This time we’re going to cover two more techniques to get your book noticed. With over 2,000 books being released daily, it’s no wonder that journalists don’t have time to go out and find them all…and certainly don’t have the time to read even a small portion of them. That’s why you need to write a Press Release to tell them how wonderful your book is. Save them the time and hassle of a bunch of questions by answering them first.
Once everyone has at least heard of your book, you need to convince them to pick up a copy. That’s more easily done by offering them some really Special Deals. We’ll go over a few different methods that should be a good start.
Press Releases
Send out Press Releases to various news agencies to announce some newsworthy information: the release of your book. (There are other styles of Press Releases, but we’re going to stick to this one here.) Fairly short, one or two pages, they answer the important questions someone might have about your release. They are vital to journalists, who depend on you to tell them what’s so great about your book, but remember, journalists aren’t influencers—this is a news article, not an advert, so stick to the facts, no exaggerations. Let the journalist add the appropriate interest.
Your job is to make the journalist’s life easy, so when writing up a Press Release, consider all the questions they might ask…and come up with intriguing answers. Don’t forget to mention your release party, too…scheduled to coincide with your online release.
What goes into a Press Release?
No matter the subject, all Press Releases need to have some basic info:
- Headline—grab their attention and let them know what it’s all about
- Subhead—summarise the details (italicised), where and when
- Release info—traditionally “For Immediate Release: <date>” at the top
- Dateline—to verify relevancy of info
- Lead—brief overview: who, what, when, where, why (one sentence)
- News Peg—why is it important…now?
Consider tying into current events (NewsJacking) - Body—details about info in lead
- most newsworthy first—basic facts
- quote—they will use this in their reporting, so make it good
- background info last—fluffy stuff
- Boilerplate—common facts (the same for all Press Releases you write)
- Author info—so they know who you are
(you can use the About the Author from your book) - Logo or picture—so they can visualize you and your brand
- Contact info—so they can get a hold of you (or your PR team)
- Author info—so they know who you are
- End mark—traditionally ### to indicate “that’s all”
How to Make a Press Release Work
Make your Headline catchy. You only have one line here, so keep it focused and make it count. Although you should have the headline in mind when writing the body (to keep on topic), I find it easier to write the headline after I’ve finished the rest, as a tie-up. An interesting tool to play around with is the free Headline Analyzer run by ShareThrough.
Write in third person, describing the people and events as an outsider would see them. Avoid “I, we, our, or me”. Break up the Body with a quote or excerpt from the book. Offer a free copy of your book.
Aim for publications that have a Target Audience that matches yours. Make certain to send it to a person, not a generic email box, and use a detailed subject line. Post it on your website and share it with the world in social media.
Send it out on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between 9am and noon. Earlier in the week gives them more time to work on your story, and before lunch has the best response rates. Try to avoid sending it out at the top of the hour…wait a few minutes, then send it out.
Specials
Everyone enjoys a special, so when you want to give your book sales a boost, consider doing something nice for your readers. If you have a series of books, you can bundle the first few in a box set* at a lower price than the individual books. Once readers have become invested in your stories (dollar-wise as well as devoted to your characters), they’ll be more willing to continue with full-priced books later on.
If you don’t have a series, you can take books with similar themes or settings and put them together likewise. Books that share a common subgenre, characters, or settings would be perfect to combine. Again, once hooked on your story-telling proficiency, readers will gladly pick up your other books at full price.
Either way, you can also add in as-of-yet unpublished extras in the bundle. A novella or short story with some of the same characters, same setting, or same theme would make the boxed set worth even more. Readers who’ve already purchased the separate books might even opt for the bundle just to get the bonus stories.
Local bookstores often host gatherings where authors can sell books. Readings or talks on non-fiction topics can draw quite a crowd. You can bundle books there, too…though not with a fancy cardboard box…just a fat ribbon, or something appropriate to your genre, tied around a stack of books. Also, be certain to offer signed copies!
Consider book festivals in larger, nearby cities. Panel discussions are a good way to get your name (and face) out there, and there are plenty of opportunities to make bundled sales.
Although libraries are a good source for books, having a sale there doesn’t seem to work quite as well…most visitors are expecting to get free books…not have to pay for them.
*When is a Boxed Set not in a Box?
Apparently, when Amazon lets authors combine a series of books into a single “boxed set”, they aren’t actually putting them into a box, despite the fact that the picture shows a nice cardboard sleeve around multiple book spines. That’s why when you set it up, you aren’t allowed to mention the term “boxed set”. All you end up getting is the separate book files merged into one huge book…with a max limit of 828 pages!
To create a real boxed set, you’d have to go through a fulfilment company to put it all together…or you could turn your garage into a book boxing service. If you do, I’d suggest advertising and helping out other local authors.