Help for the Publicity Challenged: 6 Ways to Gain Exposure Without Leaving Home
You’ve written a book, and you really want to get it out to the people who need it most… but you’ve never been good at public speaking and aren’t the type that wants to chat on a TV show.
Not everyone has an outgoing personality, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful publicity campaign. There are lots of ways to reach your audience without bright lights and fanfare. Here are just a few examples:
1. Book Reviews
You or your publicist submits your book to online or print publications that review books. This can help when consumers are searching online or perusing magazines. You can also use reviews as endorsements in your publicity of the book.
2. Blog Tours
Partner with a publicity firm that offers blog tours. This is where your book is offered to a large list of bloggers and whoever decides they want to blog about it jump aboard and the tour begins. This creates great internet presence.
3. Charity/ Giveaways
Be willing to offer your book to charity drives, share-a-thons, giveaways, etc. to gain exposure. You can bless others and start word-of-mouth about your book.
4. Website Promotion
Start a Website. This is an integral part of publicity. Every author needs to have a place that consumers can find them on the Web. Be sure to have a professional create your Website and spend the money necessary to communicate professionalism to your audience. WinePress offers 5-page custom websites that will meet your needs.
5. Advertising
Advertising is an excellent way to reach many different markets. Print and online advertising present your book to the public and lets them know you are willing to invest in your book. Advertising is best used as building blocks to branding your message. Keep your ads frequent, consistent, and professional.
6. Direct Mail Campaigns
Send impressive marketing materials directly to your audience. Schools, churches, specific ministries or organizations can be the target in a direct mail campaign. Postcards, brochures, special invitations, and more can arrive in the hands of who need it most. WinePress can handle finding a list, creating the materials, and sending them out for you too.
As you can see, if you’re not comfortable promoting your book publicly, there are still many creative ways to gain exposure. While this list can be accomplished to some degree on your own, it’s always best to have a publicity department or publicist with experience in the market, relationships with media, and media resources on your side.
Abigail Davidson has worked with WinePress Publishing since February of 2005. She helps promote WinePress authors through radio, television, print and Internet.
She also works closely with other WinePress staff on advertising and marketing to help WinePress authors build a publicity campaign that makes sense for their unique needs.
18 Important Tips on How to Dress for a TV Appearance
Last Monday, we introduced you to key lingo you need to know before guesting on a television talk show. Today, we continue with our series from Dr. Karen Hayter, one of my favorite TV interviewers (used with permission).
Clothing Tips
- The bright lights have a tendency to wash out colors sometimes, so choose what you wear carefully. If you are a blonde, and have on a beige outfit, you can fade into the background.
- You might want to apply your make-up a little heavier, if there is no one to do make-up. Always take a little make-up with you (males and females) to cover blemishes, powder any shiny spots, etc.
- Never wear all black or all white, or anything that “moves” like small plaids, houndstooth, etc. The camera does not see black or white as a color, so don’t wear them as a dominant or primary color-it confuses the camera.
- People always say not to wear red on camera, but the camera loves red, and you might want to add a little red somewhere, a scarf or tie with red in it, a shirt or shell with some red under a jacket, or even some demure red jewelry, or a red pin.
- Men, never wear a solid white shirt; a blue or pastel shirt is preferable. If you wear a tie, make it a power tie, one with some red in it.
- Always wear colors that look good on you.
- Never wear clothes that are too tight. When you get under pressure or nervous, they will appear and feel even tighter.
- Don’t wear clothes that are too short. You never know what kind of chair, bench, stool, or couch you will be sitting on.
- Check your teeth. Sometimes lipstick will fade off onto your teeth, or you may have something between your teeth.
- Closed heels or pumps are better than sandals.
- Men, keep your feet on the floor.
- Women, cross your ankles instead of crossing your legs at the knees.
- Never let the soles of your shoes show on camera.
- Sit up straight. Don’t slouch, but try to look comfortable. Try not to lean back into the seat. The camera is two-dimensional, not three-if you lean back in a chair, it can give the impression that you are almost lying down and that you are bored or uninterested. Push your bottom up against the chair and sit up straight, and then lean forward just a little.
- Try to breathe deeply, and relax. Try not to look stiff. Sometimes using appropriate hand and facial gestures will keep you from looking stiff. Be vibrant, be natural, be yourself.
- If you can wear something that fits your book, message, whatever, fine. Example: Richard Simmons always shows up in his exercise attire.
- Don’t wear flashy pins, noisy bracelets, large necklaces, “clangy” earrings, lots of gold/silver chains, etc. They distract the camera and the audience. The audience ends up watching your jewelry instead of you. Less jewelry is always better than more.
- “Class” is preferable to “fashion.”
A Blog, a Website, or Both?
By Kevin Cochran
Do you have a Website and a blog?
Great!
That’s a very good combination to reach a variety of people.
Do you have one or the other? Well, you should seriously consider having both.
Have neither? Then you should start with this article. A common mistake people make is that a Website and a blog are basically the same. A Website and a blog serve a unique purpose and should not be interchanged. Here’s why.
BLOG
A weblog (blog) is a good way to communicate with folks on a personal level. Think of it like having a conversation through your browser. For speakers, it’s like having an “always on” audience. For authors, it lets you provide current information or new happenings with your topic. For anyone else, it’s a way to keep in touch with many, many people.
Your articles just might become valuable resources to people. As a programmer, I find a lot of really good tips on blogs. They’re usually down to earth and straight-forward. The reader comments allow me to know just how useful the information is.
WEBSITE
A Website is your professional presence on the Internet. For people who don’t know you and want to know just how “real” you are, a Website will establish that credibility.
While you’re encouraged to keep fresh content on your home page, visitors will know that the information is somewhat established. It’s easy to navigate to various pages instead of having to sift through blog posts. If you’re trying to impress someone (like buyers, media, publishers, etc.), a Website is a must-have. Unless your job is strictly blogging, you’ll need a Website to catch the full range of readers.
At WinePress we understand the importance for every author to have an Internet presence. That’s why we offer blog consultation and a variety of Web design options. Every WinePress and Blue Ribbon Pleasant Word author receives a free blog to kickoff promoting his or her book.
Kevin Cochran is the IT Manager at WinePress Group, and spends much of his time developing applications for the Co-Captain publishing software. In addition, he oversees the network, servers and computer systems at WinePress to ensure availability and productivity for both employees and authors.
Author Taryn Hutchison to Guest on The Matter at Hand
Friday, March 5, 2010
11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)
Taryn Hutchison, author of We Wait You, will guest on “The Matter at Hand” with radio host Larry Weidman. The show airs on six stations in Greater PA.
Here’s some information about the book:
“We wait you. Why did you take so long?” –Taryn Hutchison was asked this poignant question after her lecture on democracy to a class in Bucharest, Romania. Communism had just fallen.
“We waited 45 years for the Americans to come and set us free. We used to say that even if you were coming in a wheelbarrow, you should be here by now.”
The Americans had come at last, but it was to offer a different kind of freedom—freedom that lasts forever.
Inspiring and with humorous moments, We Wait You: Waiting on God in Eastern Europe is an uplifting story of hearts transformed as political systems are rebuilt. Unlike any missionary story you’ve read before, it is told by a regular person attempting to manage real life—mud and all—in a foreign culture while struggling to wait on God.
History will come alive as you journey with Taryn through Romania, Hungary, Albania, and Russia during the decade after the Berlin wall came down. You will learn to trust God to provide everything you need in order to do whatever He calls you to do, wherever that may be.
Questions for reflection or discussion are included at the end of each chapter. As the twentieth anniversary of the 1989 revolutions approaches, relive the unforgettable drama of the historic events that changed Eastern Europe—against all hope.
Behind-the-Scenes Lingo for TV Talkshow Guests
The following is a wonderful quick start for authors who have rarely or never been on television. It’s written by Dr. Karen Hayter, one of my favorite TV interviewers (used with permission).
Congratulations! You are about to embark on an adventure that will stretch your boundaries, enlarge your view of the world, frustrate you, scare you, exhaust you, make you look at yourself, and increase your influence. It is easy to get sucked into the allure of media, so you will need to keep your perspective. Remember, this is television and not REAL life. Also, radio and television hosts make this look easy, but that is what they get paid for.
Selected Media Lingo:
Audio: the sound
IFB: Interruptible fold-back. The thing that goes in your ear so you can hear the audio portion of the program (if they give you one)
Mic: the microphone. Usually it is hooked onto a lapel, dress collar, tie, etc.
Sound check or mic check or check the mics: When your microphone is attached, someone will ask you to say a few words so audio can check the mics and get a voice level. You can say 1,2,3,4, or your name, or whatever you want to say. Someone will help you with your mic, or give you instructions about the microphone. If they don’t, ask for help, nicely. The idea is to have as little of the cord of the mike visible as possible. Also, don’t put the mike on a scarf or cover up the mike heads and clothes or you will get “clothing noise.”
Stand by: Be very quiet and get ready. Usually said by the floor director.
Floor director: The person in charge on the floor
Talent: You and the Host. You may hear the following at some point: “Get the talent on the set,” or “we are ready for the talent,” or “we need the talent on the set.” “Talent” is always said with a little condescension.
Set: The entire place where you do the program, the background, furniture, etc.
Director: The person in charge while you are on the air.
Producer: The person in charge up to that point. The Producer usually stays in the control room and interacts with the Director. The Producer or an assistant is usually the person who books guests for the program.
Time cues: How much time is left until a break. In a 30-minute program, there will probably be 2-3 breaks-breaks usually will last about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. You can always ask how many breaks there will be. The host is responsible for taking these breaks and if she/he doesn’t, the director will cut him/her off anyway. So, if you are interrupted because of a break, don’t take it personally.
Floor director: The person who gives the “time cues” and directs you and host to cameras, and is generally in charge while the program is in process. When the floor director says, “quiet,” that is exactly what he/she means. And when the floor director says, “clear,” that means that the mics are off and you can talk freely. However, NEVER, NEVER assume that the mics are off and so, watch what you say.
Green room: This is a “holding pen” for guests. It can be any color, and is very seldom green. There may be food, drinks, etc. Try not to eat anything prior to the program-just drink water. Drinking anything carbonated has a tendency to make you burp, so be careful! Also, if you are nervous, try some deep breathing. Take a deep breath, hold it about 10 seconds, and let it out to a count of 10. Do that about 5-7 times.
Control Room: This is where the television program is controlled and where the various crew members, director, producer, character generator, audio, technical director, etc., will be during the program.
Tally light: The red light on top of the camera. When the “tally light” is on, that camera is rolling.
Okay, now you know some of the lingo so when you arrive at the studio you won’t feel like you have landed on another planet!
Free Icons for Your Blog or Website
You can add visual appeal to your blog or Web site by downloading a free mini-icon set, courtesy of WinePress Design.
These icons are perfect for writers, readers, and book lovers. Free for personal or commercial use, these high-quality icons come in a wide range of different sizes spanning from 512px to 32px.
Click here to download your free icon set
Stay tuned to WinePress of Words for more freebies, courtesy of WinePress Design.
Thomas McGee is a graphic designer at WinePress. His job includes: cover design, Web design, advertising design, and assisting with WinePress’ partner company, Notation Marketing Group. In his spare time, Thomas enjoys volunteering at his local Christian bookstore, The Salt Shaker.
Evelyn Geisler to Guest on ‘Off the Bookshelf’
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. Pacific)
Evelyn Geisler, author of Touched by God, will be a guest on the radio show, “Off the Bookshelf” in Detroit with host Greg Bullen.
Here’s a bit about Evelyn’s book:
You’ve just been diagnosed with a mental illness.
- How will your life change? What will people think of you?
- Are you labeled for life? Is there help out there for you?
- Where can you find the strength to deal with your illness?
Be comforted knowing that the One who strengthens us all will be there to guide you through the challenges of your illness. In this devotional, you’ll read about people who have faced the same difficulties you are facing. Find out about their trials and triumphs.
Draw comfort knowing that just as God was sufficient to meet the needs of these people, He is sufficient to meet your needs, as well.
Lean into the Lord and lessen your burden.
700 Club to Feature Author of Book on Homosexual Parenting
Monday, February 22, 2010
The 700 Club on CBN TV
Dawn Stefanowicz, author of Out From Under: The Impact of Homosexual Parenting, will guest on The 700 Club on CBN TV.
Dawn knows from personal experience that the environment in which a child is raised matters. Her story delivers a provocative, gripping, no-holds-barred account of what it was like to grow up with a homosexual father, his partners, and a chronically ill and passive mother. Candidly, transparently, yet respectfully, Dawn raises the blinds on a home shrouded in secrecy, conflict, confusion, and abuse.
Be sure to read Dawn’s inspiring testimony on the 700 Club Web site and view this video:
Dawn Stefanowicz recently addressed the Canadian Senate on hate crime legislation and appeared on EWTN. She advocates for children and families pertaining to marriage, parenting, sexuality, and education.
This week, she returned from a trip to Mexico City, where she spoke at a one-day symposium put on by Renacer on homosexual adoption. Dawn had numerous interviews, reaching all over the Spanish-speaking world in Mexico, Latin America, Spain, Southern Italy, and parts of the U.S.
Dawn is a resource to family policy, legislative, medical, research, and scholastic organizations. She offers a safe place for adult children from similar households. Dawn has been married for twenty-three years and has two children. Visit www.dawnstefanowicz.com.
Here’s what others are saying about Out From Under:
Out From Under should be read by every legislator, lawyer, physician and mental health professional in a position to lobby for the best interests of children. May society heed Dawn’s courageous testimony and spare other innocents the suffering she and her siblings sustained.
-Michelle A. Cretella, M.D., Board of Directors, American College of Pediatricians, and Chair, Committee on Sexuality, ACP, United States
Out From Under is a personal account told in an emotional narrative. Stefanowicz tells of the enormous burden that was thrust upon her as a young person, a burden that is too great for any child. This story compels one to ponder the vulnerability of children, human suffering, and the meaning of life itself.
-Senator Anne Cools, Ottawa, Canada
Dawn Stefanowicz has the courage to write a politically incorrect book. She has the right because she was raised in a homosexual environment and suffered because of it … there are few books like this one, which argues that such environments are disturbing to children.
-Professor John Patrick, M.D., Augustine College, Ottawa, Canada
Author of ‘Conquering Pornography’ to Guest on Radio Show
Saturday February 20, 2010
4 pm ET
Dr. Dennis Frederick, author of Conquering Pornography: Overcoming the Addiction, will guest on Victory FM in Virginia. You can listen via the Internet at www.victoryfm.net.
Pornography is a major problem in nearly 50 percent of all U.S. homes. And when asked, more than 50 percent of Christian men have recently visited a pornographic site.
The men whom Dr. Denny Frederick counsels—church leaders, pastors, husbands, and fathers—are from “normal” American homes. And they have a terrible, life-threatening secret: an addiction to pornography.
This timely and provocative book is intended for men who seriously want to overcome their addiction to pornography—no matter where they are today. The message is this: You are not alone; God wants you to live a life of freedom and peace. Chapters help readers achieve personal recovery as well as restoration of relationships with wives and children.
With more than 34 years of psychotherapeutic practice and international speaking experience, Dr. Frederick seeks to help men understand the damage pornography can cause in all aspects of life. The content does not judge the individual, but it takes a direct approach, offering practical tools to address and overcome the addiction.
In addition to easy-to-read text, there are Scripture references and questions for self-examination or group work such as:
- How deep is your secret? Who are you kidding?
- What has your addiction cost you—in your marriage, in relationships with your children, in your job, in your finances?
- Are you ready to overcome the addiction? Do you have a plan?
By guiding the reader through the examination and recovery process, Dr. Frederick offers the reader hope of genuine transformation and renewed relationships with family—and with God.
Dr. Denny Frederick is uniquely qualified to help men overcome their addiction to pornography. He has decades of clinical practice, international speaking engagements, and experience working with recovery groups, corporations, schools, and churches—all of this has provided him with exceptional insight into helping people transform their lives.
A Few Words on Manuscript Formatting
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.”
G. K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936)*
By Tammy Hopf
When you’ve finished writing (and rewriting, and rewriting, and rewriting) your book, the next step is to format your manuscript appropriately. It would be sad to have done everything right in your manuscript, only to lose credibility because it was not formatted correctly.
Keep in mind that there is no set standard—no one size fits all. The best way to make sure your manuscript fits the proper format is to find out from the publisher. Most publishers offer guidelines online: Go to the publisher’s Web site and check for Manuscript Submission Guidelines. If you don’t see it right away, do a search.
You can also check out the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) area. Failing that, contact the publisher directly via phone or e-mail.
Here are some general rules of thumb for formatting your manuscript:
- Don’t be tempted to make your manuscript “stand out” by using colored ink or fancy scripts. You may think that a bright red fancy cursive might be just the thing to catch the editor’s eye, but it will make your manuscript harder to read and easier to throw in the “circular file.”
- On the title page include all your contact information (name, address, phone number, cell number, e-mail address, etc.).
- Double space the lines and leave one inch margins on all sides.
- Number each page, and put your last name and the title on every page as a header.
- Print on letter sized, white paper (typically 20#) with black ink.
- Use a standard font, like Times New Roman, size 12. Don’t make it hard for the editor to read.
- Use three number signs (#) or asterisks (*) to indicate scene or section breaks.
- If the publisher prefers the manuscript to be submitted electronically, save your manuscript in the universally standard .rtf format.
- Use your word processor’s spell check, and even better, have your manuscript professionally edited. A polished manuscript shows you take your writing seriously.
Tammy Hopf has worked with WinePress Publishing Group since 1999 and has been a project manager for eight years. As the liaison between authors and the design, typesetting, editing, and other production departments, she helps coordinate all the different aspects that transform a manuscript into a beautiful book. She enjoys working with authors to make their dreams a reality.
* http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/G._K._Chesterton/
Additional resources on manuscript formatting:
- http://manuscript-submission.suite101.com/article.cfm/submitting_a_manuscript_for_publication
- http://resourcesforwriters.suite101.com/article.cfm/submitting_your_novel_to_publishers
- http://www.charlottedillon.com/ManuscriptPreparation.html
- http://peachtree-online.com/inner/ManuscriptGuide.aspx
- http://www.writingwriteaway.com/ART-WR-003.htm
- http://www.matilijapress.com/articles/pod-publishing-alternatives.htm
