Book Publicity

There are some differences in how traditional and indie books are publicized, but those differences are shrinking by the nanosecond.

As weird as this may sound coming from a book publicist, I've always looked to politics as the ultimate model for what I do.

Who am I to think that my novel is good enough to be published? Am I now as pathetic as those street poets I used to see in Berkeley, peddling their sappy, mistake-laden chapbooks for a dollar a copy? And how the hell does a writer act as her own publicist?

The covers we choose for our books are much more significant than many authors think. There's nothing wrong with designing your own cover -- if you're actually a cover designer. Otherwise, you should leave it to the pros.

Your pitches do matter, and media decision-makers take them seriously. That's why you want to avoid sending pitches that could sabotage your chances as you conduct your book promotion campaign.

You hear it all the time: video sells. But often we find ourselves with a nice little YouTube channel and one video, at a loss for how to create additional content or what might be compelling.

If you are about to launch your next (or first) book, you can save yourself time, money and energy by learning from my missteps and successes. I hope these insights help to shorten your learning curve.

When we first launched teams to offer blog commenting, most people didn't have a clue how powerful this type of marketing was. Most Internet people did and have been doing it ever since.

On average, the media rejects 95% of pitches they get. How can you become part of the 5% that get picked up for a story?

With all the talk of Facebook, Twitter, blogging and other social media, we often forget how we used to promote a book: locally. Many books that hit big success did so by building a regional buzz.

The problem is this: except for the most ego-driven or ego-protected among us, it's an unnatural position for most writers. We like working in pajamas. We don't like shaking our booties. But to sell, we must.

These days, it's a must that every marketer create fresh, enticing content. While not everyone uses the term "content," it still comes down to creatin...

Only once in my career did I ever think a radio interview was not worth my time and I ended it with a simple gesture - I hung up. About seven years...

Whether we admit it or not, we've all watched a home shopping channel. They are geared to selling 24/7. What can we learn from this mode of sales? Well, actually a lot.

In order to succeed in publishing, you must have a working knowledge of all facets of the market. Understanding traditional publishing is one of them.

When it comes to publishing, there is a certain recipe for success. And while nothing is guaranteed, there are significant activities which must happen in order for your book to have a chance at success.

For the past several months I have been staying current with all the information written about the surge of digital reader sales and the popularity o...

There was a time when having a self-published book meant you were not good enough to have a real book - or at least that was the perception. Many aut...

Is getting on television your equivalent to hitting a home run when it comes to PR for your book or platform? To many people it is and there is no de...

Coffee House Press of Minnesota is a national treasure. Few independent literary presses can match its long record of publishing some of the finest f...

When it comes to promotion, it's not enough to have crafted a great book. You need to figure out what your target audiences might be, where to find them, and how to reach them.

Part 1: What is a Platform and How Can You Identify it? There's a lot of information out there on the "how" of social media: How to set up a Twitter ...

Why take part in the game at all? Who has ever come out of it alive, able to set up tent and build followers on the other side?

Unlike a traditional book tour, Virtual Book Tours happen in the comfort of your home. Essentially, you spend the day in your bathrobe while interacting with your readers and fans.