Millions of books are published worldwide every year, although people have never heard of most of them.
Adrian John Ignacio of Baden Bower believes the most common reason for this is the word never got out as the PR campaign was ineffective or non-existent.
Many authors think they will write a book, and people will come flocking to buy and read it. Sadly, that is not how it works.
Writing a book is far more than sitting at a desk and penning sentences in sequence. The PR campaign and marketing plans are the most demanding part of getting a book out.
A small handful of authors sell record-level numbers of books and are featured on the New York Times bestseller list the moment their book is released. But for the thousands of authors who do not have such an enormous fan base, the path to selling more books is incredibly challenging.
Ignacio shares some ways authors can successfully advertise their book launch and get people’s attention.
Use the Internet
Almost everything in the world is digital, and Ignacio believes authors should take advantage of this. Authors can connect with potential readers through different platforms, like websites and social media, and get them excited about a book launch.
It’s essential to have a dedicated website to spread the word while also building an email list for email campaigns. Understand that people will always start with zero traffic, but it will increase with consistent promotional efforts.
Capitalize On Offers And Reviews
Authors who are on Amazon should take advantage of every space and feature they offer to increase the chances of being discovered. Be clever with keywords and key phrases in the description.
To get Amazon to recommend any of the books, getting good reviews from early customers is crucial. A decent number of genuine reviews under any book adds credibility.
Reach Out to PR Agencies
Ignacio also suggests authors take advantage of and capitalize on the connections of PR agencies like Baden Bower. When making the most out of a PR plan for a book launch, authors need to think carefully about the publicity hooks and the press releases, and PR agencies can help with that. Furthermore, with enough publicity, authors can get their own website ranking ahead of their distributors to ensure they can generate sales from their own publicity efforts and retain more margin.
For instance, some authors will decide to use an existing event to gain attention—like a book fair or a convention. Others will build a great press release that they can give to their PR agency to spread across multiple media channels.
To get started, all authors need are the publicity hooks that their audiences will be interested in—a list of key points about the book and what it can offer and a list of media contacts to reach out to.
