the event date. Andrew Huff of GapersBlock recommended this technique at a panel we were on and I’ve been doing it ever since. My rate of return increased dramatically.
• Address all emails to someone – Avoid “To Whom It May Concern” at all costs.
• Include ways to find additional information – Embed a link to your website, offer a full press kit, etc.
• Include your contact info in the signature – They may want to get a hold of you over the phone.

Though I spend weeks and countless blog posts explaining the ins and outs of social media, I find one image that summarizes it all:

Kristen Micek is Kaye Publicity’s diligent intern. She is also a senior at Depaul University,  a writer for Newcity, and an aspiring film critic. She’ll be chiming in from time to time. 

The Art of the Press Release and Social Media Marketing

By Kristen Micek

A couple weeks into my internship at Kaye Publicity, there are two lessons that have particularly stood out: the art of press release writing and social media marketing. I’m familiar with both, but I’ve had to approach them from the perspective of a publicist in the past weeks, rather than as a writer, and the difference was more substantial than I would have thought.

Let me start by saying that bad press releases are painful to read. I’ve had other internships where I was on the receiving end of press releases and nothing is more frustrating that reading two pages and realizing you still have no idea what the PR is about. I had assumed that approaching PR writing with that in mind would make it infinitely easier…and it did, but still not necessarily easy. It’s a matter of sorting through raw data and finding the parts that would apply to the market were reaching for, and it can be hard to pick out the best parts when one’s dealing with a large-scale event with extensive scheduling (especially when most of it sounds great). Its part story, part marketing—a strange combination when marketing is usually the least of what I’m focusing on. So, I’m definitely looking forward to improving my press release writing skills and trying to create something that’s informative, concise, and actually interesting.

Now onto the second: social media marketing. I’m familiar with Twitter and Facebook and all those social media platforms, so I assumed that it couldn’t be hard to get into the mindset of a publicist. I’ve learned a lot on the strategy of social media marketing that, while fascinating, can be hard to adapt to. Good marketing is about creating a connection between the client and the audience. I’ve seen a lot of companies and individuals use social media for marketing and publicizing events, and it’s been done with all the finesse of hitting someone over the head with a big stick. So it was interesting to see the advice and methods used here at Kaye Publicity, namely the focus on creating a brand and interacting with the intended audience, rather than just a one-sided discussion and shameless advertising. The skills I’m learning are more about creating an online persona, rather than marketing yourself. It’s about making people want to read your work or learn more about what you do, rather than telling them they should. It gave me a lot to think about for my own Twitter feed (which could do to be more focused and create more room for discussion), as well as a more honed eye for seeing what feeds catch my eye and the reasons they do so.

I’m beginning to realize that publicity is about making connections and telling them a story that will interest them enough to want to continue it.

Want more from Kristen? Visit her blog and follow her on Twitter @KristenMicek

Julie Hyzy‘s goal was to hit the New York Times bestseller list with her latest novel, AFFAIRS OF STEAK (1/3/12).  Like all my authors who have this goal, I patted her head and said, “Of course it is.” But when I discovered that her last book had come close, only a few hundred copies off the extended list, I changed my attitude and made it a priority.

Hitting the list takes a lot of strategy; you have to sell a lot of books in a short amount of time. A book’s best shot, unless it wins a Pulitzer or is adapted for the big screen, is always the week of launch. Therefore, we scheduled as many events and as much media coverage as possible during this time. Julie had two launch parties, dozens of blog reviews, and a feature in the Chicago Tribune.

We spent the first two days of launch watching the numbers. The only things to go on during the first week are Amazon ranking, B&N ranking, and Pub Alley numbers. We seemed to be in good shape, but we wanted to ensure we took every possible measure and didn’t leave any stone unturned.

We decided to run some Facebook ads through the end of the week. Using Google Correlate (which is explored on 365 Days of Book Publicity) we targeted regions with the most mystery readers. We also ran some ads that read:

“Cooking For the President: Go behind the scenes of White House kitchen with executive chef, Ollie Paras. Includes recipes for a complete presidential menu!“

We targeted these ads at people who enjoy cooking in the same regions.

The clicks were limited (we worked on a small budget) but we received hundreds of thousands of impressions. That week, we saw the Amazon and B&N rankings continue to rise and our confidence grew.

Sure enough, we got the call the following week that AFFAIRS OF STEAK by Julie Hyzy was #22 on the New York Times bestseller list, thus fulfilling a dream of this talented, hard working author.

Part of my job as a publicist is to preserve my clients’ images. Since I’m dealing with authors as opposed to movie stars or punk rock bands, it’s less about damage control and more about establishing the brand.

The easy example is YA authors. While most of them are adults who talk about adult subjects, their audience is teens, mostly teen girls. Though a 40-year old male may be inclined to tweet about drinking bourbon, post Facebook photos with him holding a cigarette, or use foul language on his blog, as a YA author, he must keep his audience in mind.

I always tell my authors, “Don’t assume everyone is like you.” Don’t assume all your followers share your politics, your religious beliefs, or your indifference to swearing.  You want an image that’s as universally appealing as possible.

You also want to maintain your appreciation of fans. There were a few interesting comments on my Jungle Red Writers guest post yesterday pertaining to authors complaining about social media. Though it’s true, most authors would rather not have to be on twitter and Facebook, fans don’t want to hear it. They want to interact with their favorite authors and it crushes them to learn their favorite authors don’t want to interact with them.  Avoid publicly complaining about social media.

You should create the image of reasonable accessibility. You want to be seen as someone who will come out for library events and bookstore signings. You want to seem like you’ll do anything for the love of reading…well, not anything.

I use the term “reasonable accessibility” because being too available isn’t good for your image either. If you’re always available for everything, it gives the impression that you’re not in demand, and therefore, less popular. Always say you’d be happy to do an event if your schedule permits. Always say you have to consult your calendar. And don’t say yes to everything. Only accept the invitations that give you the most bang for your buck.

(Note: Publicists are great for this sort of thing. With a publicist, you can be the grateful author that agrees to everything and a publicist can play bad guy when handling the negotiations.)

Lastly, unless your book is news/publishing related, limit your commentary on the publishing industry. Commenting on a controversial blog post or voicing your opinion in discussion forums can often offend someone and tarnish your image. It’s just not worth it.

Whether it’s online or in person, never lose sight of your audience and don’t forget your author persona. After all, you have an image to maintain.

In honor of National Compliment Day, here are 10 compliments, mantras really, that will help you on your writing and publicity journey:

1. You are a talented writer. Never doubt your abilities.
2. You’re book is worth succeeding. Don’t dismiss yourself as a small fish in a big pond. You’re book isn’t any less valuable than the NYT Bestsellers.
3. You are worth media attention.  Critics should review your book and you should be interviewed by radio and TV hosts.
4. You inspire other writers. As a published author, aspiring writers look to you for guidance and advice. Don’t let them down.
5. You have fans. Don’t forget, no matter what the critics say or what your sales numbers indicate, you still have a group of people that enjoy reading your stories.
6. Your stories keep readers turning pages. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have landed an agent and/or a publishing contract.
7. You bring a fresh, new perspective. Never feel like a hack or that your work is derivative. Trust your storytelling abilities.
8.  You have a shot. Whether it’s winning an award or hitting a bestseller list, nothing is out of reach.
9.  You are not the 99%. 99% of people haven’t published books.
10. You will succeed. Even if it’s at a different publisher or with a different series, you have the ability to succeed.

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Some of us thrive on public speaking, others would rather sit behind a computer. Some of us can write well quickly, others need more time to craft a masterpiece. There dozens, maybe hundreds, of ways to publicize a novel. But you should focus your efforts on publicity campaigns that highlight your strengths, not your weaknesses.

Broadcast Interviews: Though radio and TV interviews are great ways of reaching a new audience and spreading the word about your new book, they only work if you’re comfortable on air and possess enough charisma to charm the audience. Practice interviews with your friend, spouse, agent, or publicist. They can give you tips to help. If it’s just not your thing, focus efforts elsewhere.

Speaking Engagements:  I’ve sat in on countless panels and lectures and thought, “This author really should have stayed home.” Harsh, I know, but it’s the reality. If an audience falls in love with an author, they buy the book. If they’re already a fan of the book, and the author doesn’t live up to their expectations when they see them speak, it affects their enjoyment of future books. Not everyone is meant for public speaking, and that’s okay. If you’re open to media training, contact your agent, publicist, or publisher. If you just don’t like it, then find other ways to reach your audience.

Op-Eds and Guest Blogs: As I’ve mentioned before, your primary job as a novelist to write your book. Writing op-eds and guest blogs take time, and if you’re not a fast writer, it takes too much time away from your novel. It’s also a different practice. Just because someone can write a gripping mystery doesn’t mean they can write a newspaper article about crime. Being a talented author doesn’t mean you have to be talented at writing everything. Try writing one or two and send them to your beta readers before taking a newspaper assignment or committing to a blog tour.

Social Media: Though I encourage everyone to give social media a shot, I acknowledge that it’s not right for everyone.  Last year, I posted the Top Five Signs You Shouldn’t Use Social Media on Hey Dead Guy, and those rules still apply. I also acknowledge that not every medium is right for every author. If you enjoy Facebook but can’t seem to get your head around Twitter, that’s okay. Put your energy into the social media sites that feel right to you.

As an author, you don’t have to be good at everything. The important thing to remember is to put your energy into things that will highlight your strengths, not your weaknesses.