The Power of a Root, by Rebeca Seitz

Hi, folks! Today we’re going to talk about the power of the root – grassroots, that is. You’ve all heard of grassroots publicity and its ability to help an author grow his/her base. So why don’t more people engage in grassroots efforts?

Well, one reason could be that it’s extremely time-consuming. It also requires a long-term approach to a writing career. And did I mention it’s time-consuming?

Yet, for all the effort it takes, grassroots publicity is one of the most effective ways to increase your sales and grow awareness for your brand. Local media love it when citizens in their audience area do something newsworthy.

For example, I called a newspaper yesterday to let them know about a book that’s releasing this month. I was embarrassed that I hadn’t thought to call them until now, but the call was about my book and I tend to forget sometimes that I’m a novelist as well as a publicist. : - )

So here I was, calling the features editor and asking if she could let her readers know about someone who lives in the area who has a book coming out. One of her first questions was to determine if I had self-pubbed. When she heard that the book was from a top ten publisher, she got interested…fast. Immediately our discussion changed from the possibility of a blurb to a confirmed feature with pictures in the Sunday edition. The reporter bemoaned the lack of good local information to feature in the Sunday edition. My publicist ears perked right up!

Many authors value national publicity over regional – and it makes sense to reach as many people as possible for our efforts. But if we haven’t covered the home base, then it becomes difficult to justify ourselves to national media. After all, if your hometown hasn’t paid attention, why should USA Today?

Just as agents serve as filters for quality to publishing houses, so too do regional media serve as a type of filter for national media. Don’t forget to make the local call before the national. You’ll be surprised at the power of the root.