Start Promoting Your Book Yesterday!

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

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I often get asked, when is a good time to start doing media to promote my book? The answer is yesterday. And if not yesterday, then right now!

Too often people tell me they plan on doing media for their book when it launches. That is 100% way too late.

You want the media to already know about you way before you have a book or a product to promote.

For an example of media strategy for a book launch done right I interviewed my friend and published author Tracy McCubbin. Her book is called, “Making Space, Clutter Free: The Last Book on Decluttering You’ll Ever Need.”

Back when Tracy first proposed her book, she started working on a plan with her agent. (It helps that her book is about getting organized, so she already knew how to make a good plan!)

Here are six great takeaways from our conversation.

1) Say Yes to everything!?

Just because an opportunity doesn’t seem like it matches up with your style don’t write it off. It could introduce you to a completely fresh audience and give you a different perspective on your own book!?

Media begets media. So…

2) Don’t be a snob.

It’s not realistic to think The Today Show will book you if you haven’t done any other media.?

And the truth is – you don’t want to do a big media hit like that out of the gate.?

You need to pitch local news first and get your feet wet. This will help you hone your pitch and learn how to handle any rejection that comes your way. Plus local news or online blogs can lead to bigger opportunities. Media begets media. Producers and editors look for guests in other media programs. (They even search for ideas or articles online so an easily searchable web article could get you more exposure than a TV spot!)

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3) Create a diverse range of appearances.?

Tv/podcasts/radio… producers like a well-balanced expert who thrives in all mediums.

4) Make a producer’s job easier.

Media is like a party, you want to be known as the person who will bring ice. If you make a producer’s job easier they will invite you back time and time again.

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5) Be on call!

Be on call… always! You never know when a producer will call so make sure you have a few TV-ready outfits so you can rush out the door and onto the set with ease. And make sure your at-home set up is ready to go in case you're zooming in rather than heading to the set.?

6) Do your own media.?

Media that you do well in advance of your book release is not just good practice, but a chance for you to work out your messaging.?

You’ll know what catches people’s attention. (And why you shouldn’t wear a striped shirt on TV!) It’s a chance to get your expertise out there. I started doing more of my own media during the pandemic with my live-streaming show, Inside Scoop, and that has in turn grown my newsletter to 26,000+ subscribers and my LinkedIn Learning courses to over 10,000+ learning.

Check out our entire conversation here to learn more about the best way to promote your next book way before you even write the proposal.

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BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”

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