3.3.10: The New Reality of Book Publicity — Why the Web Matters and Where to Start

As the landscape of publishing has evolved, so have the rules and realities of book publicity. Staying competitive in the literary marketplace in 2010 requires a fresh strategy that utilizes the latest technology and social networking tools. So as you roll out your publicity campaign, take a moment to understand what it means to be an author in today’s market.

The new reader

According to a 2009 study by the Book Industry Study Group on the behaviors of the modern reader, most people now get book information online. Findings revealed new trends on the intersection of book publishing and the Internet:

• 67% of readers say they read reviews online vs. in traditional print media
• 54.8% rely on online/Internet ads to find books
• Online is the #1 selling channel: 23% of market, vs. retail chains at 21% (these numbers flipped in 2008 vs. 2007, when retail chains were at 23%).
• Younger readers are bigger supporters of brick-and-mortar retail while older buyers buy online.
• Traditional book clubs (e.g. Bookspan) still capture a significant part of the older adult market – 20% of female buyers and 16% of 65+ female buyers.
• 21% of fiction purchases in 2008 were based on online awareness, with online book reviews the lead source of information (6.2%), followed by online ads (4.8%), the author’s personal website (4.6%), e-mails from retailers (3.2%), publisher’s website (2.9%) and online forums, blogs, Google and Yahoo searches (1.1%).
• Of Kindle owners, people 50+ are the biggest adopters, followed by 18-34 year olds. 35-49 year olds who read e-books prefer doing so on their iPhones.
• E-book sales grew 183% among seniors aged 65+ and 174% among seniors aged 55-65.

Source: www.FollowtheReader.wordpress.com, sponsored by NetGalley

The state of publishing

Print-on-demand books have flooded the marketplace. According to Bowker, in 2009, the number of “on demand” books exceeded the amount of traditionally published books entering the marketplace. Production of self-published books is up 132%, and 462% from 2006 (fiction being the largest category).

What does this mean to the 2010 author? For one thing, the competition for shelf space, newspaper ink and television/radio airtime is at a record high.

The state of the news media

A 2009 report on the state of the news media by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism revealed interesting changes as well. Thanks to social media, citizen journalism is on the rise and the power is shifting from news organizations to individual journalists.

Only two media platforms reported growth last year: online and cable TV.

Newspapers: Circulation is down an average 4.6% daily and 4.8% Sunday; down 13.5% daily and 17.3% Sunday since 2001. Traffic to newspaper websites, however, is growing.

Radio: Arbitron reported a small bump in listenership for news and talk programs, up 2% to 48 million; and Sirius XM was expected to report a 9.2% boost in subscribers at year-end.

TV: Local TV remained the nation’s most popular source for news, but, on a percentage basis, it was among the biggest audience losers of 2008.

News Magazines: Weekly news magazines, like U.S. News & World Report, suffered the greatest losses. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press said 23% of adults in 2008 said they read a magazine the day before — a drop of nearly a third from 33% in 1994.

The new reality of book publicity

Heightened competition in stores and in the media has created two rules for authors in the new school of publishing. First, relationship building is more important than ever. Second, a dedicated investment in social media is a must. Luckily, the technology to help us build meaningful professional relationships now exists.

While your publicist works book events, sets up tour stops and makes media connections for you, you should be focused on online visibility, because once the publicist generates interest, reporters (as well as consumers) will investigate your blog and social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook.

When your name or the name of your book is “Googled,” search results should reveal your expert knowledge and well-honed message, or that interview will likely go to the next person on the journalist’s list.

Whether your first book is still months away from pub date, or you’ve already published three, the time to start investing in your online platform is now. The options are numerous, but the road to establishing yourself as a credible expert source through your online presence doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

We’ve compiled a quick guide to everything authors and experts need to know about social media. Learn the basics and you’ll be on your way to streamlining your personal brand, boosting your credibility, maximizing your exposure, and broadening your fan base too.

How to: Start a website

Since your author website serves as a central hub for visiting fans, potential book buyers and inquiring media, it shouldn’t be overlooked. Your site serves as a virtual brochure for your book, so invest time (DIY) or dollars (hire a designer) in building one that is professional and well-designed.

Remember, your website serves the following purposes:

• Increase book sales
• Build and maintain a loyal fan base
• Interact with readers
• Spread the word about upcoming events
• Promote yourself and any other services you offer
• Highlight future books before they’re released
• Get the word out about your book and your website
• Blog on happenings, news, current affairs, polls, etc.
• Credential your expertise; position you as a resource

Here’s a short inventory of items your author/book site should have in place before the publication date:

• A professional headshot (JPEG)
• Cover art (high and low resolution versions) (JPEG)
• Media room with PDF press materials (links to previous news coverage, press release, bio and sample speaking topics, publicist contact info)
• Book tour and virtual book tour stops (PDF or links list)
• Links to your social networks
• Blog (updated minimum three times/week)
• Excerpts (PDF)
• Downloadable audio or video clips

Resources:

- Build a free website at Worpress.com, Intuit.com, Blogspot.com.

- Contact PR by the Book for a list of website designer referrals.

- Blog tips from Michael Hyatt, CEO Thomas Nelson Publishers: http://tinyurl.com/ygx24cp

How to: Twitter

Called “micro-blogging,” Twitter allows you to post short, bite-sized updates about your life to a community of followers. The updates are 140 characters (or less) and bring you closer to people who share things in common with you. Twitter has quickly become the most essential online networking tool for authors.

Why Twitter?

First, reporters use Twitter. Journalists often post questions as a time-saving tool to help develop angles and gather targeted feedback for their stories. Some outlets go straight to the Twitter-verse during news meetings. Following media who you want to reach with your message will help you not only stay “on the radar” and interface directly with the media you aim to reach, but you’ll be up on the trends and know what’s happening in the news before it reaches the paper. You’ll be educated on a reporter’s news beat, making you a more relevant, newsworthy source when the time is right.

Twitter 101

Sign up for a free account at Twitter.com. To help build your personal brand, use your real name along with a headshot, rather than a more elusive, creative handle. Regular, frequent updates are the key to using Twitter. Chime in with your thoughts on breaking news item, post details on your upcoming book events, host a book giveaway, join “Tweet-Ups,” or discussion groups on topics in your area of expertise. Get the most out of Twitter by interacting with your community of followers. Use the Direct Message feature to send a brief note to compliment or congratulate someone on a big announcement, or even to make an introduction with someone you might not know personally.

Download applications like OpenBeak, TinyTwitter, Tweetie or TwitterFon and post virtually from anywhere!

Who should I follow?

Clicking the follow button will likely cause them to follow you in return, as long as you prove to be a legitimate Twitter-er (with a track record of regular, frequent posts). Here are a few places to start.

• Follow your publicist: twitter.com/prbythebook.
• Follow the newsmakers you want to feature you in turn (ex. book editor at the Dallas Morning News: twitter.com/mmerschel).
• Follow the radio host who just interviewed you and you’ll show them you respect and appreciate their work enough to keep in touch.
• Follow your fans! Use the search box to find mentions of your book or your name to find out who is Tweeting about you.
• Follow industry trendsetters and bloggers who cover your area of expertise.

Aim to keep your follow/follower ratio close. Twitter is a two-way discussion; no one wants to follow someone who won’t follow them back.

Resources:

• Mashable.com – Twitter Guide Book
• Twitter.com – Twitter for Business
• Editor Unleashed – “Authors on Twitter: Who’s Getting it Right?”
• The Book Publicity Blog (Penguin Publishing House publicity) – “How Twitter works and why people in the publishing world should consider using it”
• HuffingtonPost.com – “Best Friends Forever: Authors and their Readers on Twitter and Facebook”

How to: Facebook

Create a free Facebook fan page for your book to keep your friends and readers tuned into you. Social media makes us feel more connected to our favorite artists and authors, so be personable with the information you share over Facebook, connecting with your network of followers on a consistent, regular basis. Facebook is a great place to announce appearances, post interesting news bits, new book reviews and personal thoughts. If you don’t have time to Facebook, appoint an assistant to maintain your page and upload new content.

Instructions on how to create a fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

How to: Navigate online media

In the age of new media, we’re seeing more and more quality publicity opportunities via the World Wide Web. But with all the options out there, many authors are asking about the return on online hits: “Is there an audience for podcasts and online radio?” “Should I send free review copies and giveaway copies to a book blogger?” “Is guest posting worth my time?” Our advice: trust your publicist to filter media opportunities and present you with appropriate interviews for your message and audience. Make time for relationship building, with media big and small.

Here’s a breakdown of the value of online media:

• Blog Talk Radio shows (ex. “Little Brown & Company,” “The Indie Author Show”) – Book centered radio shows are a thing of the past, except in Internet radio where they are burgeoning and growing in audience size. Listeners of author Internet radio are devoted readers, and being a guest on one of these shows is considered the bullseye for connecting with a niche audience. Also, hosts of Internet radio are typically great promoters. They’ll tease your program with advertising on other sites as well as their own, adding to your visibility in search results. Here, you will find an audience of consumer book buyers; and because it’s an online connection, the host will typically make it super-simple for the listeners to click and buy your book (link to your site and/or Amazon).
• Online news websites (ex. CNN.com, MSNBC.com, SFgate.com) – Largely authored by freelance contributing journalists, landing a hit on an online news website is a fantastic opportunity. Time spent helping the reporter with research and providing them thought-provoking quotes may open doors for you in the future, as they often maintain a source file for their “go to” experts. Today, publicists spend a majority of their time crafting the pitch, collecting quotes and providing necessary research and statistics – it’s our job to help the media tell the story. The more qualified our material, the better our chances of landing you placement in a story. Quality content and credentials are key here.
• File sharing video sites (ex. YouTube, BlipTV) – If your book has a visual component, you may want to hire help to create a professional book trailer. Keep in mind, your publicist can use this as a reel to present to TV producers to vouch for your on-air presence and speaking ability. Also, the viral nature of video file sharing sites makes your message easily adaptable for online media and bloggers who can embed the clip in their site to accompany their own coverage.
• Book review bloggers (ex. BookMaven.com, Beatrice.com, Bookslut.com) – The statistics support the validity of online book reviewers when it comes to selling books. Make sure your publicist has a sufficient stock of books to provide interested bloggers with a book and a few review copies for their readers. Book bloggers are well-connected, voracious readers. A good example is the rise of mommy-bloggers and green-bloggers. An author with a first-time niche book from a small press recently stated that a mention from one blogger in her niche resulted in 500 book sales and skyrocketed her to #1 in her category on Amazon for multiple days. Never underestimate the power of this citizen journalism.
• General websites (ex. iVillage.com, webMD.com, BookReporter.com) – Like news websites, sites like iVillage rely on freelance journalists for their content. Niche websites allow you to connect directly with the audience intended for your message. Be open to invitations to guest post or contribute a bylined article.

While the state of publishing and the news media would have you thinking it’s a challenging time to write a book, the groundswell of new media coming available to authors and experts today creates new publicity opportunities that are virtually unlimited. Publishing has never before been this interactive and collaborative. Therefore, don’t be surprised if, in any given month, you see more online-related “media bookings/hits” than traditional media hits. Online media activity is where it’s at for authors – bestsellers and POD first-timers alike.

The new rules are simple: the more you invest in building your platform through your own efforts in social networking and the blogosphere, , the more you receive in exposure. So authors and experts: if you aren’t already tapping into the power of social media, we have one question for you. Why not?

Marika Flatt, owner of PR by the Book, LLC, www.prbythebook.com, has been in book publicity for 12+ years, after paying her dues in the media with TV and print outlets. Flatt spent 7 years as Director of Publisher Services at an Austin literary publicity firm; then launched PR by the Book in 2002. She now leads a team of 12.

PR by the Book has worked with bestselling authors, large publishing houses and also many independent publishers. The firm recently wrapped up a successful 5-city tour for the Berenstain Bears imprint with Zonderkidz and Michael Berenstain.

Flatt was awarded a Gold Bulldog Award for a publicity campaign that generated exposure in over 700 media outlets. A past-president of the Association for Women in Communications, Flatt is the recipient of the 2005 Austin Public Relations Society of America Outstanding Mentor Award, the 2002 Anne D. Robinson Creative Initiative Award and is a 4-time nominee for the “Profiles in Power” award. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband (co-owner) and 3 kids.