We’re in a series of articles considering what a book launch could or should look like. First I described a product launch made by a typical Internet marketer of a generic product, not a fiction book. The marketer cultivates interest in buying the item focused on a particulate date, the launch date.
Secondly, author Jim O’Shea shared ideas with us about using targeted Facebook ads to reach potential readers outside our circles of influence.
Today Jim continues with two more elements of his strategy.
Public relations: O’Shea hired a PR man with connections in the Christian media, a man from another state named River Laker. Laker was able to identify media outlets local to Jim, their “reach,” and their contact information. He sent out press releases, with some fruit so far. O’Shea also worked friends and friends of friends, and that resulted in an interview on a local TV news station. He sends that link and clips of small articles to his prime target, the book editor of the big local newspaper. He’d like a review running in the expanded arts and entertainment section on Sundays, and he’s not taking no for an answer.
So for O’Shea, dealing with the media is a process. As his efforts bear fruit, he uses them to argue for more local media coverage.
Google Alerts: O’Shea set up Google Alerts on hot topics for his book and communicates with people where appropriate. He set up an alert for the keywords “shroud of Turin,” which among other things led him to a film director in England who is working on a movie about the Shroud. O’Shea corresponded with this director and then sent him a copy of the book. “I want to get a conversation going,” he said.
Google Alerts will bring you out to where the readers are, locating bloggers who like the topic and aren’t writers. Comment on their blogs. Consider setting up a blog tour with these writers.
Do you have a tip to share or thoughts on maximizing a fiction book launch? What do you think of avoiding writers like Jim does? Did a blog tour work for you?