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How to Approach Marketing a Non-Fiction Book

 


When it comes to ideas for how to market a book, the list of possibilities is longer for non-fiction titles because they are more marketing-friendly. It's because non-fiction books nearly always provide helpful information on topics of interest. As a result, both the media and the public regard them as valuable. Some even go as far as featuring cutting-edge or controversial information -- which many times makes them automatically newsworthy. Often, non-fiction titles help readers solve problems and improve their lives. Books in the self-help, health and wellness, business, and political genres are media favorites.

An effective non-fiction book marketing campaign starts with media outreach and targeted pitches. If your first thought is this approach sounds old fashioned, consider this: media content is what feeds the internet to a significant event. Therefore, pitches to relevant editors and producers, are crucial, along with outreach to bloggers. Since the beginning of professional book marketing, the media has loved numerical pitches and press releases. For example, "10 Things the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know About Cutting Your Taxes," or "5 Secrets of Spicing Up Your Love Life." Try these, and you will be successful.

When developing your marketing materials, sometimes keep in mind that less can be more. Editors and producers are stretched for time and receive dozens of pitches daily. If your initial email is long or hard to understand, you'll lose their interest. Whenever drafting a message to the media, cut what you wrote by one third before you press send. You have about seven seconds to catch the media's attention with a non-fiction book publicity pitch. So, you need to get right to the point in the first few sentences. It's also a good exercise in keeping things relevant. Don't be flowery or stray from your topic.

As a non-fiction book author, the media will be looking to provide information based on your area of expertise. Interviews are about you; your book stays in the background and provides credibility. Back on the topic of email, the subject line means everything. When deciding what to write, take a look at your inbox. See what catches your attention – and what doesn't. Make every word count in subject lines. Also, try to think like a producer or editor to understand what they need. It's more about what they consider newsworthy rather than your options about what's interesting.


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