Why Authors Need An Online Press Room

Every author has to be proactive when it comes to telling others about your book. This stance doesn't use messages like “buy my book” which do not work. Instead your actions need to stress and highlight the benefits of your book and what readers will gain from it. One area which I have not discussed before is an online press room.

Increasingly the media are using tools like Google to find sources for interviews. One of the best tools to increase your visibility with the media is to create an online press room for your book. For some time, I've had this tool in my plans and finally built it for my book, Billy Graham, A Biography of America's Greatest Evangelist. On November 7th, Mr. Graham will turn 98 years old. I encourage you to follow this link and check out my online press room which is full of information.

What does an online press room include?

Journalists (print or broadcast) are looking for easy ways to reach an author. Your first step is to understand what they need:

• Author contact information — provide several easy methods to reach you via phone and email
• Author biography or information about the author
• A Book Press Release
• Suggested questions for the author about the book
• Media samples of when the author is interviewed
• Samples of the book
• Visuals for the book—cover photos and author photos

I hope you will check out my online press room and notice each of these resources in my press room. I expect to add to these resources in the days ahead. Because I've launched my press room, I hope different people in the media will begin to use this resource.

As the author, you have to be doing interviews to have media samples for your book. Often authors forget to ask for a copy of the interview or download it from the journalist after the interview. You need this material for your online press room and to show the media that you are regularly being interviewed about your book.

Proactive authors have built an online press room and gathered the essential documents where a journalist can connect with the author and write a story or schedule their own broadcast interview. According to PR and marketing expert Rusty Shelton increasingly media are using these online press rooms to reach out to authors and schedule interviews. Your first step as an author is awareness that you need one. Next gather the materials for such an effort or create them such as writing your own press release or a list of suggested questions. Finally build your site and begin promoting it through social media to others.

Do you have an online press room? Has it helped you gain increased opportunities to promote your book or schedule interviews with the media? If so, let me know in the comments below. Proactive authors are always looking for the next opportunity. Literary agents and editors are attracted to these types of active authors.

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Once again, I made the list of the Top 100 Marketing Experts to follow on Twitter from Evan Carmichael. He creates this list from different variables such as retweets and more. I'm honored to be #61 on this list. Hope you will check it out.

Reach Beyond Book Reviews

Editor's Note: I'm delighted today to have my friend Sandra Beckwith with a pointed article for every writer who has written a book or plans to write a book. Read this valuable insight from this seasoned publicity expert. wtw

Why You Need A Press Release That Announces Your Book

By Sandra Beckwith

I’m so impressed with so many authors promoting their books in today’s crazy publishing environment.

Many understand the importance of planning their marketing assault long before the book is published so they have the right connections in place at the right time – when the book is available for purchase. 

They know that like it or not, social networking is an important part of the marketing mix in today’s virtual marketplace.

And some of the most successful realize that book marketing is about more than snagging book reviews.

They’re the ones who realize that they need a book announcement press release not only to send with review copies, but to generate other kinds of important publicity and exposure. They’ve seen firsthand that the press release that announces their book is probably the most versatile book promotion tool available.

Author Marcia Layton Turner generated a great deal of publicity for her book Extreme Couponer: Insider Secrets to Getting Groceries for Free by paying a reputable press release distribution service to send her book announcement press release to online media, newspapers, and magazines. Turner also sent it directly to bloggers she knew would be interested in the book’s topic.

“I was thrilled that the press release generated a 100 percent response rate with the bloggers,” she says, adding that they either reviewed the book or asked Turner to be a guest blogger for the site.

5 ways to use your announcement press release

Here are just five of the many ways that successful authors like Turner are using that important book announcement press release in an increasingly competitive marketplace:

· They’re sending them to media outlets without review copies, knowing that most media outlets won’t review the book, but might use a short news item if the book’s topic is a good fit for their audience.

· Fiction and nonfiction authors alike are supplementing their paid press release distribution with free distribution services so their books get maximum online exposure.

· They’re sending them to their local newspapers and radio stations with a note suggesting that the outlets interview them for a “local author releases new book” article or segment.

· Like Turner, those scheduling virtual book tours (also known as author blog tours) e-mail their announcement release to bloggers as essential background information.

· They’re adding them to their own online press rooms to help with the SEO (search engine optimization) that brings them site visitors.

 

Don’t make these mistakes

You’ll get the most mileage from the press release that announces your book if you write one that incorporates the content and format that journalists want and expect. (Some can be kind of cranky about this, so it’s important to follow their “rules” so your press release isn’t deleted immediately.) There are step-by-step instructions in my e-book, Get Your Book in the News: How to Write a Press Release That Announces Your Book, but here are a few common problems to avoid in yours:

· Making grammar and spelling mistakes: We all make them, so we have to figure out how to avoid them. I print the release so that I can proofread a hard copy. I also e-mail it to myself before I send it to the press. For some quirky reason, I can see mistakes in the e-mailed version that I miss in the Word version.

· Focusing on the author instead of the book. Unless you’re J.K. Rowling or Joan Didion, you want to put the spotlight on the book.

· Being too promotional. Your press release should read like a news article, not a magazine ad. Avoid superlatives, exclamation marks, and statements you can’t prove.

Finally, make sure you e-mail your book announcement press release to the press the right way (yes, there is a wrong way). 

Join those authors who have figured it out: Write the best press release for your book that you can, and use it to promote your book as many ways as possible.

If your book announcement press release is online, please share the link here so we can learn more about your book!

Sandra Beckwith uses her background as an award-winning publicist to teach authors how to promote their books. Subscribe to her free bi-weekly e-newsletter, Build Book Buzz, for tips and advice.

For Your Burning Question

There is no shortage of passion among writers and especially writers for children and fiction writers. It is obvious to me as I've read these questions from more than 100 people who have signed up at the moment for this event. If you want to ask a question about Christian fiction or children's writing for Andy, now is the time to ask it: http://www.askandymcguire.com/

Late last week I wrote a short, targeted press release about this event and sent it to three publications which have regular online newsletters that go out to their audiences. I know two of the three publications picked up on the release. Here's one of them from yesterday:

"Fiction editor/author answers questions in upcoming teleseminar. Moody Fiction Editor Andy McGuire will answer your questions in a free live 70-minute telewebcast this Wed., Jun. 18, at 4 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Eastern. Host Terry Whalin will use the questions from various participants to grill McGuire about the publication of his first children's book, Rainy Day Games, Fun with the Animals of Noah's Ark (Harvest House Publishers). Anyone can ask a question at: http://www.askandymcguire.com/ and register for the free teleseminar.

Participants in the free teleseminar can also ask McGuire questions about his day job as the fiction editor at Moody Publishers. Each person who registers for the teleseminar at: http://www.askandymcguire.com/ will receive a free four-chapter e-book called Novel Curriculum by Andy McGuire. This 47-page e-book will help writers understand some of the basics related to creating and shaping Christian fiction.

Don't have time to listen during the workday? The event will be recorded and every registrant will receive access to the replay links, which can be downloaded to a computer or iPod."

OK, maybe you are not a fiction writer or children's author, can you learn something from this post for your writing life? There is no doubt in my mind.

First, notice the technology. Sign up and notice you can hear the author talking, then when you ask your question, you get to the confirmation or mirror page where you make sure you have your question worded as you want it. Once again you have a personal connection to this author. Finally when you ask your question, you reach the confirmation page where you will hear me talking and confirming your registration.

Check out this confirmation page and notice it's where you download the free 47-page Ebook from Andy McGuire about writing fiction. Also this page is where people get the call-in number for their phones or they can listen to the interview on a live webcast (free). Also this page has a countdown timer highlighting when the event will take place. Notice at the bottom of this page there is a tool so the registrant can tell a friend about the event.

There is a large button in the middle of the confirmation page which encourages people to purchase copies of Rainy Day Games. Does it work? I've already received an email from one participant who has purchased the book. My mentor on virtual book tours, Alex Mandossian has specific sales results from these events. With one book and one author, Alex can point to over 3,500 book sales. Now when you realize that many books don't even sell 500 copies in their lifetime, if someone sells over 3,500 copies of an authors book, that is a huge deal.

People who sign up for the event also receive two confirmation emails. Why two? Because of not all email reaches its original destination and the dual emails helps raise those possibilities.

I've prepared the author for this event, sent the questions from the participants and I will be sending another batch later. The author can be confident about the time on the telephone with me because they know what information the audience wants before the event.

Finally notice how easy this event is for the author. They don't travel anywhere or sit in a bookstore wondering if someone is going to come for a book signing. They have over 100 people gathered in a virtual event just to listen to them talk with the host on the telephone.

In terms of time and expense, a virtual book tour is one of the most effective ways to sell books as Alex says, "Quicker, faster and with less human effort." Yes some other people are touting other technology events like blog tours. No one has yet shown me that blog tours sell books with specific results. Yes it gives some exposure to the book but in terms of results I've found zero evidence that translates into sales. Call me a skeptic but I want to put my time and energy into events which sell books and are a winner for the author and the publisher. There is no better way than a virtual book tour--at least that I've discovered to date.

I want to point to the Church of the Customer Blog and their post about The Word of Mouth Manual. It's a great resource for you to get this book and learn about how the publishing industry should reinvent itself. Virtual Book Tours fall into this same area of innovation.

Finally I wanted to show you the back cover of Rainy Day Games and wonder who was Andy McGuire thinking about for a model when he drew that illustration. Maybe we'll find out tomorrow night. Hope you can make it.

Press Release Tools

Many writers have never written a press release. They figure that's something their book publisher handles or something they can delegate to someone else. In the normal course of events, your book publisher will prepare a press release for the book. This release is focused on the content of your book and a mixture of information about you as the author and the unique marketing position of your new book. It's a one time event then the publicity person moves on to another book.

There are almost limitless opportunities to promote your events, your forthcoming workshops, your new products and other aspects of your work--if you know how to write an effective press release. It's another critical skill that every writer should add to their base of knowledge. The first part of this process is learning to write the release, then you need to effectively get that release to the right media person (newspaper, magazine, Internet, radio or television) and follow-up. The key will almost always be in the follow-up.

Whether you've never written a press release or it's been a long time or you just want a tool to help you in this process, I've found this resource from John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing. It's an online press release generator. You fill in the blanks and it generates a press release which you can receive via email and send out. You have to subscribe and confirm your subscription to reach the Instant Press Release link but then you can save this link in your browser and use it over and over. John is using this tool as another way to build subscribers and it's admirable. If you don't want to be on his list, you can unsubscribe at any time but I see he provides continual value to his audience and recommend you stay with his list.

Another resource in this same area (where you don't have to register for the tool) is the Press Release Builder. If you follow the various links here, you will gain an education in this aspect of the business, learn how to email reporters and much more.

A few readers are probably grousing about this post and wondering why they should even care. They want to get published in magazines. Or they have a novel that they want to get published. Or they have a nonfiction idea that they are putting together into a book. Here’s why you should care: you are the best person to promote yourself. Unless you write certain press releases and send them into the market and follow-up with the media, they will never be written. Yes, you can hire a publicist to write them for you but if your resources are limited, then you should broaden your skills and learn to write press releases.