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Traditionally, fiction authors have found it difficult to get publicity outside of media that reviews books. That’s because they’ve been focusing on their book, rather than the topic. In this guest column, industry expert, Diane Eble, discusses three ways novelists can get publicity:
The way novelists can get publicity is to highlight their expertise on a topic related to their book in a way that will interest the media.
Here are three ways to do this:
1. Focus on the issues your novel addresses. A novelist I know wrote a fast-paced adventure story concerning, among other things, world hunger. Publicity angles could include:
2. Draw on the research you did. If you’ve done extensive research for your novel, that makes you an expert on that subject, even though your book is fiction.
An author wrote a novel about a young woman who was raped and faced the dilemma of whether she should abort, even though it went against her beliefs. The author had done a lot of research on post-traumatic stress syndrome as it relates to abortion. She discovered that abortion affects not just the woman who chooses it, but everyone else involved: the father of the child, the woman’s family, even the doctor and nurses who might be involved in the abortion. While her novel graphically portrayed how all this plays out, the publicity angle is based on her expertise as someone who not only had an abortion, but did extensive research on it.
3. Team up with an expert who deals with an issue in your book. You can interview them in a teleseminar and then contact media people about doing similar interviews with the two of you. I heard a radio show in which the host interviewed a novelist who’d written a book about a young woman with an eating disorder, an expert on eating disorders, and some women who themselves either struggled with or had overcome this problem. There’s no reason you couldn’t do something similar.
Publicity offers some of the best exposure for your book. If you’re a novelist, don’t overlook this outlet. Brainstorm all the issues that relate to whatever goes on in your book. Keep abreast of news and trends and think through how you can fit in. See yourself not just as a novelist, but as an expert in some area related to your novel.
When you get publicity for your expertise on this subject, of course your book will get mentioned. You can talk about how your research played into the formation of your characters, etc., but remember to keep the focus on the angle that interests the media.
Used by permission. http://www.wordstoprofit.com
The editorial team for WinePress of Words includes Carla Williams (Executive Editor), Laura Christianson (Editor and Coordinator), Josiah Williams (Marketing Specialist), and Thomas McGee (Designer and Developer).
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