Home
>
Book Marketing
>
Media Events for Book Promotion

Media Events for Book Promotion

"How do I set up a media event?" -- As a publisher, that's a good question to have an answer for.

Media events and public appearances can fall into any number of categories and include any number of venues (book stores, radio interviews, television interviews, writing group speeches, presentations, chat room interviews, online book tours, public forums, and more).

A good place to identify possible media event locations is through local bookstore. Most bookstores carry event calendars or maintain a list of contact people who hold that information.

Browse the calendar listings and see if a certain book promotion fits with their plans. Sometimes it might be necessary to tailor a planned event for a particular occasion or holiday. If there is contact information available, make a note of it so you can pitch the appropriate person about your event.

Follow-up with prospective contacts who have not confirmed dates. Selling yourself and your book is a numbers game, and as any salesperson will tell you, the amount of contact is directly proportional to the amount of sales.

Be persistent without being annoying. If, after three or four attempts with a particular media contact, you are still unsuccessful move on to another prospect.

Once you secure an event, prepare it thoroughly in advance. People who attend or listen to your events are participating because the advertisement or announcement struck a chord with them, so be sure to deliver what they came to see or hear. Don't be shy about letting them know how to order your book. After all, that's the reason you're involved in the event in the first place.

Promote your media event aggressively. Invite your friends and family, and if it's within the scope of your marketing budget, advertise in the local paper. Neighborhood papers may even promote your event for free within their "Events" pages. You may even be able to tie it into a book review.

The store is sponsoring the event to attract more customers; the station is sponsoring the event to attract more listeners or viewers. Whatever the venue, it is your responsibility to attract the crowd. The venue is just that -- a venue.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press Publishing at and author of Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer. Information at

In The News:

Real Estate Agent and SEO Consultant Releases New Book on Local Business Marketing
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Memphis real estate agent and Local SEO consultant David Sandy released his new book Webcentric Local Business Marketing: How to Market Your Business on the Web and Beyond. The book outlines what Sandy has learned in marketing for his law practice, ...

and more »

Merchant Account to Accept Credit Cards is Helping Internet Marketing ...
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
"Our website, www.marketersblackbook.com, receives thousands of Internet marketing users every month and we do a lot of online transactions," said Bernard Ablola, Internet Marketing Expert at Marketer's Black Book. "We recently switched our payment ...

and more »

Marketing in the Round Makes You Work
Huffington Post
His first book, published five years ago, is called Tomorrow is Gone. That single concept, and Livingston's manifesto, may be the best adage for what has happened in social media, traditional media, and how to market to an ADD buyer, than any put forth ...
Myth: Quit Advertising Because it Just Doesn't WorkBusiness 2 Community

all 2 news articles »

Ann Arbor CEO and Author Earns Honorary Doctorate From Cleary University
MarketWatch (press release)
ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dan Milstein, Chief Executive Officer of Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group in Ann Arbor and author of the bestselling book The ABC of Sales will receive an honorary doctorate degree in Business ...

and more »

What Social Media Can Learn From Real Life
Huffington Post (blog)
Finally, a book that shows the full picture of the impact of the word of mouth and marketing done right -- both offline and online. In The Face-to-Face Book, released just days after Facebook's IPO, Ed Keller and Brad Fay celebrate the "social wave ...

and more »

Forbes
New Book from Constant Contact CEO Gail F. Goodman Helps Small Businesses ...
MarketWatch (press release)
WALTHAM, Mass., May 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Small business owners now have a new resource to turn to with the release of Gail F. Goodman's book, Engagement Marketing: How Small Business Wins in a Socially Connected World.
Why You Should Read Engagement MarketingBusiness Insider

all 11 news articles »

Webinar Tomorrow: Take Your Hotel Marketing Mobile
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Toronto, ON (PRWEB) May 22, 2012 Hotel marketers are aware that having a strong web presence is a necessity in the travel market. Many have great websites that tell their hotel's story, let visitors view photos and multi-media, and book their dream ...

and more »

Small Business Trends
Word of Mouth Marketing Book Hits Bestseller List
MarketWatch (press release)
The book focuses on the fundamentals of word of mouth and features tutorials on "3 Reasons People Talk About You," "4 Rules of Word of Mouth," and "5 Ts of Word of Mouth Marketing." The book also features case studies from Dell, IKEA, Intuit, ...
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People TalkingSmall Business Trends

all 8 news articles »

Forbes
Book Marketing As A Political Campaign
Forbes
By Sarah Milstein Since its release in late January, Baratunde Thurston's book, â€œHow To Be Black,â€ has sold more than 15000 copies, hitting the New York Time bestseller list out of the gate. Thurston, The Onion's former director of digital, ...

Wauconda couple starting kids book business
Chicago Daily Herald
By Mitchell Armentrout A new online children's book business is weeks away from launching, thanks to a strong social media and web marketing campaign by a Wauconda couple. By mid-June, Shawn and Christine Currie expect to begin operating Lookio Books, ...
McHenry County residents get 'Kickstart' for businessNorthwest Herald

all 3 news articles »

Google News