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Promoting Your Book
BG Publishing International® provides a PR blitz for each author.
However because the number one question we receive online is "How can I market my book?" we provide this guide.
Guidelines for The New Author’s Press Kit
by Sheila DanzigWhen you’ve finished working on the book, the editing is done, the layout has been prepared, what’s the next step? Yes, your book will finally make its way to the press. What an author feels after finally getting his work published is something that can’t be explained in words. I know that for me, the ink on the first copy certainly smells like heaven.
Seeing my book in print was not the end. Frankly it was the beginning. You may think that becoming an author is all about choosing a topic, writing the book, having it edited, working on the book design and cover and then getting it published. This is not the complete picture. Unless your book is published by a publisher that is dedicated to marketing it, there are a number of challenges that the writer has to face.. Surprisingly, several self-publishers are either unaware of these challenges or simply ignore this part by leaving everything on destiny. It doesn't work. Destiny is busy with work other than promoting your book. They say that if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door. But what they say is not true. If they do not know about your better mousetrap - that is if they do not know about your book - they won't be coming to your door. Because of this the majority of authors today fail to sell book instead of achieving the recognition they believe that they deserve. While BGPI provides an individualized PR campaign for each author we are providing you with simple directions to producing your own press kit.
While many experts believe that the ideal time to start sending press kits out is as much as 6 months before the book is in print, we at BGPI believe press kits should go out after publication. You can and should, however, start working on the press kit as early as possible.
The right press kit can work like magic for you, from making an impression on book reviewers to impressing the interviewers. Or it can land in the trash. An ideal kit should not only be attractive but simple. More is not better. No one, not a reporter, a blogger or a book reviewer, wants to sift through pages of unrelated information in an attempt to figure out what you are trying to say.
Professional book reviews are not easily obtained and take a long time to receive. On the other hand offering free books to bloggers in your field can result in a faster result. You can also find places to pay people to review your book but know that the reviews will be honest. You pay them to read and review the book, not to say it is a great book.
What does your press kit include and how do you send it out?
- Synopsis: A book sheet or synopsis is referred to as your book’s one page summary. A book sheet must deal with the plot and main themes, if the work is fiction. It is essential to sell the book with an attractive and appealing synopsis but at the same time, not giving so much information. One should not forget that people who receive their press kit are in a habit of gong through hundreds of them, every week. They look forward to fluff and the more fluff you have, the more your book appears impressive to them.
- Press Release: Basically, a press release gives information about you and the publication of the book. A very important thing that you should keep in mind is that if your book in any way is related to the present circumstances, this point must be emphasized in your press release. A unique and noticeable press release can give you more opportunities to promote your book through media distribution.
- Author Biography:This refers to a single paged life background. You need to intelligently summarize your history and most importantly your achievements (both educational and professional). You should wisely highlight your writing skills by relating them to your life experiences and events such as adventurous expeditions. No one can write and about you better than yourself. Therefore, an ideal biography can only be composed by you. There is likely going to be an "about the author" in your book and that can be all that you need.
- Sell Sheet: This should be produced after you have had your book reviewed. You can send a press kit out without a sell sheet until then. This is a simply a leaflet that mentions the significant points about your book; name, publication day, cover image, number of pages, ISBN, a short book summary, selling price, summarized Author Biography, and blurbs from a minimum of two book reviews. It is better to have a full-color sell sheet that has been efficiently printed on 100lb Text-Gloss paper.
Previous Press Coverage: Include copies of any media coverage about you even if it is not about this book. Press coverage brings more press coverage. When the media sees that you have already been written about (in any capacity) they know that you are likely easy to work with and that you impressed someone else enough to write about you.
Send the Kit Out Well Packaged: Put your kit into a clear colored plastic folder with a removable spine. These are available in any office supply store. Always use the same color so that when you call you can say "Hi. This is Sheila Danzig. I sent you a press kit about my new book Power Publicity (of course use your name and your book name) the information came in a clear blue folder.
Send The Kit to a Particular Person by Name and Follow Up With Phone Calls: If you just send out your kits blindly no one will look at them. They need to be addressed to the reporter or reviewer or blogger that is most likely to be interested in reading it. If you send it to "Book Reviewer" there is a very slim chance of it being well received. Then call the person on the phone to verify that they received it. See above for about referencing the folder. Reporters have told me how easy it is to find in their pile of mail when I referenced the color. Then ask if you can call again once they have had a chance to look it over. If they say that you have sent it to the wrong person, ask politely where it should be sent and send another one. Do NOT ask them to forward it and do NOT ask them to return it. When you are told, yes, you can call back, ask when and call back exactly when they suggest. Do not ask if they are going to publish a review but rather ask if they have any questions. You can later ask if they are interested in using the material at all. Keep calling every two weeks until you are told, no, they are not interested. Until that time you are still being considered. It is better to send a small number of press kits out and follow up well than to send thousands out with no follow up. Follow up is crucial. You are just one of many authors looking for attention.
Good luck and enjoy the process.