In the 'old days,' there was a specific formula to book promotion. A no-holds barred author tour was the answer where the author would go for a winning mixture of television, radio, print and book signings. It was a hold-nothing-back author tour where the writer would 'appear' in a given city and get some combination of heavyweight radio, TV, book-signing and newspaper coverage. When the author left that city, residents knew his or her name and the name of their newly-released title. So!is this kind of intense media blitz still realistic today? Actually, it depends. Depends? Yes!it depends entirely on who's arranging the tour and whether or not they follow the right guidelines. "In this game there are rules, so make sure you get your PR firm to follow them!" Here Marsha shares her 5 author tour guidelines that will help you bring successes to your book's promotion. 1. 'Anchor' each city with at least one interview on a major network TV affiliate. Marsha Friedman says, "This is where the PR 'rubber meets the road': If a major network affiliate show can't be landed, there's limited value in that market when you consider the time and money you have to invest in the trip. Just cancel that city and move onto the next." 2. Obtain a minimum of two to three media appearances in each market within a day or two. This is yet another important part about whether or not to go into a city when you are on tour. Friedman says, "If you go out fighting for a day or two and things come together, you really have a good chance at "household name" status in that market." 3. Schedule at least one book signing. This will guarantee availability of your book in that city. Plus book signings always generate the kind of excitement and promotion that might otherwise cost you a small fortune. Marsha Friedman adds, "This is a great way to create a combined effort with your other media appearances." 4. Use your down time and visit area bookstores. When you are doing an author tour, there will always be a little bit of free time outside of your relentless promotion. Got an extra hour, then check out a local book store. Marsha Friedman says, "If your books are in stock, offer to sign them. And if they don't carry your books, let the manager know you're available for a book-signing bookstores adore promotion-minded authors." 5. Increase visibility by speaking at relevant functions. Here's another way to take full advantage of those hours after you do that interview on the six am morning news: Arrange speaking engagements at the local library, Church, Chamber of Commerce or professional affiliations these groups are usually clamoring for interesting speakers - especially those with a hot new book that's just been released! Gearing Yourself Up to Be a Promoter! When you started off as a writer you probably never knew that you would also have to become a bit of a promoter as well! But that's just the reality of successful writing. With an author tour, you really need to get promoting and make sure that you make every media appearance and book signing count! So! yes, 'Author Tours' can be very effective for creating a buzz about your book and generating sales - providing enough quality media and exposure is obtained in each city you travel to. Make sure though, that you follow the 5 tips above!
When it comes to book promotion, most authors are hitting on just one cylinder (if that). In the "old days," there was a specific formula to book promotion. It was a hold-nothing-back author tour where the writer would "appear" in a given city and get some combination of heavyweight radio, TV, book-signing and newspaper coverage.
When the author left that city, residents knew his or her name - and the name of their newly-released title.
So...is this kind of intense media blitz still realistic today? The answer is, "it depends." Depends? Yes...it depends entirely on who's arranging the tour and whether or not they follow the right guidelines.
Five Author Tour Guidelines to Follow
Like most important things, there are rules to this game...rules you can insist your PR firm follow.
1. "Anchor" each city with at least one interview on a major network TV affiliate. This is where the PR "rubber meets the road": If a major network affiliate show can't be landed, there's limited value in that market when you consider the time and money you have to invest in the trip. Just cancel that city and move onto the next.
2. Obtain a minimum of two to three media appearances in each market within a day or two. This is a corollary to rule #1 and the real meat and potatoes of an author tour. The whole point here is to get you to reach a sort of media "critical mass" - when appearances on different media come together over a day or two,you have a nice shot at becoming a kind of household name in that city.
3. Schedule at least one book signing. This will guarantee availability of your book in that city. Plus book signings always generate the kind of excitement and promotion that might otherwise cost you a small fortune. Finally, you can get some synergy working for you when you mention the book signing on your local radio, TV or newspaper appearances.
4. Use down time by visiting area bookstores. Unless your PR agency is an absolute wizard, you're going to have some down
time in a given city. So spend it visiting bookstores. If your books are in stock, offer to sign them. And if they don't carry your books, let the manager know you're available for a book-signing -bookstores adore promotion-minded authors.
5. Generate local word-of-mouth with speaking engagements. Here's another way to take full advantage of those hours after you do that interview on the six am morning news: Arrange speaking engagements at the local library, Church, Chamber of Commerce or professional affiliations - these groups are usually clamoring for interesting speakers - especially those with a hot new book that's just been released!
Wearing the Promoter's Hat
Maybe, when you started writing, nobody told you that you'd have to be a promoter, too. But that's just the reality of successful writing. And when it comes to author tours, you really have to get into it, promoting your book most of your waking moments (to maximize your time on the tour).
But, again, success here always comes down to who's doing the scheduling.
Needless to say, it's not an easy thing to do. Of course, knowing which markets have the most media opportunities available can be a huge help. But, even then - sometimes it takes over fifteen calls to get one producer to call back and get an interview scheduled. Believe me - we know how labor intensive it can be.
Both Sumit. K. Pandit & are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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