Some Dos and Don’ts of Publicity—Vol 1.

POSTED BY mrenart ON September 19, 2011

Are you about to publish a book? Are you speaking with publicists or publicity firms about publicizing it?

Since we’re a Texan publicity firm, I’m allowed to say this: it ain’t our first rodeo. Combined, we have years upon years upon years of publicity experience in all genres and with all types of media: from online to national TV. So, I’m culling some pears of wisdom for the first installment of  ‘Dos and Don’ts’ in Publicity. Here are the first two:

Timing is everything. It’s understandable that you want to get your book out there as Soon! As! Possible!. We get that this is your labor of love, and the world needs to hear your message. You probably even have family members, friends and colleagues insisting that you get your book out there—now. But hear me out.

Did you know that certain months are certain death for pub dates?

Holiday season is one of the worst times to publish a book. The media is oversaturated with holiday stories, and while your book is probably perfect for the holidays or new year beginnings, so are several hundred thousand other books. Any other month gives you more opportunities to be heard and be seen.  Listen to your publicist or the publisher if they advise a different pub date—don’t let your excitement shoot your book in the foot. So what happens if it’s September, and your publisher is saying that May is better for a pub date because of the tie-in to Mother’s Day and graduation, due to your book’s content? That might seem completely deflating, waiting all that time after all of that blood, sweat, and tears, but your publisher is strategizing the best date for the best media angles. Your best interests are in mind here. So go ahead—follow that date!

Go with the flow. Press materials are written to optimize your profile: your achievements, your background, and why your book is essential for an outlet (newspaper, radio, magazine, TV) to feature. This might mean things are phrased in a way that gives you pause.

You might feel like insisting that certain language is used that promotes your book in a more blatant way. You might feel that the press release is missing a part of the book entirely and should be included!  Keep in mind that publicity writing is vastly different from basically all other materials, from marketing to advertising to business.  We’re writing with the media in mind—and there’s a specific style we’re catering to—and we know the language and content that will best get their attention. It might seem scary, but just go with it—you’re in good hands.

Stay tuned for Volume 2!

Tags: press materials, publishing

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