This Sunday at Connexion in Jack London Square, publicist Cristina Deptula is going to give us tips on creatively reaching traditional media. Rather than a passive lecture, Cristina is looking forward to having an interactive discussion, based on the best advice for the authors in the room.
I asked Cristina to give us some general tips on publicity, and here are four that she mentioned that should apply to most any author.

Publicity Tip 1

Go Where Your Audience Already Is

Find your audience where they already gather, reach them how they already communicate. Ask your readers how they found out about you. Then ask them how they normally find out about new books and where they spend time. Go to those places and find more readers like them.

Publicity Tip 2

Traditional and Social Media Work Together

For example, use social media to announce and post photos from your signings and events (posting live is even better). Share links to reviews you’ve landed in print publications. Host in-person events where you invite your social media followers.

Publicity Tip 3

Do Your Research

When you reach out to traditional publicity venues like radio shows and newspapers, figure out how they want to be contacted and follow the rules and submission guidelines. Pay attention to preferred genres and areas of interest. For example, if you are calling a live outlet like radio and television, it’s critical that you not call them close to shooting hours. A newspaper journalist is more likely to take your phone call if you don’t call her before deadline.

Publicity Tip 4

In Your Pitch, Include Previous Speaking/Reviews

Let the outlet you are contacting know where you’ve spoken before or been reviewed or interviewed before. Especially for radio and television, it’s critical to demonstrate that you aren’t camera/radio shy! So even if you gave lectures on a different topic, it is good to let them know you have experience with public speaking or appearing on TV or radio.
Better to give them the name of a little-known reviewer and quote an interesting bit from their piece than to claim that some people think you’re the next big celebrity and wonder if your relatives or friends paid you to say so!

To find out how to apply these to your book come out to this Sunday’s meeting.