Prepare, prepare, prepare before you pitch. It’s really important to do your research so you can feel confident what you are pitching is of interest to the media outlet you are targeting.
It is always best to target pitches individually. Sending the same pitch and media release to all your target media outlets is a good way to find out who is on holidays or no longer there, but you won’t get near as many results as if you personalise each pitch.
It also helps if you tailor your media release to fit your target audience. For instance, you would write a release for the mainstream media differently than you would for the business media. For mainstream media, write using clear, simple language the average person will understand. For niche media you can get away with using more specific terms their audience would relate to.
For tons of useful resources on how to prepare your book publicity campaign, browse the Resource section at US book publicity guru Rick Frishman’s website.
Getting valuable free editorial publicity for your book requires careful consideration and planning. Your number one goal must be to help the media so they can help you.
Yours in book publicity
Chelsea McLean
