Closed mouths don’t get fed. If somebody leaves a comment on social media that says that they loved your book–asking if they’d like to leave a review for it is a very reasonable and natural reply. And, you already know that they enjoyed it, so you can be confident they’ll leave a positive review. Engage, ask and win!
Author Archives: Tieshena Davis
Schedule emails, reminders and follow ups with Right Inbox for Gmail at www.rightinbox.com. Not only is this a handy inbox management tool, but you can also use it as your personal assistant for following up with book review requests. Automatically move items in your inbox, and set triggers to follow up when you haven’t received a response.
Book reviews are a part of any good book marketing strategy, and should be afforded the same attention as social media, email, or any other element of your marketing. If you do not have a system in place for getting book reviews to build your credibility, now is the time to take a proactive approach to securing book reviews.
#Activity:
- Search for a list of book reviewers or book bloggers on Google (or social media).
- You’ll want to narrow down your findings to those that review books in your genre.
- Next, create a spreadsheet and add your findings, along with the names and contact info of the book reviewers.
- Follow them on social media, visit their sites, and submit requests and ask for your book to be reviewed.
Your blog title or headline is the most important element of your post. If you fail to grab your readers’ attention with it, you’ll struggle to get traffic, grow your leads and sales. CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer is a time-saving blogging tool that can help you with this crucial task. Go grab it now: www.coschedule.com/headline-analyzer
Nothing irks me more than to see a press release that focuses more on marketing the book, rather than pitching a newsworthy angle about the book.
The operative word here is “newsworthy”, but somehow this gets lost and the focus shifts from “selling the book -to- pitching the book.” Is there a difference? Of course there is, and both concepts require two distinct skill sets to accomplish the ultimate goal of gaining media attention. Many authors (both new and established) don’t fully understand the difference between Marketing and PR, so they get stuck with a press release written with good intent, but bad results.
As it relates to your book, Marketing is weighing the value of the product, whereas PR is weighting the value of importance. In the simplest terms, Marketing is announcing that “it’s here” and PR is announcing “why it’s important to know that it’s here.” This is where the differences are overlooked, let’s examine this for a minute:
1. Selling your book gives you multiple times to turn your attempt into a transaction. Overtime, you can build the relationship and potentially get the opportunity to pitch for the big win.
2. Pitching your book to the media, is one attempt and a one time shot to land the big win. It’s simple, fast, quick, in a hurry, and simply a yes or a no.
Both approaches require strategic planning and preparation, but a lot of concentration should be put into what angle you will pitch in the one press release. To make it effective, be sure to include (who, what, when, where, why) along with these five key elements:
• Worthy of news
• Compelling
• Thrilling
• Persuasive
• Beneficial
Have any of your press releases landed you media attention? Share your story with us.
Mastering the art of producing a definite outcome can be challenging in a saturated market of highly ambitious competitors. In July 2013, Jay Z did the unthinkable, and completely changed the way partnerships are developed and executed with music and technology. The hip-hop rapper and mega-entrepreneur keenly strategized a way to make his new album platinum before it reached public distribution. Who does that? A game-changer!
He created his own game by making a deal with Samsung to cross-promote his album with their equally identified target audience. Samsung agreed to purchase 1 million units of his new album and offered it to their Galaxy III and IV customers as a free download on the 4th of July. This cross-promotion strategy gave the album instant platinum status, Jay-Z received a $5 million check, and in exchange Samsung saved millions of dollars in advertising while increasing revenue due to the demand of customers wanting to hear Jay-Z’s latest music. In business, this kind of partnership is referred to as “synergy”, and authors can use a similar strategy for successful book launches. Partnering with the right brand can even open a door for media/press opportunities.
Lesson takeaway for authors:
Do the unthinkable and develop a book launch partnership with a well known brand the unthinkable and develop a book launch partnership with a well known brand to achieve your immediate goals. Here’s 3 simple things to do to get your started:
- Identify 3-5 brands that share the same message as your book.
- Make a list of 5 ways your book will benefit the potential partnership.
- Create a contact list for all of the decision makers you’ll need to reach out to.
GAME-CHANGER TIP:
Use LinkedIn to find over 100+ businesses/brands. Go to the “Advanced Search” bar, type in the (industry, job title, or topic) to find your prospects. Add them to your contact list and make the connection.
Do you need help with crafting a game-changing launch strategy for your book? Contact our publishing consultants today!