Writing a book, believe it or not, is often the easy part. Publicity, marketing, and promotion are what make or break an author’s dreams. Here are five of the most important things to understand about book publicity and marketing to make your experience as an author both successful and enjoyable.

1)    Understand What Book Publicity Is

Your book is published, now what? The only guarantee in book marketing is that if you don’t do something to make others aware of your book, you are virtually guaranteed that it well not sell. It’s crucial to understand exactly what publicity is before you promote your book. Here’s a concise definition: Book publicity is the utilization of the media as a conduit to spread word about a book to the general public or special interest segments. It is not advertising.

Publicity, in its purest form, is the classic “you scratch their back, they’ll scratch yours” scenario. If you give a reporter, editor or producer interesting, informative, newsworthy or entertaining material related to your book, they will then reciprocate by “plugging” your book in an article, interview, review or feature story.

2)    Realistic Expectations

The book publicity industry is highly, highly, competitive. The fact that so many new authors can now get their book into print also means the competition for publicity and media coverage is fiercer than ever. The power of publicity to sell books via radio and TV interviews, newspaper and magazine coverage and online coverage is indisputable. But literally tens of thousands of authors are vying for media attention every day, so getting editors and producers to notice you and your book is harder than ever.

Knowing the playing field before you get in the game makes you better prepared and able to handle the inevitable ups and downs of book promotion. The only way authors become successful is because they try, and you must try. Just understand that book marketing is no different than any other very competitive industry.

3) Book Marketing is More Marathon than Sprint

Making others aware of your book and creating word-of-mouth publicity does not happen overnight. It takes time to achieve and sustain promotional momentum, and it typically takes at least two months to see book sales materialize from a promotional campaign.

Authors often spend years crafting a book. The most successful then spend at least a year promoting their book in one way or another.

4) Know Enough to Know What You Don’t Know

A fatal mistake some authors make is believing they can effectively market and publicize a book on their own, with no outside help at all. It’s true—some authors have achieved great success promoting their own work, but most don’t.  Book publicity is a profession, and it takes significant time and resources to do it well. Knowing how to engage media in the appropriate manner takes skill and finesse. A self-promoting author often comes across as amateurish when pitching media. You may be a brilliant author, but chances are you’re an amateur when it comes to publicity.

This doesn’t mean you have to spend thousands of dollars engaging the services of a publicity firm, but you will need help to do it right. Talk to a variety of publicity agencies and find out what you can afford. Professional help, even limited assistance, can dramatically increase your chances of securing media attention.

5)    Don’t Catch the “Oprah Disorder”

Book publicists now joke that their lives are much easier because Oprah is off the air. The first question publicists often used to get from authors was “Can you get me on Oprah?”

The Oprah Disorder is the obsession of wanting only the biggest media opportunities, i.e. national TV, national magazines, etc., and nothing else. This attitude is a recipe for promotional disaster. Every media opportunity is important, from the smallest local newspaper to the tiniest radio show, because you never know who is reading that paper or listening to that show!

Dan Smith is CEO and founder of Smith Publicity, one of the premier book publicity and book marketing firms in the industry. Smith Publicity has implemented over 900 book promotion campaigns and secured placements with virtually every major media outlet. The firm has serviced authors from over 25 countries and has offices in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles, and London. Website: www.smithpublicity.com

If getting on the air to promote your novel is important to you, however, there is a way to make it happen. In many cases, it’s actually rather simple. But a word of caution: To do it, you’ll have to set aside your desire to talk about your book, and think like both a publicist and a producer. In other words, you’ll have to “play the game” that is broadcast publicity, and become a savvy self-promoter.

3 Steps for the Publicity Hungry Novelist

1. Forget about your book. Yes, you read that line correctly. The book, alas, is not what will get you interviews. In fact, it could keep you from getting on the air if you don’t play the game.

To get interviews, you must present producers with topics or show ideas based on your experience, knowledge or credentials, or on real-life themes in your book. Remember: No one wants to interview a book; they want to interview a person. For non-fiction authors, it’s relatively easy to extract helpful information or engaging topics from a book, and use the same expertise which enabled them to write the book to become a great talk show guest.

For novelists, however, literary creativity and an active imagination usually don’t add up to engaging interviews. But, most novelists base their stories on real-life experiences, sometimes without even knowing they did. That’s why you should forget about your book, and think about what caused you to write on a specific subject, include certain characters or use certain locales. Then, look at your own personal history, work experiences and personal adventures.

Secondly, look at themes in your book – the storyline, setting, characters. What is the basis or “topic” of the book? Does it involve controversial characters or interesting themes? What kind of research did you complete to accurately write the story and add depth to characters?

What you’ll find, most likely, is that there is a “topic” in your novel, whether from your own personal experiences or the story itself. Almost every work of fiction is based upon something “real.” Discover what it is.

2. Go angling. Based on what you came up with from Step 1, find an interesting angle.

Let’s say, for example, you wrote a novel about senior citizens who move out of a retirement center and into a private home together. Perhaps you came up with the idea after caring for your own parent, and seeing problems with senior care. You did a little research for your story, and discovered that very few seniors live together like many younger people do, and a little more research made you realize that there are really not many reasons why this is so.

You’ve discovered a topic: “Senior Group Living.” To jump-start your publicity campaign, you start a “movement” to launch awareness of senior group living. Now, you have something the media might find interesting. The market for this topic wouldn’t just be older people, but also Baby Boomers and anyone who cares for an older parent.

You’ve turned fiction into reality.

3. Give ‘em what they want.

Based on your idea of “senior group living,” you now need to develop a news release to get producers interested. Think about what you hear on the radio or see on TV when the host announces what will be coming after a break. Things such as, “After the break, find out why shacking up may not be just for young people any more.” That line is designed to keep you tuned into a program, and that’s exactly the type of effect your trying to achieve with a news release … getting the producer interested.

Important: Don’t write a press release the way you want to present it, but the way producers want to see it. Mastering this concept can make a world of difference.

Using the above example, you might try a question headline:

“Out of the Retirement Community and into Homes: Is Senior Group Living the Next Big Craze?”

Or, something controversial:

“Selling Grandma Short? The Cold, Hard Truth About Senior Citizen Living Options”

Perhaps you have a website to promote your book. Why not conduct a survey of seniors which assesses their preferences for living options? You might find that a very high percentage would be interested in living in private homes together. Since the media loves statistics and surveys, you might have created an excellent angle for print exposure:

“Survey Finds That 95% of Senior Citizens Would Prefer Living in Private Homes With Other Seniors.”

After you have the headline, the rest is relatively easy. Write a short, snappy one page release in typical “inverted pyramid” journalism style. Lay out the problem, give an example, and then introduce the solution or the angle of your release. Include 4 or 5 bullet points which can serve as talking points for producers and hosts, trying to make it so that that each bulleted item could stand on its own as a headline. Use the last paragraph to summarize your credentials and promote your book.

In three steps, you’ve turned what appeared to be a potentially impossible book to use as a means of getting on radio or TV, into a viable and interesting topic. If you can get the release into the right hands at shows, you’ll likely get calls for interviews, and opportunities to promote your book. Even if the topic is only tangentially related to your book, you will be introduced as “Joe Jones, the author of the novel ______,” and hosts (at least the good ones) will give you plugs for the book.

Case Study in Successful Fictional Promotion

A self-published client, Peter DeVico came to our firm for publicity support of his novel, From the Brooklyn Side, a classic “Mafia” story in the Goodfellas style. A first-time author, he had no name recognition and limited distribution – so getting the word out was essential.

After in-depth discussion, we learned DeVico had a near encyclopedic knowledge of the Mafia, its history and operation. The Sopranos was hot, so we decided to position DeVico as a Mafia expert, and developed a short release titled:

“From Buckwheats Hits and Empty Suits to Vigs and Little Joes: Give Your Audience the Ultimate Mafia Trivia and Lingo Quiz.”

DeVico went on to do more than 50 radio interviews and was featured in the New York Times. Fiction to reality!

A few last tips for promoting fiction titles:

• Refer to your novel as a “book” in the press release. Some producers are turned off by novelist-guests, and even if they call and discover it’s a novel when they speak to you, you’re still in a great position to sell them on the topic anyway.
• Don’t compare yourself to well-known authors. Create your own identity. Trying too hard to build yourself up often isn’t as effective as presenting yourself professionally.
• Develop a catch-phrase for yourself. If you refer to yourself as an “expert” in something, people will begin to refer to you as that when you’re introduced. In book promotion, the bashful perish and the confident prevail!
• Learn the soft sell. Producers and hosts hate nothing more than a guest who refers to their book every other sentence. Let the interview come to you, and let the host do his or her job.
• Never say never. Do every interview you can, regardless of wattage or location. Talk shows will drive book sales, but it will not happen overnight. Be patient, persistent … and have fun!

Dan Smith is CEO and founder of Smith Publicity, one of the premier book publicity and book marketing firms in the industry. Smith Publicity has implemented over 900 book promotion campaigns and secured placements with virtually every major media outlet. The firm has serviced authors from over 25 countries and has offices in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles, and London. Website: www.smithpublicity.com

A book’s main title is designed to make an impact, catch attention, and pique interest. The subtitle does the rest of the work. It explains, or should explain, in a very specific way exactly what a book is about. In book publicity, the subtitle is crucial for this very reason. If a producer or editor receives a book with no subtitle or an inferior one, he or she is not going to take the time to look at the book. It’s that simple. Time is precious to media. Many outlets receive hundreds of books a week in the mail. A title has to hit them hard, fast, and clearly.

“In press releases, nonfiction books with bad subtitles often hamper book marketing efforts,” says Dan Smith, CEO of Smith Publicity. “Just as when media receive a book in the mail, when reviewing a press release, a producer or editor will give up on it if the essential information is not given within the first 10 to 15 seconds.”

If not augmented by precise subtitles, even some of the best main titles would lack effectiveness. Consider the super bestseller Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The main title is terrific; it’s clever, hip, and unusual. But would you know intuitively what the book was about if it didn’t have the subtitle of A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything? Before the book exploded in popularity, an editor seeing the title in a press release or receiving the book might not have taken the time to read this wonderful book. The main title, combined with the subtitle, says it all. The clever cover art of a sliced apple revealing an orange inside certainly helps, but it plays directly off the subtitle.

What would The Tipping Point mean to you, if that’s all you read or heard? A publicist would have to make up for the lack of a subtitle by taking crucial time and space in a press release to describe it. But, add in the subtitle to Malcolm Gladwell’s gem, How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, and you have a powerful, balanced title. Gladwell’s title still allows for some mystery as to the book’s exact content, but it certainly provokes interest.

Another example: What would the title Built to Sell convey to you or a reporter or producer? Building what? Selling what? Add in the subtitle for this book by John Warrilow and you get everything you need to know: Turn Your Business into One You Can Sell.

When creating a subtitle for your nonfiction book, consider these points, each of which will help in a book marketing and publicity campaign:

* Above all else, make sure your book has a subtitle!

* Be creative, but don’t go overboard. Save most of the creativity for the main title

* Provide specific information in the subtitle, explaining in a few words exactly what your book is about

* Keep it short. Create your subtitle as if you were writing a press release headline for the book.

* Keep Search Engine Optimization in mind. Try to use appropriate keywords and phrases that will help your book organically come up in searches.

“The bottom line is that when it comes to book publicity and getting people to take interest in a book, make it as easy as possible,” adds Smith. “Don’t assume the reader will know what your book is about from the main title. Your publicist will be thankful.”

Dan Smith is CEO and founder of Smith Publicity, one of the premier book publicity and book marketing firms in the industry. Smith Publicity has implemented over 900 book promotion campaigns and secured placements with virtually every major media outlet. The firm has serviced authors from over 25 countries and has offices in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles, and London. Website: www.smithpublicity.com

Here are 5 ways an author can increase the likelihood of a successful book marketing and book publicity campaign, one which produces a wide array of media coverage and sets the stage for book sales:

1) Patience – Book publicity is more marathon than sprint, and authors who are naturally eager to see quick results need to educate themselves on the tradecraft of book marketing to understand this. An impatient author begets a rushed publicist, which in turn typically results in rushed pitching rather than carefully planned and implemented media outreach. In short, impatience can cause mistakes and shoddy publicity work. As difficult as it may be, authors should give a campaign time. Regular, thorough weekly updates from a publicist should demonstrate the book marketing plan is being rolled out in a strategic, carefully designed manner, with a sense of natural urgency every good publicist has.

2) Don’t micro-manage – One of the most destructive things an author can do to a publicist is micro-manage. A publicist who feels an author is looking over her shoulder 24/7 will not be a good publicist. An author hires a publicist for the expertise and media savvy which comes experience. Micro-management will take a publicist off-task. A client who controls the professional they’ve hired will end up getting unprofessional results.

3) Be available – Many publicity opportunities come quickly, with short notice. An author should be as available and flexible as possible, making their campaign as much of a priority in their life as possible. A book is only launched once, and missing opportunities can kill a book publicity campaign.

4) Let a publicist push the limits – In most book marketing campaigns, a publicist isn’t doing his job if he doesn’t come up with at least a few pitching ideas that make the author uncomfortable. It’s a publicist’s job to be creative, to push the envelope and think of unique ways to break through the competition. It’s ok to say “no” to an idea, but authors shouldn’t be offended if what’s presented makes them uncomfortable. In many cases, it’s a publicist’s job to push an author outside their comfort zone. Book publicists – at least good ones – expect some of their ideas to be shot down.

5) Reasonable expectations – Perhaps the hardest part of a publicist’s job is to manage the expectations of an author. Having reasonable expectations in a business in which it’s impossible to know what will happen is crucial. Book publicity and book marketing is a tough, tough business. The competition is fierce, and success in terms of huge book sales numbers is often elusive. A balanced, reasoned understanding of the challenges and opportunities of a book promotion campaign will inevitably improve the odds of an author being satisfied with the work of a publicist.

Dan Smith is CEO and founder of Smith Publicity, one of the premier book publicity and book marketing firms in the industry. Smith Publicity has implemented over 900 book promotion campaigns and secured placements with virtually every major media outlet. The firm has serviced authors from over 25 countries and has offices in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles, and London. Website: www.smithpublicity.com

Below are just a few myths, some of which I’ve gone into more detail in other postings or articles, but I wanted to compile them for easy review.

1) Myth: Radio interviews don’t sell books—Radio interviews certainly don’t always sell books, but they often do, sometimes many books. It depends on the topic and the skill of the guest being interviewed. Also, radio interviews follow what I call a “cumulative effect.” Put simply, the more you do the more you will start to see books move. Picture a map on your wall, and pins stuck in the location of every interview you complete. The more pins on that map, the more likely you’ll see a cumulative effect, and see books starting to move.

2) Myth: Summer is a bad time to promote a book—In my experience, this is flat-out not true. Why? Because the very fact that many people still think summer is a bad time, means less competition you’ll have when vying for media attention. Do newspapers and magazines and radio shows stop in the summer? Of course not. Do local network affiliate TV talk and news shows stop in the summer? No!

3) Myth: Authors should focus only on the highest level media—This is what I call the “Oprah effect,” and it can destroy an author’s chances of success. As I often say, an author should swing for the home runs diligently, but at the same time go after ALL med ia of any size in any location. It’s Book Promotion 101; ignore smaller media at your own peril. A comprehensive publicity campaign is exactly that, comprehensive, including all levels of media.

4) Myth: Pay-per-placement is the best and least expensive route to take—Well, not so fast. Intuitively, yes, it makes sense: Paying only for what you get is logical, you can’t go wrong. Correction … you can go wrong. There are certainly very reputable pay-per-placement firms which do fine work. The key is to carefully evaluate exactly what you will be paying for. In many cases, a retainer-based fee can actually produce results equivalent to a good pay-per-placement arrangement, at much lower cost. Plus, if a publicist is working on multiple projects, his or her attention will naturally be placed on the easier-to-promote title since this is their pay structure.

5) Myth: A self-published book will never get coverage by a national newspaper or TV show—Ten years ago … maybe so, but now, things have changed, significantly. Self-published authors are routinely interviewed on national TV shows; my firm books them every week! Newspapers, magazines, and radio … for the most part, the media doesn’t care how a book was published, as long as the topic is relevant, the book professionally designed, and the author can provide solid information. When it comes to book reviews, your self-published book will indeed not be reviewed in the New York Times or other major review outlets, but you and your book can be featured in those same outlets via print interviews, feature stories, etc.

Dan Smith is the Founder and CEO of Smith Publicity Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

But most of the time, a radio or television interview will only air once and a print article–especially in a newspaper–is out one day and gone the next. So, is that all there is? Should you just leave it at that and move on?

No way. Here are a few ways to maximize the exposure from a broadcast interview or print story to generate even more awareness about you and your book.

1. Website, website, website. EVERY print story which mentions you and/or your book should be on your website, with no exceptions except perhaps a negative review. Most newspapers and magazines have online equivalents which often run the exact same material that’s in print versions. In these cases, you can easily get the link to your story on your website. If they don’t, scan the articles and display them on your website. (Getting a “tear sheet” or copy of your article shouldn’t be hard, just call the reporter and ask them how you can get a copy mailed to you) You should scan every print article and have on hand if a link expires. (Check your links regularly!) With radio and TV interviews, you can typically ask a producer ahead of time for a copy of the interview. You can then put a link on your site which either plays the audio of the radio interview or video of TV. In some cases you may need some technical assistance, but it’s well worth it.

2. Tell people about your media coverage! Your local newspaper, for example, might be interested to know that you were interviewed on a TV show or completed some radio interviews around the country. Contrary to what you might think, media can and do get interested in people because other media were interested enough to cover you and your book in the first place. Since most people are never interviewed on TV or appear in a newspaper or magazine, it makes you newsworthy! Tell your college alumni magazine about it. Tell the editors of a newsletter produced by your place of worship. If appropriate, tell your boss at work about it. Again, you have become interesting because media outlets were interested in you!

3. Use media exposure as a marketing tool. If you own your own business, work as a consultant, work in an industry with trade publications, or you are looking for a new job, use your book and media coverage as a powerful marketing tool; it can replace your business card. Media coverage equates to credibility, and credibility makes people want to do business with you. Use clippings of articles in your collateral marketing materials. Use “As seen on …” or “heard on…” or “featured in …” in brochures, on your website or resume, and list the media outlets. If you’ve written a book about your field of business, media coverage is the ultimate marketing tool; it will make you stand out from competitors.

4. If you don’t have a blog, start one and talk about your media coverage. If you don’t use Twitter, start to and tell people every time you receive media coverage. The same goes for Facebook and other social networking sites. It’s free, and can begin to start a “buzz” about you.

5. Future books. Authors typically write more than one book. If you are contemplating your next project use your past media coverage to impress a new literary agent or publisher. Show them the media was interested in you and your ideas; it will make you a more appealing prospect.

The bottom line: that interview or print story is just the beginning. If you take the initiative, you can make the 15 minutes of fame last much, much longer, and sell a lot more books.

Dan Smith is the Founder and CEO of Smith Publicity Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

So what do I mean by ‘traditional’ book reviews? The printed review; in newspapers or magazines, is not nearly what it once was. The newspaper industry continues to be hurt by reduced circulation and ever-increasing challenges from online media. Additionally, with thousands of new books coming out every month, the competition for print space is limited, and the ‘big houses’ dominate in terms of book reviews. Many print outlets simply await catalogue mailings from major publishers, choose books they deem worthy of review, and most self-published authors are left out in the cold. It’s really that simple.

But, all hope is not lost. Aside from very targeted mailings – what we call ‘high priority’ outlets with high probability of interest in a specific book – online reviewers are flourishing. Don’t discount the value of online reviewers. Every time your book is mentioned on the Internet, it is picked up by search engine spiders, and the more and more your book appears online, the more word spreads about the book.

Online reviews aren’t as limited by space or type of publishing. Many welcome self-published books; some only review self-published books.

Here’s something that might surprise you: I don’t think ‘traditional’ book reviews sell books. I’d much rather see our clients get a feature story, print interview, author profile, etc. These kind of placements can move books much more than a traditional review. Plus, a feature story, for example, is seldom negative, whereas a book review can certainly be.

Years ago we would routinely send hundreds of galleys out at the start of a campaign. We don’t do this anymore. Our advance review copy lists usually number around 20 to 50, and, we’re really pitching for stories over reviews, although we of course do secure some reviews.

The Internet is fast becoming the best friend of authors. Traditional publicity, the old-school type of pitching for interviews, stories, etc., is still crucial to a campaign, but more and more the viral nature of the Internet should not be ignored. From online reviews to blogs to online book listings and podcast interviews, the Internet has changed the face of book promotion.

My suggestion: Do not rely upon the Internet only for your campaign; I still believe a comprehensive campaign attacking newspapers, magazines, radio and TV is crucial. But, get on the Internet, as many places as you can. Get your name and book on as many sites as possible.

Is the book review dead? Nope. It simply has changed with the times.

Dan Smith is the Founder and CEO of Smith Publicity Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

First, this isn’t necessarily true. Think about it: How many people does a small, 1000 watt station in the middle of New York City reach? Millions.

Second, you never know who is listening. We’ve booked authors on stations as small as 250 watts in remote areas of the country. In fact, a famous Smith Publicity story regarding an interview on a tiny station has been told many, many times. It drives home the point as to why every interview is important, and also gives an example of what a clever pitch can do.

We had a client, a tax attorney, who specialized in settling tax issues with the IRS. You’ve surely seen commercials for such professionals; a person comes to them owing large sums of money to the IRS, and they reduce the debt through negotiation and other tactics.

Our client was making a heavy publicity push in the months leading up to tax day in April. Although he didn’t have a book, we promoted him the same way we do authors. We came up with a clever pitch: “Why Size Does Matter When it Comes to the IRS.” During a conversation with his publicist he mentioned that the size envelope a person uses to mail their tax return affects the chances of getting selected for an audit.

So, the pitch worked and we were booking dozens of interviews a week. He was a great client; he did everything and anything we set up.

We received a request for an interview from a station in South Dakota, a tiny 500 watt station in a very rural area. Realistically, probably a few hundred people, if that, would hear him on the air.

He did the interview, and the next day received a call from a listener who heard the interview. It turns out this man had been driving through South Dakota and stumbled upon the station. It also turned out this man was a multi-millionaire who was in a jam: He owed millions in what the IRS identified as back taxes. He engaged the services of our client.

The end result: From that one interview on that tiny station, and that one person who happened to be driving through that town, our client made $800,000. He had saved his client about $6 million, and earned his hefty commission.

Another brief example also illustrating the power of word-of-mouth publicity:

We had a client with a book about UFO’s. We set up an interview on a very small radio station in Maine, again, one with very low wattage in a remote area. One of the people who heard the interview in Maine was the head of a northeastern U.S. chapter of a very popular UFO association with many offices across the nation. After hearing our author, she immediately e-mailed her fellow chapter heads, telling them about the author and book.

Our author’s Amazon.com rankings shot up from 300,000 to 162 over the next few days, and she began receiving requests for bulk purchases of her book.

One interview. Tiny station. One person catapulted the sale of thousands of books.

Finally, just this week, one of our authors did an interview on a smaller market radio station. The result: and ABC producer heard the interview, became interested in the author and is now in the process of taping a three day interview for a national television broadcast.

It can be hard to imagine, but these small steps can and often do lead to bigger opportunities.

Dan Smith is the Founder and CEO of Smith Publicity Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

Here are some insights on the “Big O” which might help put the Queen of all Media in perspective as it relates to book promotion.

Oprah certainly is the gold standard of book publicity; an appearance on her show can indeed make a book an overnight sensation and sell hundreds of thousands of copies. Her stamp of approval can instantly take an author to the major leagues. Her power is undeniable.

But … Oprah also creates some problems in the book publicity world, and at times, has actually prompted authors to make awful promotional decisions. Authors with books that might be a good fit for her show, or people who have expertise in topics she covers should always try to get on the show. The only way people get on her show is because they try. You will have no shot if you don’t take a shot. However, authors can develop an obsession with Oprah, and fixate on appearing on her show to the detriment of their promotional campaign.

The stark reality: The odds of getting on the Oprah show are akin to playing the lottery. Even if your book is a perfect fit the show, her producers (and she has dozens of them) receive hundreds and hundreds, perhaps even thousands of books each and every week. The producers also receive at least 100 pitches from publicists and authors every day, and I’m talking each producer. Some great books, undoubtedly, get lost in the piles and just never get seen. Others are put aside due to bad timing, such as a show recently taped on a similar subject.

As publicists, we engage in a structured and persistent follow-up program to producers, but this only slightly increases the odds. Putting all of your promotional eggs in the Oprah basket is simply a bad decision. And believe me, we’ve had authors who have done this.

The ‘Oprah Effect’ spills over in various negative ways. Some examples of things we’ve heard from authors:

• “Getting all types of other publicity is fine, but my book is only going to really sell if I get on Oprah.”
• “I will pay you $100,000 if you get me on Oprah.”
• “I want to UPS myself to the Oprah producers in a box with some air holes.”
• “Can you get me her address, I want to camp outside her home.”
• “I want to put a billboard up in Chicago with a message for her.”

I could go on and on with examples. While many of these are funny, they drive home the point I’m trying to make: Oprah is something you should try to get on, but understand the odds and appreciate the full spectrum of book publicity. There are tens of thousands of media outlets out there, and you have the potential to achieve great success without Oprah.

Also, keep in mind that not every book is right for Oprah. If you watch the show, take note of the types of authors and experts she has on.

So … if you and your book could make a good fit for her show, go for it! But look at the big picture, and fight against being lured into obsession.

Dan Smith is the Founder and CEO of Smith Publicity Inc. Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity is one of the world’s leading promotional firms, specializing in book publicity. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, the company has worked with over 900 individuals and companies–from authors and entrepreneurs to publicly-held companies and businesses representing a wide range of industries. The Smith Publicity reach is international with offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, and London. For more information about Smith Publicity, Inc., please visit www.smithpublicity.com.

Photo by Alan Light

What are you left with? Basically, September and January are the two “surefire” best times to release and start promoting a book.

Well, I disagree, and here’s why…

It’s really pretty simple. If everyone follows traditional thinking on this topic, then most promotional campaigns start at the same times. This means you’re beginning publicity at a time when most other authors are, and you’re competing against the largest pool of books possible. By competition, I mean authors vying for media attention. Why not increase your odds of success by going against the grain, and start promotion when most other authors are not?

It makes sense, on one hand, to think that summer is not the ideal time to launch a publicity campaign. Most of us take our vacations in the summer, so it seems logical that media opportunities are more limited for the same reason. If producers, editors, and reviewers are all on vacation, then what is the sense starting to pitch them?

Well, think about this for a minute. Does your local newspaper cease publication in the summer? Does your favorite talk radio station go on hiatus? Do all TV shows disappear for a few months in the summer? Obviously, the answer to these questions is a resounding “no!”

With the exception of some of the national daytime talk TV shows, virtually every other form of media still has air time or column inches to fill. Often, producers or editors are scrambling to find fodder for interviews or articles. At Smith Publicity, we routinely secure some of our biggest media “hits” for clients during the summer.

So, if you’re nearing completion and publishing of your book, and stressing over when to start your publicity campaign … don’t. If you’re ready mid-Spring or Summer, go for it. You just might get more attention than any other time.

Dan Smith is the CEO and founder of Smith Publicity, an international book publicity and public relations firm which has conducted over 900 promotional campaigns for authors, entrepreneurs, and businesses. The firm has offices in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles, and London. Website: www.smithpublicity.com