Tell The Media Who You Are!

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BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

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One of the most common misconceptions about the media is that they’ll come to you. And they might… so you should be ready. But actually, the opposite is true. As an author or expect, you have to tell the media who you are. 

How can you do that?

1) Build your online following.

If you’re an author looking to get attention for your book or expertise, doing media through your own platforms helps give you credibility when pitching producers and editors. That means consistently creating content about your knowledge to share with your audience. And video is one of the best ways to do that.

And then… brag about it! Share your content and keep promoting what you’re doing. I know it’s not always easy to toot your own horn. But it’s essential. There’s no point in doing all those wonderful things if nobody can find, enjoy, and learn from them. It might not feel comfortable at first, but it’s the only way to make sure people know what you’re up to.

2) Turn your content into pitches.

Once you start pitching the media, you might get to a point where you feel a little stuck. It can be overwhelming to feel like you need to come up with brand new ideas to pitch — on top of the work you’re doing to create fresh content for your social media, podcast, blog, or other online platforms.

Well, here’s the truth: you can turn any podcast, blog post, or video into a media pitch! The trick is knowing what from your content is most interesting to viewers.

One of the elements of a well-written pitch is the hook. You need to be able to answer the question: Why is this relevant right now? By connecting your pitch to an upcoming event, producers feel more urgency when considering your idea.

I go into this and more in my course with Writer’s Digest University, Media Pitch Lab. It’s happening from October 23rd to November 20th. The course includes video, an assignment, and a live Q&A for personalized coaching — you can grab your spot right here!

3) Follow up.

Producers and journalists get thousands of emails every single day. Everyone is vying for attention, and sometimes emails are missed.

Following up is basically re-pitching. It’s not a forward of what you sent originally, asking what the producer thought. You want to make their life easier. They’re not going to scroll to find your original message. Remember, you’re competing with thousands of emails! So re-pitch your idea and be short and to the point.

And if you don’t get a response, don’t let that be the end of the road. You can turn your idea into a video and share it on your social media. You never know if someone in the media stumbles over it in the future. That’s happened to me time and time again! Media begets media, even when it’s your own.

For more tips, I hope you’ll join my upcoming Writer’s Digest University course, Media Pitch Lab!

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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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