Smith Publicity Blogs

Authors of non-fiction books have considerable expertise in the subject area of their books – it's what made them qualified to write. When it comes time to launch a promotional campaign,   book marketing companies   increasingly recommend authors write bylined articles in relevant media. The purpose is to gain exposure and gently plug a book in the brief bio that runs at the end of the article. It's easy to see how it helps with publicity because once someone has read and enjoyed an article, they are likely to want to find out more, and buying a book is a natural way to do it. Media make room for good articles. If you've never written a bylined article before, 700-900 words is generally an ideal length. The point is to promote your expertise and credibility (with media exposure provided by the articles) in the same topic area as your book – or a complimentary one. Always try to make the article about actionable suggestions, case studies, how-to- and other noteworthy ideas. ...

Writing and publishing a book is a significant achievement, and marketing it well is a nearly equivalent task. Authors who want to succeed need to plan their book marketing and publicity efforts carefully, and they should do it long in advance. PR gurus agree that an author's platform is also a crucial part of success. For these purposes, a marketing platform is defined as a growing social media presence, launching a book and author website, and cultivating an extensive professional network. While the final campaign will include other elements like media outreach and tours, they need to be built from a strong author platform. Publicity experts warn writers not to have overly high expectations of social media – a.k.a. it alone is not enough to market a book. But successful authors today generally are active on social media and have substantial numbers of followers (many thousands). A large social media following doesn't happen overnight, so it's crucial to begin long in adv...

During the initial push for global computerization, 1970, in this case, the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) system was born. Its pioneer was a British bookseller that took the forward-looking step of computerizing its distribution operations. If you're an independently published author researching how to get an ISBN (or why to do it), it's crucial for the success of your book. While some books are published without ISBNs, the vast majority have them for many important reasons. The ISBN system is the basis for the global book supply chain, and books published without one are at a disadvantage. Booksellers are among the chief reasons to have an ISBN for your book. The format of their databases connects the number with vital information about a book, including its price that is needed for scanning at checkout. It's also wise to view an ISBN as a marketing investment because it adds credibility and professionalism to a book and its author. If you don't have one,...

  In the pre-internet days of book marketing , traditional media such as TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines were where opportunities were available to publicists. With as much as the digital revolution has changed, it's still surprising to find out how effective book publicity campaigns still utilize traditional media. The chief reason is it's nearly infinite after-life on the internet. Anything that appears on TV or in a newspaper also runs online. The traditional media coverage confers a stature that internet-only content sometimes struggles to beat. Therefore, classic publicity hits still matter a lot. Smart (and highly effective) publicists plan marketing campaigns that are multi-faceted and contain just the right amount of each. There are influential bloggers and websites today, and coverage in their pages helps books succeed. But television shows and newspaper websites are right there in the mix and often have better-known personalities. A guest spot or interview on t...