The Book Designer

By Joan Stewart

Admit it.

It’s tempting to imagine a review of your book in the New York Times. Or a story profiling you in USA Today. Or a standing-room-only crowd at your poetry reading at Powell’s in Portland, which calls itself “the world’s largest independent bookstore in the world.”

It’s OK to dream big, but not when you’re starting to promote your book and especially if you’re new to book publicity.

That’s because you face stiff competition in top-tier media, giant bookstore chains and other mega-venues. You need a track record of successes, with each layer building upon the next.
The easiest place to start? In your own community where many of your neighbors already consider you a celebrity because you’ve written a book.

Local Newspapers Love Local Authors

That’s what Tamara Grantham of Wichita, Kan. discovered recently after publishing Deathbringer, her sixth book in the Fairy World MD series.

A friend who advertises in The Neighborhood, a local monthly newspaper, told staff members that Tamara, the mother of five children, would make an interesting feature story.

“They interviewed me for about 45 minutes and took photos,” Tamara said. “They’re printing a big article about my family and another story about my new book.”

In my little town of Port Washington, Wisconsin (population 11,250), the local weekly newspaper has featured at least a half-dozen authors in the past year, usually to promote a book signing or event.

The authors get big stories, sometimes on Page 1. The staff photographer takes attractive photos. Proud friends and relatives sometimes clip the articles and post them on bulletin boards in stores and coffee shops around town.

Weekly newspapers and uber-local publications like The Neighborhood rely on local news and don’t have the advantage of using “filler” stories from the wire services. That’s what makes the “local boy makes good” or “hometown girl publishes” angle the logical hook to your first publicity hit.

Don’t rule out daily newspapers, a somewhat tougher feat. A story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Connie Weis, author of the cookbook Extreme Brownies: 50 Recipes for the Most Over-the-Top Treats Ever, ran under the headline “The Food Column: Local girl makes good (brownies).”

You can use any hook when promoting locally. But sometimes it’s enough to just let the media know you’ve published. Here are other ideas for promoting yourself and your book locally.

TV Stations

These include news features, the lighter early-morning news/weather/sports programs, and educational programs on public television. You can even pitch TV anchors who sometimes also double as reporters. I wrote about how David H. Mathews pitched a local anchor in my article Master the Art of Publicity Follow-up with These Simple Tips.

Radio Stations

Most local radio station newsrooms “rip and read” stories from the local daily newspaper. You might have better luck pitching talk show hosts, especially those whose topics tie into your book.

Local stations often fill their weekends with commercial programming – shows that feature hosts like investment counselors and home improvement experts who buy 30 or 60 minutes of air time to interview guests and talk about their own services. I’ve been a guest on at least six of these shows on WISN-AM, a Clear Channel talk radio station in Milwaukee. The hosts paid for the air time. All I did was show up and promote my expertise – for free. Your topic needs to be a good fit.

Local public radio stations love interviewing authors too. Use Google or USNPL.com to find your local station online where you also might discover an archive of shows. Listen to the shows to make sure you’re a good fit, and to learn how the host interviews guests.

Niche Publications

Over-50 magazines
Healthcare newsletters
Alternative newspapers
Business tabloids
New Age mini-magazines

You can find many of these in the lobbies of supermarkets and hospitals, and in the magazine section of major bookstores.

Scoop up everything that’s free the next time you visit. Page through each publication looking for standing features, departments or letters to the editor. Many of these don’t have large staffs and accept articles from people like you. Email or call the editor and suggest an idea for an article you can write.

Libraries

If you’re new to public speaking, nothing beats your local library. Just walk in, ask for the staff member in charge of scheduling events, and explain your topic and program. They’ll market the event for you, and you might get a call from your local newspaper.

If the library likes your presentation, word will spread to other libraries in their system.

Bookstores

Indie bookstores adore indie authors. The more informal, cozy atmosphere will help you feel at ease. Here’s a list of The Best Independent Bookstores in America.