Are you (and your book) media ready?

Just finished writing your book? Congrats! Now it’s time to begin a strategic approach to leverage your thought leadership in the media. Whether you’re looking to promote your book on your own or engage a professional to help obtain media coverage, there are five key things to bear in mind as you begin your publicity planning.

Know what you stand for

Much like a publishing schedule, you should develop a media outreach plan based around the book’s release date. Different media outlets have different lead times, ranging from a few days to several months, so you’ll need to factor these into your approach to ensure you get the best results. You’ve invested in getting a great-quality book produced so you want to ensure you have a plan in place to launch it properly.

Make sure you look good

Good-quality photographs are one of the simplest and most effective ways to increase your media exposure. You’ll need one standard headshot and then five or six ‘lifestyle’ photos of you in front of a background that best represents your personal brand. Media increasingly don’t have the resources to send photographers, so if you and your publicist have a selection of great shots you’ll improve your chances of better placement. By supplying your own photos you also have control over your image, so it’s win–win.

Sharing is caring

When media coverage runs, it’s important you share book reviews, interviews or articles across your social media. Tweet back journalists. Post coverage highlights on LinkedIn or your client EDM. Many online publications commission stories based on the amount of clicks they get so by sharing content you’re showing the media outlet and journalist that you value their work.

Be responsive

Ensure you’re on the ball when it comes to answering media enquiries. They have a huge selection of other authors they can reach out to at any given time, and the easier you can make their job the more likely they are to cover your book and come to you for comment on future stories. It’s a simple thing but often overlooked.

Whether you’re promoting your own book or working with a publicist, the important thing is to be prepared before you engage with media. It can be finnicky but if you’re responsive, reliable and have something unique to say then the opportunities to grow your profile are endless.