MARKETING MATTERS: The Longest Day and Other PR Hooks

Blogger: Kathleen Y’Barbo, Publicist

Location: Books & Such PR Office, The Woodlands, Texas

Weather:  HOT!

Every author knows a great book is one that hooks the reader from the first sentence. A well-planned PR campaign does the same thing: It captures the readers’ attention and sends him or her scrambling to find out more.

The ways you can readers with publicity are unlimited. Here are a few of my favorite ways to find the promotional hook:

1.  Try tying your promotion to a holiday. For example, June 21 is the longest day of the year in North America. Why not consider a press release offering up a book to read in those extra minutes? See how the hook works? Or perhaps you write romance. Not only should you consider a Valentine’s Day promotion, but also Decide to Be Married Day (June 27) or Kiss and Make Up Day (August 25). For more of these, check out http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html.

2.  Look for an element of the book that can answer a timely concern. For example, author Grace Fox has written a book called Moving From Fear to Freedom: A Woman’s Guide to Peace In Every Situation. Can you think of how this book might be easily connected to headlines about the economy, the crisis in health care, rising gas prices, etc?

3. Think of a hot-button issue and key in on how that issue is reflected in your book. Agents and editors snatch these projects up. So do readers, and a promotion that points these out will go far in moving people into the bookstores. Consider Latayne Scott’s book, The Mormon Mirage: A Former Member Looks at the Church Today. A press release offering up expertise and insider knowledge on this always-in-the-news religion will likely be remembered.

These are just a few potential ways to get extra mileage from your book promotion. What have you done to hook potential readers?