Smith Publicity Blogs

There's no doubt that children's titles require specialized  book marketing  programs. But when they become hits, you can expect to sell copies for many years to come. It's a fact that children's books are some of the most enduringly popular works ever published and have earned millions of dollars for their authors and publishers. Because kids don't buy books for themselves, you need to reach the parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians who do. Even though children's titles stay on backlists for years, the most incredible publicity opportunity is customarily when they are published, so don't wait to start. Starting with school visits can be an excellent idea when you begin promoting a children's book. You can share your story with kids with their teachers and potentially school librarians in the background. If your visit and reading of your story go well, word-of-mouth will get you invited to more schools and build momentum. If you can prepare han...

  If you're an author, the back cover of your book is a significant sales opportunity you can leverage. Back cover copy is something people read in bookstores and online to learn more.  Book promotion services  professionals know that well-written blubs can help sell copies. Writing the paragraphs for the back cover is a distinct skill, and even experienced writers can benefit from a refresher on what works best. There are new requirements given the realities of today's bookselling marketplace, including brick-and-mortar stores and substantial online sellers. Keywords need to be included to benefit the online sellers. Most publishing industry veterans agree the information on the back cover tells prospective readers (and book buyers) what the book is about -- and what to expect when reading it. These recognize the business side of bookselling and are intentional marketing moves to entice buyers. As a result, back cover blurbs need to be well written to achieve the specifi...

  The type of exposure your business books receives during its launch promotional period can have an enormous impact on its sales and success. It’s why publicity for business books versus paid advertising are topics of great interest to authors and publishers. If you’re just working your way through understanding the various book marketing terms that are widely in use, publicity (or PR) refers to earned media coverage such as interviews and mentions in stores. Advertising, on the other hand, is paid media where your design an ad and pay to place it in the media that reaches your target readers. Book advertising can present challenges for most authors except for celebrities because of its cost. Media placements are expensive and unless a book is guaranteed large sales, they may overwhelm the profits it generates. Ads need to be prominent and frequent to entice people to buy books and that gets into big money quickly. The other concern is credibility. There is a case to be made for ...

Planning strategically with clear goals in mind and tactics to accomplish them is the key to success in  book marketing . It’s especially true for authors in nonfiction categories like business book marketing who have significant publicity opportunities. If you’re an author working with a publicist, holding an initial brainstorming meeting is always beneficial. It can focus on the book, messages for the media, personality of the author, and much more. Creativity is vital throughout a marketing campaign because other books and authors are competing for the same media coverage. Uniqueness always wins the day. The best brainstorm sessions are open to ideas but also focused on what’s realistic for a book and author. For example, if someone is extroverted and does well in public speaking or being interviewed, then it’s wise to seek those opportunities. But for people who are more introverted, it might be wiser to emphasize other publicity tactics. Book publicity campaigns today are well...

Today's bookselling marketing place is legendarily competitive, but on the upside, there are more ways to promote a book than ever before.  Every good  book publicist  has a range of proven successful tactics, and podcasts are one of them.  Unlike mentions in articles or brief TV interviews, podcast interviews are generally long-form and conversational with an audience of highly interested listeners.  They are an excellent platform for authors because they're easy to do, and niche audiences tend to be more responsive (book buyers) than mass audiences.  Each year podcast listenership continues to grow. One of the things people enjoy most about podcasts is their convenience.  It's easy to listen while commuting, working out at the gym, driving, or doing many other activities.  Mobile apps and the rise of smartphones as the predominant means of going online are helping podcasts more.  Current statistics show 62 million Americans listening weekly...

The book reading boom and resulting sales that occurred during the coronavirus stay-at-home orders have led many people to try their hands at becoming authors. Writing and publishing are significant achievements, but marketing is the third essential component, as a  book publicist  can tell you. For self-published books, there has become an increasingly agreed-on group of fundamental marketing activities. They're required to help target readers discover a book and potentially buy (or download) a copy to read. No matter how a book is published, it competes against all others in the crowded marketplace. While there is no doubt the interest and especially social media have a role in marketing a book, they are generally not enough to bring success. Coverage by traditional media continues to be a powerful way to reach audiences and is crucial to building credibility. All producers and editors receive hundreds of pitches each week for coverage, and many are for books. If you can't a...

Given the competition in today's bookselling marketplace, authors and publishers face significant headwinds when promoting new titles. If you ask a  book publicist , they'll tell you a well-rounded promotional campaign is your best bet. The goal is to reach target audiences with news about the book and its launch. It can happen online and in traditional media – ideally, both working together. Doing it successfully takes both skill and patience (and time). While some authors handle things DIY and go it alone, most benefit from the services of a professional book marketing firm with extensive experience. eBooks are a category to look at when you're planning a book promotion campaign. Experience so far shows that their readers are highly responsive to promotions. It often means selling downloads at a reduced price. While they may not be your most profitable sales, the downloads will show sales activity and move your book higher on the recommendation charts of large online book...