Have a Media Strategy Before a Book Proposal

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.”

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 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 recently interviewed my friend and newly-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 some other great takeaways from our interview:

• 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 don’t be a snob!
• Try to create a diverse range of media appearances – tv/podcasts/radio… producers like a well-balanced expert who thrives in all mediums.
• 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.
• Be on call… always! You never know when a producer will call, make sure you have a few TV-ready outfits so you can rush out the door and onto the set with ease.
• Media that you do well in advance of you 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 not realistic to think The Today Show will book you if you haven’t done any other media yet. 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.

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

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.”