Any author who is driving their own PR campaign knows that often
times marketing and media can be an uphill battle. Many times
authors are pitching and promoting themselves with minimal
results. It can be tedious and frustrating and sometimes lead
them to make fatal PR mistakes that can cost them their campaign.
One of the first, and potentially most fatal, is thinking that
one or two media appearances are going to wing your book into
the bestseller spotlight. Media works when it's done
consistently and often it takes months, and in some cases years,
for you to reach your own "PR payoff." The most important part
of a campaign is the author's ability to stick with it. Most of
the interviews you see nationally on shows like Good Morning
America and Oprah, started with a regional buzz. Build your base
(or buzz) in your own back yard first and then start getting
your message out on a national level. And this leads us to our
second PR mistake: ignoring regional or trade media. Sometimes
when you're promoting yourself it's easy to get caught up in
going after the big fish, but don't ignore the smaller regional
and niche publications, they can be a gold mine of PR and really
help to get the buzz going.
Next on our list of fatal PR mistakes is the technique with
which authors pitch themselves. First and foremost you want to
make sure you're pitching the right people, don't just go after
a "producer," find the producer that's right for the story. And
be cautious of when you pitch, before you start calling the
media, turn on your TV or radio and see if there's a breaking
news story. There's no quicker way to offend your media target
then pitching them a story when they're scrambling to cover a
plane crash or some other major disaster.
As you're navigating through your PR campaign you'll also want
to make sure your pitches are focused and relevant. It's much
easier to get the attention of the media when you're pitching
them something that's already on their radar screen. For example
remember when you're putting together your campaign to keep an
eye out for seasonal or news spins to your topic. If, let's say,
you are discussing the topic of depression, you might want to
pitch it around a nationally designated "depression awareness
day" or, perhaps, given all the buzz around college kids and
depression, you might want to tackle this as a back-to-school
issue. Targeted, focused pitches are the best way to get the
media to notice you, so open that calendar or read your local
newspaper to find out what's hot and top of mind. Also, respect
their time when you're pitching. Get to the point, don't ramble
and remember that this is not about you, it's about the benefits
to their readers, viewers, or listeners and most of all, never,
ever, ever sell your book. You should always sell yourself and
your expertise. Producers and editors will be looking for the
WIIFM factor behind your pitch (what's in it for me) not how
they can showcase your book.
Finally there's no quicker way to end your campaign than to over
promise, stretching the truth, or not being reliable. If you
miss an interview or over promise on a commitment one time, you
can kiss any further media goodbye. Word travels fast in the
industry and bad news travels even faster. Remember be patient,
be persistent, and be professional and you're bound to get the
media you deserve and keep your campaign alive and well!
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