Impressions vs. Connections

Liz Johnson graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations and works as an editorial and marketing manager at a Christian publisher. She is a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist, and A Promise to Protect is her fourth novel with Love Inspired Suspense. Liz makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she enjoys theater, exploring the local music scene, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her two nephews and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. Keep up with Liz's adventures in writing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com, Twitter @LizJohnsonBooks, or Facebook.com/LizJohnsonBooks.

NR: Leave a comment for Liz and be entered in a drawing for her book. Continental U.S. residents only, please.

Impressions vs. Connections

I applied for my first job in Christian publishing when I was twenty-one, just about to graduate from college. I didn’t get that job. Or the next one. Or the next. But about the time I turned twenty-five I was offered my first gig in my dream industry as a publicist. I accepted it in a heartbeat.

Never mind that I didn’t really know what a book publicist did.

During my first week at that job, someone explained to me the difference between marketing and publicity. In the simplest terms marketing was paid for and publicity wasn’t. At that time, at that publisher, marketing equated to paid advertising and publicity was any other coverage that a book might get—interviews, reviews, etc.

Publicity and marketing had clearly defined parameters, easily stated goals, and measurable results. Separating them was clean and simple. And as such, many publishers were set up with publicity teams separate from their marketing teams. Sure, they were often referred to together. “Let’s hear from marketing and publicity.” But the teams mostly worked independent of one another.

Seven years later, I’m still in Christian publishing, now as a marketing manager for a nonfiction group. And, boy howdy, how the times have changed!

In early 2006 blogs were the new thing, Facebook was still only available to limited colleges, and Twitter hadn’t even been launched. Tumblr wouldn’t show up for more than a year and the initial closed beta launch of Pinterest wouldn’t happen until March 2010.

The digital explosion has changed the way that publishers and authors reach out to readers in more ways than I could cover in one blog post. So let’s just talk about a new definition of marketing and publicity specifically for novels and what those definitions mean for novelists.

At a recent ACFW conference, someone (and I can’t remember who, so please forgive me if I’m stealing this from you) said, “Marketing is about impressions. Publicity is about connections.” That may be the most succinct and accurate definition I’ve heard in this new era of publishing.

Let’s unpack this for a second. Impressions—if you’re not familiar with advertising lingo—are the number of people exposed to the product you’re trying to sell or the brand you’re communicating. Classic print, television, online, and radio advertising fall into this category. So every time I see an ad in my Entertainment Weekly, I’m an impression to their marketing team. Regardless of my choice to buy the product, I count as a pair of eyes that have seen a book cover or new dvd.

Connections—well, that seems pretty self-explanatory.

But is it? Are you talking at your audience? Or with them? Are you opening a dialogue or sending a message?

Connections are opportunities for readers to hear from the heart of an author. That may not always be a two-way conversation, but it’s deeper than a book sale or jacket copy. It’s a chance for writers to express why they feel so strongly about their topic or why stories and struggles mean so much to them. It’s an opportunity to build a rapport with readers that isn’t easily broken.

As I’ve considered the idea of connecting with readers, I’ve pondered promotions that could be either an impression or a connection. Take a blog post for example. In the early days of blogs, an author’s posts were considered publicity. Without question. But what about posts that are clearly sales copy and sent out to the ether without any follow up? Aren’t those just gaining impressions? How do they differ from posts where the author responds to every comment? Those conversations are building connections.

What about a booksigning? Historically they’ve been considered publicity and usually organized by a publicist. For the authors who stop and talk with each person who comes through the line, connections are formed. But what about the best-selling author who doesn’t even look up as the line moves along.

Katie, a friend of mine, was planning a trip to Mississippi several months back. She heard that a famous author would be in the area while she was there, so Katie stood in line at a small bookstore to meet the author and get a book signed. Imagine Katie’s dismay when the author never acknowledged her or even stopped talking with a personal friend. Katie walked away with a scribbled signature and a bad taste in her mouth. Is that a connection?

What about bookmarks? Marketing teams are usually responsible for these. And if they’re left on a table somewhere with no follow up from the author, they’re collecting impressions. But what if a simple bookmark was used to open a dialogue? If a scrap of cardstock has both the cover of Nicole Quigley’s Like Moonlight at Low Tide and an invitation to join an online conversation with the author about bullying, has it become publicity?

If readers are discovering our books, it doesn’t really matter whether a promotion is labeled as marketing or publicity. And publishers are realizing this. Some are even integrating their teams to the point that one team member is responsible for both publicity and marketing for an author.

So what does this mean for us as novelists?

1. Both impressions and connections are important. They go hand in hand. Some readers will buy a book just based on a cover and concept they like. Others want to really know the author before spending their hard-earned money. Great promotions often include both.

2. Connections aren’t a guarantee. They take effort and planning.

3. How you choose to connect with readers should fit your strengths. If you’re a visual person, maybe you’re pinning on Pinterest. Maybe you love to keep it short and sweet. Try twitter. If you’re long-winded like me, blog posts may be your wheelhouse. You don’t have to do it all. Figure out what works for you and connect that way.

4. Connecting doesn’t always mean starting the conversation. If you can add value to a discussion already going, don’t miss the chance just because you didn’t initiate it.

5. Be open to connections that can become impressions and vice versa. I recently took a handful of my newest book to my dentist’s office. I was there for a regular visit and planned to leave a few on the table in the waiting room for other office visitors. But when I showed the books to the staff, their eyes lit up. I ended up giving every copy I had with me to the hygienists and front desk team and chatting with them about reading, writing, and books in general. I hoped for impressions and instead got four connections and a promise that they’d look up my previous titles, too.

6. Gaining impressions isn’t just up to publishers anymore. Years ago publishers may have been responsible for gaining all of a book’s impressions through advertising, but that’s no longer the case. Authors have the opportunity to offer giveaways on GoodReads.com or swap book ads on blogs with friends. And that’s just a couple ideas.

As always, I recommend working with your publisher’s team. Every publisher has its own strategy, so ask how you can be involved and bring your own ideas to the table.

If you’re not yet published, it’s never too early to begin making connections, discovering the outlets that you feel most comfortable with, and building your network. Then when it’s time to bring your book into the discussion, you’ve got a head start.

Do you struggle with consistently making connections and impressions? Which do you find easier? Are you more apt to be swayed by an impression or a connection? What’s worked best for you to reach readers?

A Promise to Protect

Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone knows about keeping people safe. When his best friend's sister is attacked, Matt promises no harm will come to Ashley Sawyer-not on his watch. But Matt's not the only protective one. Ashley will do anything to safeguard the residents of the battered women's shelter she runs. She's sure she can handle the threats she gets in return. What she can't handle is the way Matt scales the walls around her heart. Yet when she falls prey to a crime web more sinister than she'd realized, trusting Matt could be the only way to survive.

Read More

Luring the Paparazzi

I've been thinking seriously about self-publishing lately. Not necessarily that I'll do it, just the concept in and of itself. It used to be such a stigma. You’d have to wear your baseball cap low over your forehead to hide the big ‘L’ for loser. But now, all the cool kids are doing it. However, whether you’re a trendsetter or a shmuck, if you self-publish, you’re going to have to be your own marketing department, which makes me wonder…

How exactly does one attract attention, enough to lure the paparazzi?

As I’ve nosed into this arena, I’ve sniffed out some ideas and compiled a list. So, here we go.

Michelle’s Handy Dandy Top 5 Publicity Ideas For Self-Pubbers

q Hug a Book Blogger

Bloggers who review books need to become your new besties. I’m not talking having them over for dinner or anything. Merely begin to visit their sites, especially the ones who specialize in your genre and have a good-sized readership. Engage with them on Twitter or Facebook. Ask them questions. That way when you finally do solicit them for a possible review of your book (and please make sure they accept requests BEFORE you ask), they’ll recognize your name and be more likely to read your book.

q Swing Low

I don’t care how great of a writer you are, you’re not going to sell a bajillion books or attract any buzz if your prices are too high. Setting your sales price low (.99-2.99) will sell more copies, and selling more copies means a better chance that the readers who like your book will tell others.

q Visit the Bargain Basement

Check out Galleycat. They did all the work for you by compiling FREE sites to promote your e-book. And speaking of free, offer the first chapter of your Great American Novel on your website.

q Join the Club

The BookMarketing Network is an online community for authors and small publishers to share their knowledge and offer support…plus they dish up some great advice!

q Lighten Up

Self-pubber Tim Ferriss (author of the Four Hour Work Week) tells a fun story of how he snuck in some of his books to a big-box store, placed them prominently on the shelf, then took some photos and posted them on his website. So go ahead. Think outside the box and do something fun. No one can predict what will go viral, and perhaps your idea will.

Now, here’s the real key to success. Begin this checklist way before you actually publish your book. I’m talking at least 6 months. And here’s a bonus for those of you not self-pubbing…many of the items on the list can and should be checked off by traditional authors as well.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to schedule a day at the salon. It never hurts to look good when those cameras finally do start snapping your picture.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas…professionally, however, for the past 10 years. Her latest release, UNDERCURRENT, is available by Risen Books. You can find her at: Writer Off the Leash, www.mmgriep.com or on Twitter, Facebook, or 

Read More

My Kindle Free Short Story Experiment ~ Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen left a successful practice as an internist to raise her children and concentrate on her writing. She gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of medical suspense, the New York Times bestseller Harvest. She is also the author of the bestsellers Life Support, Bloodstream, Gravity, and The Surgeon. Tess lives with her family in Maine. (PHOTO CREDIT: Paul D'Innocenzo)



My Kindle Free Short Story Experiment  by Tess Gerritsen

In June, shortly before my book THE SILENT GIRL went on sale, my publisher and I decided to try a little experiment. We put up a free Rizzoli & Isles short story called “Freaks” that had earlier appeared on the TNT website to promote the TV show. It was intended as a fun little piece, a complete mystery told in about fifteen pages. It opens with a dead girl’s body in an abandoned church. There are hints of vampires, there’s a chase through an alley, an autopsy, and a final confrontation with a gunman. Mystery solved, with a twist. All in fifteen pages.


Also included in the free download were the first two chapters of THE SILENT GIRL, and a script from the TV show. We wanted to give readers just a taste of Jane and Maura, to offer a sneak peek at the new book, and maybe entice viewers of the TV show to give the books a try.


And did I mention this was all free?


“Freaks” shot to the top of the chart for free offerings and was downloaded tens of thousands of times the first week. It looked like the experiment was working. I waited and watched the reader reviews, to see if folks were getting a kick out of it. To see if it was leading them to buy a book.


What I found instead were complaints, complaints, complaints: The story was too short! Hardly any character development! Not as good as the books! Some people were pissed about the two free chapters because they resented anything promotional, and were disgusted that they got a free peek. (You know, no one forced you to read the chapters.) And for some, “free” wasn’t cheap enough; they complained that the offer wasn’t “worth it.”


The objections made my head hurt. Do people really expect a short story to be as good as a book? Do they really expect deep character development plus a complete mystery in fifteen pages?


My conclusion: I don't think it was worth it on my end, either. Short stories are killers to craft when you’re used to writing novels. I had to distill a plot down to its basic elements, make it punchy enough to work for a TV website, keep the action tense and the twists unpredictable, all while establishing a feel for the characters. My hope was that the story would serve as a bridge between the slightly different TV and book versions of Jane and Maura, helping readers enjoy both interpretations.


For all the effort I put into it, I think the free short story experiment was, if not a failure, a disappointment. I think I’ll stick with Twitter.

Read More

Become A Book Reviewer ~ Kathy Carlton Willis

Got Opinions? Love Books?

You Can Become a Book Reviewer!

Whether your writing style is entertaining, informative, or insightful, you can learn the building blocks necessary for creating unique reviews, and become a desired book reviewer. Learn where to post your reviews to get more exposure. A well-respected publishing house stated I was one of their "favorite and most trusted" book reviewers. Here’s some of my secrets.

ARCS

ARCs are Advance Review (or Reader) Copies. These are printed a few months prior to the release date, to allow reviewers time to read and write the book reviews.

ARCs do not have final editing complete, so don’t comment on editing or formatting—it will be changed before the final release.

Don’t quote any book passage in your review without prior permission—there’s no guarantee any specific quote will be in the final version of the book.

Publishers and writers ask you to please refrain from selling ARCs. No one wants an early draft of their book circulating.

Etiquette

Don’t give away any plot points—and try not to comment on storyline past third chapter.

If you don’t like the book, it’s okay to say so, but mention what sort of reader MIGHT like the book.

If you don’t keep your books, give them away rather than selling them—whether they are ARCs or retail, if they were given to you, you shouldn’t profit off of them—use this as an opportunity to be an influencer (library, church, friend, hospital, etc.). If you sell the book at a reduced price, it competes with retail sales, and early statistics are vitally important those first few months after release.

Choices

You can choose to only write positive reviews. Positive reviewers have as their motto, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” If you decide to only state positive reviews, when you come across a book you do not like, you will need to decline reviewing it.

Or write balanced reviews that include what you do not like about the books as well as what you like. These reviewers believe they are providing a service to readers so they should mention both the good and the bad. These reviews are similar to consumer reports.

Some will decline to review books they can’t read all the way through, and they won’t finish reading a book they end up not liking. Find out from the one providing review copies if there is an obligation to review the book even if you didn’t care for the book.

What Reviewing is NOT

Book reviews aren’t your reactions to the books you read.

It’s not merely writing what you thought of the book.

Readers of reviews don’t care as much about how you liked the book (unless they know of you), as much as they care if THEY will like the book.

A book review is not a book report! Rather, you should introduce major characters, themes, the setting, and the broad outlines of the story without falling into a tedious retelling of the entire book.

The Role of the Reviewer

The reviewer is an advocate for the reader.

He or she provides the reader with enough information and analysis for the reader to make a buying decision.

It is important to go beyond whether a book is good or bad, and be able to dissect the essentials AND the essence of the book for the potential readers.

Elements of a Review

Book Information

At the top of the review include: author's name, book title, retail price, publishing house, ISBN numbers, and date of publication. Book titles should be in italics.

Summary

Early in your review, give the reader a basic sense of the content of the book free of commentary. For a fiction book, this means giving the basic premise for the plot and maybe introducing the main characters. For nonfiction, it means to give the general theme of the book and a summary of the topics covered.

Avoid giving a summary of the entire book. It’s a balancing act. You want to give the reader enough unbiased information to decide if the content is of interest or not, without giving away too much of the story line in fiction or too much detailed information in nonfiction. This should take 1-3 paragraphs.

Analysis and Critique

This is where you evaluate the book according to your criteria. The notes you made while reading the book will come in handy. Focus on 3-4 things the author did well, and explain why you were impressed. If you found some things that fell short, mention them, and why you believe they didn’t deliver.

Recommendation

This is usually the last paragraph. In it, you give your recommendation concerning the book. It can be an unqualified recommendation or a qualified one. An unqualified recommendation is one in which you state without reservation that the book is a "good read" (although that phrase has been somewhat overused) or that the book is not worth reading. Be sure your analysis backs up your opinion.

You can also give a qualified recommendation if you do not whole-heartedly endorse the book, but realize it has merit with at a specific target audience.

Ideas and Styles

Perhaps your reviews will provide a comparison of the reviewed book’s style to another book title or author.

Some reviewers enjoy making their book review style mirror the style of the book. This is a fun writing exercise that also captures the reader and gives them a taste for reading the book.

Another option is to be your version of the Moral Police—it might be your calling and style to point out the reasons why a Christ-follower of Family-Friendly audience should avoid certain titles (in the flavor of Focus on the Family).

Here’s an article I wrote about various book elements that will help you when you write up your review: HYPERLINK "http://digg.com/u1TVLH" http://digg.com/u1TVLH (April 2010 Issue of Christian Fiction Online Magazine).

Got Opinions? Love Books? is written by Kathy Carlton Willis, owner of the same named communications firm. Kathy and her team get jazzed shining the light on their clients and their Lord. Read her article, Are Book Reviews Profitable, at: http://digg.com/u1TVKr.

Read More

Talking to Pros~What's the Golden Rule?

Talking to Pros is more about simple courtesies than pitching a certain book idea.

Often at Christian Writers Conferences, conferees are so programmed to engage with industry pros that they end up going overboard and make a poor first impression. Whether we connect face-to-face, by phone, or e-mail, there is a certain code of conduct that should be followed. It’s all about respect and courtesy. The Golden Rule sums up how we are to treat editors, agents, and others in the industry. Make sure you treat industry pros the very way you would want to be treated in their shoes. By doing this, you will leave a lasting impression with them.

Here are some specific etiquette suggestions for you, as you connect with the pros:

In Person

Make sure you don’t smell of cigarette smoke or heavy perfume. Many are sensitive to smell, and this will ruin your first impression. Double-check your other first impressions as well.

Be respectful of the pro’s space. Watch their body language to determine if it’s a good time to talk. Avoid stalker-style pitches (such as following a pro to the restroom to pitch your idea through the bathroom stall door!).

Follow their lead regarding physical contact. Sometimes a handshake is in order, and other times, if there was a real connection, a hug is okay—let them initiate which it will be.

On the Phone

Try to find general information online first, or in a market guide—before calling the agent or editor to ask questions. No need to ask if they take a certain genre if their website plainly lists what types of books they acquire or represent.

Since you are selling the agent or editor on your writing ability, usually they prefer your first contact (outside of conferences) to happen via e-mail or mail. Why? Because the pro wants to see how you write, rather than how you speak. This also works better for their schedules. Then they can schedule a phone conference if/when it suits them.

Even though you will be eager to hear how the pro likes your work, abstain from calling to ask. Honor whatever timeline they say it takes to hear back, and if you have not received a reply in that timeline, a short e-mail to make sure they received the submission is the best way to follow-up. Do not press for a decision or a deadline; just ask IF they received it and what the status is.

Once you are acquired by an editor or agent, you are welcome to call them on important matters, but be considerate of their time and avoid contacting them about trivial issues. Use e-mail for most communication.

Avoid frequent phone calls, even if the pro seems happy to hear from you. Remember they have other projects—avoid monopolizing their time. Especially be aware that they have office hours, and deserve a personal life outside of that time. If a call is warranted, it’s best to request a phone date via e-mail, and let the agent call you when his schedule permits. When planning a phone conversation, it is helpful to give your agent a range of convenient times to call.

E-mail

Do not send attached files containing manuscripts unless their guidelines expressly state they welcome attachments.

Keep your initial correspondence with an agent or editor brief and subsequent correspondence on point with what is requested. Realize industry pros deal with hundreds of e-mails daily, and respect their time.

Authors should advise an agent how he knows the agent’s name (met at a conference, found online, referred by a friend, etc.). In fact, it’s helpful to put the connecting point in the subject line, such as “per your request at ABC Conference.”

Show appreciation for any information a pro gives you, even if it’s comes with a rejection of a submission. Try to avoid being defensive or argumentative, and by all means do not attack, accuse or criticize the professional.

Honor any requirements for correspondence. If the listing says to send a query, they mean a one-page pitch about the book project.

If the pro requests more information, send that with the original correspondence so they don’t have to search for the original note. Mention “per your request,” and resist saying that unless it is true.

Editors and agents are not royalty—they are normal people who happen to be in a position to get your manuscript to the next step toward publication. Treat them with common courtesy and professional respect and they will remember you. It’s these little things that set you apart from the thronging crowds of writers who forget something as simple as The Golden Rule.

What’s The Golden Rule is written by Kathy Carlton Willis, owner of the same named communications firm. Kathy and her team get jazzed shining the light on their clients and their Lord. See more at their blog: http://www.kcwcomm.blogspot.com/

Read More

Lisa Lutz~Author Interview

Lisa spent most of the 1990s hopping from a string of low-paying odd jobs while writing and reviewing a mob comedy called Plan B. She began working on The Spellman Files in January of 2004. In the fall of that year, she drove across the country and moved into a 200-year-old house in the tow of Westernville, New york (pop. 300). It was there Lisa shoveled snow and wrote the bulk of her first novel.

Time to crow: What new book or project do you have coming out?

My second novel – Curse of the Spellmans (Simon & Schuster) – the sequel to The Spellman Files just came out in hardcover.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

My novels are about a family of private investigators and how the nature of the business affects their family life. Quite some time ago I worked for a family-run private investigative firm in the Bay Area. While none of the employees at the firm bear any resemblance to the Spellmans, it was the contrast between genuine affection present in the office and the natural suspicion that goes along with detective work that provided the germ of the idea.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

My journey was long. Let me reduce fifteen years to a few sentences. I wrote screenplays for over a decade. One in particular, Plan B, a mob comedy, I wrote and rewrote for about ten years. I’ve estimated there are least twenty-five drafts of that script. When the film was finally made and went straight to video, it became clear that no one was interested in my writing anymore. Because I had no real job skills and I felt that writing comedy was the only thing I had learned how to do, I wasn’t ready to give up. However, I knew that writing another screenplay was a dead end. The Spellman Files was my last screenplay and when I could barely get anyone to read it, that’s when I decided to write a novel. From that point on, everything just fell into place.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I’m banging my head right now. I’ll have to get back to you on the solution.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

I don’t think I’ll ever write a book with an implausible plot. I like my characters to be grounded in some kind of reality, so sometimes it’s hard to keep all the threads together, but I like to believe what I’m writing.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy attic nook?

I write from home or hotels (if I’m on the road), but mostly in private. A cave would work for me as well, as long as there were no other tenants.



What does a typical day look like for you?

The sun rises and it sets. That’s pretty much the only thing that stays the same. Mostly I try to write in the morning when my mind is fresh. But whenever I can is really the better answer.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

Who are they? And if you could give me a full name and address that would be great.

I say they’re ruining this gig for the rest of us.

Briefly take us through your process of writing a novel—from conception to revision.

I have the premise, usually a few scenes mapped out, often involving snippets of dialogue, and I have a vague sense of the arc of the story. Then I think about how I want to introduce the characters. For the Spellman books, I like to begin with a crisis, something that puts a question into the readers’ minds that hopefully keeps them curious.

I finish a draft, I revise. I finish another draft or two and then I send the manuscript to some people I know whom I’ve learned are good at offering notes and not just saying, “it’s good.” Then when it’s presentable, I send the manuscript to my agent, who will offer notes and then decide when it’s okay to give it to my editor. When my editor gets the manuscript, we go through a few months of revisions, then the copyeditor has it for another few months, and I make more changes. Then it’s in the publishers hands and, in theory, I should be starting on the next book.


What are a few of your favorite books (not written by you) and why are they favorites?

These are some of my all-time favorite books, but I doubt I could really come up with a solid answer for why. There was probably something funny in each of them, something moving, and something that I couldn’t explain, but kept me reading.
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Find your own voice. Don’t copy anyone.

What do you wish you’d known early in your career that might have saved you some time and/or frustration in writing? In publishing?

I could say that I wish I had thought about writing a novel earlier, but frankly, I think I needed all those years writing screenplays to find my own voice. For me, I don’t think there was any way I could have expedited the process. Making a living as writer is hard. For most people it will not pan out or take a long time and be a struggle. If you succeed, however, it’s worth it.

How much marketing do you do? What have you found that particularly works well for you?

I think for any author interested in selling books, a web presence is key. I haven’t been doing this long enough to know what works exactly. If you’re sent on a book tour, the best advice I’ve heard is “Don’t count heads and take Airborn.” I have a cold right now, so I clearly didn’t listen to the second part.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

There’s nothing wrong with writing for yourself, but if your goal is to get published, never forget that you have an audience.

Read More

Media – Why Wait?

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.

Read More