Moving on to Our September Focus on Media Outreach and Incorporating It Into Your Routine
Dear Author Friends,
Welcome to September where we're following up our August sales focus and devoting this month's three newsletters to all of us making strides in another single, critical area of author life and authorbusinesses: media outreach.
And that means...
Just kidding! For a successful, sustainable author business, especially now that you now that it requires sales--actual sales--and consistent media outreach, you probably have to do more than one thing every day that scares you. But we have you covered. Join us at this month's Lunchtime Author Discussion on Zoom, when our topic is...
Help! Get Used to Asking for Anything and Everything in Your Author Business
Wednesday, September 18, 12pm CT
Asking for help. It’s the hardest thing for many of us to do and, in some ways, it’s the number one, all-purpose business hack. If you are hesitant to reach out and ask for help in your author business—or have been in the past—you are not alone! Join us for a lunchtime discussion that will encourage you to regain the youthful mindset of asking for assistance whenever you need it. Come prepared to tell other participating authors what kind of help you’re looking for and offer others your ideas, contacts, and support in exchange. Set the wheels in motion to create a sustainable author life that you love!
RSVP here.
Top 12 for the Year List
Let's start this month with an idea I love and have adapted from my favorite PR specialist Tristra Newyear Yeager (you can book an hour of her time here for customized help).
It is this: Make a wishlist for the coming year of the top 12 media outlets you'd like to see you, your books, and/or your author business featured in. You may choose to go...
A) BIG. What are the biggest, best media outlets you'd love to see yourself in?
OR
B) LOCAL. Identify the 12 local or regional media sites that are the most desirable fits for you and your work.
OR
C) NICHE. Create a wishlist of niche media outlets that would bring desired exposure to your books and authorhood.Today's job is just to create the dream list.
But Tomorrow's Job...
Tomorrow's job is to take that dream list and make your own plan to pursue these outlets. Pursue them until each one has covered you, your books, and your author life in some way. Aim to accomplish that in one year's time. That's a steady one success a month. You CAN do that. How to reach them? Here are some ideas:
1) Find the top 3 writers (not editors) at print publications and focus on pitching ideas to them that are close overlaps with what you have discerend are the topics and themes they like to cover.
2) Send out a press release focused on a different angle to your top media contacts every month.
3) Make respectable and engaged contact with your dream media people on social platforms. Feel free to send younger media types DMs with your pitches: Hey, I have something like that, but it's about z. Can I email you more information?
4) Try the phone if you're not getting a response from email, especially with older contacts and "legacy" publications like newspapers.
5) Assume that people are not getting back to you (at least initially) because they are too busy, not because they're rude jerks. Also assume that when you come up with the just right, interesting, fascinating, newsworthy angle, they will be in touch.
6) It's not harrassment. It's repetition. And repetition makes the heart grow fonder. Or at least it makes you more familiar and salient and relevant...and more likely to get coverage.
Note: The "Dream 12" Is In Addition to Your Other Media Outreach Efforts
Create a media outreach strategy that goes beyond your wishlist. Here are my top ideas for those just getting started with a media strategy.
- Commit to learning as you go, which means that you can start today. Do start today.
- Realize done is better than perfect. A slightly awkward pitch sent is better than the perfect one not yet written or sent.
- Make media outreach part of your Do 5 Things a Day discipline. You are practicing that religiously, right?
- Keep a running list of hooks and angles you can work from for ongoing pitches. Stumped? Start here: This is my master list of 100+ local and regional angles that are go-to evergreen favorites.
- Build a custom media database as you go so your contacts and results are in one place. Tabs on an Excel spreadsheet works fine. One tab for podcasts another for bloggers another for reporters, etc. Besides the usual cells for name, email, publication, etc., include cells devoted to topic areas, notes, and anything else you find useful
Celebrating My 30 Years in Book Publishing with 30% Off
This September, take advantage of our special On-Demand Email Advice offer. I'm celebrating 30 years in publishing with this 30% discount for you. Normally $210, you can now secure 70 minutes of email advice on demand for only $147 through 9/30/2024. Get expert answers to all your author, publishing, book marketing, and book business questions. Most questions take just 3-5 minutes to answer, and you’ll receive responses within 24 hours on weekdays. Don't miss out on this opportunity to save time, money, and effort—just ask us! (Minutes never expire.)
Sharon
