by Rebeca Seitz, president of Glass Road Public Relations
We’ve been asked several times why we encourage media to hold their reviews until the month of the book’s release. Seems a bit odd, doesn’t it? We go to all that work to get a review or an interview, and then we ask the media rep to not publish the coverage. Why do that?
Well, let’s think about it for a minute. Suppose I get CCM Magazine to interview you as an author. They decide to go ahead and publish your interview in the March issue, though your book doesn’t release until April or even May.
So, Joe Schmoe CCM Reader happily gets his copy of the magazine in March and flips through. He finds your cool interview and, at the end of his reading, says, “Man, that was a good interview! I want that book!”
He then heads to his local bookstore, only to find your book isn’t on the shelf. He may or may not be told by the sales rep that your book can be ordered. Even if he is, Mr. Schmoe came here to find something to read today. So, he thinks, I’ll just go see what else is on the shelf.
And there went your book sale.
If, however, we ask CCM to hold that interview until May, then we could logically expect a quite different scenario.
Mr. Schmoe reads his CCM and notices a cool interview. On his way to church the next day, he turns on the radio in the car and hears another interview with that same author. He makes a mental note to go find that book.
Having forgotten his mental note by the end of Sunday School and a sermon, he then goes home to lunch. Perusing the newspaper over a helping of roast and potatoes, he sees a review of that same book.
Okay, he thinks, this man is everywhere! I’ve got to get that book!
And off he goes to the bookstore, where he promptly finds your book and plunks down $12.99. J
Oh, one small caveat, we do not ask trade publications to hold reviews or interviews. Readers of these types of publications need to know about your book prior to publication so that they have time to order and stock it on their shelves.
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Thursday, February 08, 2007
Media – Why Wait?
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise . . . but what if they can't hold the review . . . does that blow the whole thing out of the water?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebeca. Makes sense. I wonder though if it isn't also good to create buzz way before a book comes out. That's what the bigger media campaigns seem to try to do. I'm guessing it makes a difference on whether we're talking a $500,000 campaign and a "normal" one. Most folks need to get the most bang for their buck I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI was told by a NY publicist that the the early press is the best. So I am really confused as to why you would ask someone to hold a review. Help?
ReplyDeleteHarley
Hey, everybody! Let's see if I can clear up a bit of the confusion...
ReplyDeleteThere are two types of publications we publicists target: TRADE and CONSUMER.
Trade publications go to the gatekeepers - booksellers, librarians, etc. We want all the early publicity we can possibly get in those. Publishing houses and publicists even arrange meetings with key buyers for B&N, Borders, etc. to have the author meet them and, hopefully, get them jazzed about the book months and months before it comes out. This creates a buzz among those who need to be ordering the book from the publisher.
Consumer publications are read by, you guessed it, consumers - the folks who buy the book for pleasure, not to re-sell it. It is in these publications that you try to have your review held until the book is on the shelf. Because there's no sense in getting a consumer in the mood to buy the book if the book isn't available. Keep in mind, the purpose of publicity isn't to get the media hit. It's to get the media hit that translates into a SALE OF THE BOOK by bolstering credibility for the author and book or creating a desire in the consumer's mind to own the book.
Hope that helps!
Rebeca Seitz