Author Support Services | Bringing your book to life

Grab Your Book’s Moment in the Sun with Media Opportunities

The time around your book launch is critical. It’s the easiest time to get media, even though you are probably at your most exhausted. You’ve pushed and pushed to get your final edit done, then the proofreading, the design and the printing. Frazzled but elated, you’ve celebrated with a few well deserved champagnes at your book launch, and now you would like a little nap please.

Unfortunately, nap time will have to wait. This is your moment – media want you while you are hot. The heat of a book launch burns bright but very fast, so stay onto it!

Dave Dawson, author of Salt of the Sea – tales from commercial fishermen knows how it feels. Our pep talks became more and more frequent as he navigated the final twists and turns of publishing. But once the book launch was in sight, instead of relaxing Dave grabbed the bull by the horns, cramming as many opportunities into this golden time as possible. Despite being knocked sideways by the flu, he and his incredibly supportive wife sent press releases to newspapers, set up interviews everywhere they could, and organised talking gigs.

Dave’s book is on commercial fishing, so he went along to a local seafood festival where he had a stall and shared the stage with fishing celebrities. He’s been interviewed by a glossy magazines as well as industry magazines, and is having book reviews published wherever he can. I heard him on ABC radio this week, chatting away about the book with the same passion and professionalism that drove him to write it.

Dave says, “You have to be sure you will cover your costs and the best way to do that is to produce a book of high quality so you can be confident it will be desired by your target market. You also have to promote it really hard. I know I’ve created a beautiful, well written book so that makes it easy to sell, and the marketing becomes even easier when you start getting wonderfully positive feedback from the reader.”

“Facebook has been an incredible marketing platform. The book’s page has over 2000 likes. I guess most of the fans are interested in commercial fishing so I try to post something interesting every day, even though sometimes I feel like a talking parrot. I am selling copies to Facebook fans that are complete strangers.”

So think about it. Yes, you. What are you going to do to maximise your book’s moment in the sun? Which of Dave’s strategies could you use? Where would you go to find the people who want to hear about your book? Make a list, and get planning. Be ready to grab your moment in the sun!

You can find Dave’s book at http://www.commercialfishingsupplies.com.au/

Alex Fullerton is an author’s consultant and self-publishing specialist at Author Support Services, based on a pineapple farm in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Australia. She has spent the last sixteen years working with business people to create concise, compelling, and comprehensive books that complement their businesses and increase their professional standing. Alex is supported by a dedicated team who provide a full self-publishing service, from planning to printing and promotion.

www.authorsupportservices.com

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