Media Events for Book Promotion

"How do I set up a media event?" -- As a publisher, that's a good question to have an answer for.

Media events and public appearances can fall into any number of categories and include any number of venues (book stores, radio interviews, television interviews, writing group speeches, presentations, chat room interviews, online book tours, public forums, and more).

A good place to identify possible media event locations is through local bookstore. Most bookstores carry event calendars or maintain a list of contact people who hold that information.

Browse the calendar listings and see if a certain book promotion fits with their plans. Sometimes it might be necessary to tailor a planned event for a particular occasion or holiday. If there is contact information available, make a note of it so you can pitch the appropriate person about your event.

Follow-up with prospective contacts who have not confirmed dates. Selling yourself and your book is a numbers game, and as any salesperson will tell you, the amount of contact is directly proportional to the amount of sales.

Be persistent without being annoying. If, after three or four attempts with a particular media contact, you are still unsuccessful move on to another prospect.

Once you secure an event, prepare it thoroughly in advance. People who attend or listen to your events are participating because the advertisement or announcement struck a chord with them, so be sure to deliver what they came to see or hear. Don't be shy about letting them know how to order your book. After all, that's the reason you're involved in the event in the first place.

Promote your media event aggressively. Invite your friends and family, and if it's within the scope of your marketing budget, advertise in the local paper. Neighborhood papers may even promote your event for free within their "Events" pages. You may even be able to tie it into a book review.

The store is sponsoring the event to attract more customers; the station is sponsoring the event to attract more listeners or viewers. Whatever the venue, it is your responsibility to attract the crowd. The venue is just that -- a venue.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press Publishing at OutskirtsPress.com and author of Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer. Information at http://outskirtspress.com/publishinggems

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:55:22 GMT Hippie Arrests Draw ACLU’s Attention - New York Times ABC News Hippie Arrests Draw ACLU’s Attention New York Times - 6 hours ago By AP CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union said on Saturday that it would investigate the actions of federal officers who had arrested five members of the Rainbow Family in western Wyoming during the group’s annual gathering. ACLU plans to investigate Rainbow Family treatment The Associated Press ACLU to investigate Rainbow Family treatment LocalNews8.com WKOW-TV.com - Billings Gazette - cbs4denver.com - Austin American-Statesman all 306 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:40:38 GMT Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3) - Bloomberg Voice of America Argentine Lower House Passes Grain Export-Tax Plan (Update3) Bloomberg - 8 hours ago By Eliana Raszewski July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Argentina's lower house of congress approved the government's plan to increase taxes on exports of grains and oilseeds, risking a resumption of three months of strikes by farmers. Export Tax That Angers Farmers Advances in Argentina New York Times Argentina lawmakers approve farm export tax hike guardian.co.uk RTT News - BBC News - The Associated Press - AFP all 144 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:41:30 GMT Ore. man completes flight of fancy _ in lawn chair - The Associated Press The Associated Press Ore. man completes flight of fancy _ in lawn chair The Associated Press - 1 hour ago CAMBRIDGE, Idaho (AP) - Using his trusty BB gun to help him return to Earth, a 48-year-old gas station owner flew a lawn chair rigged with helium-filled balloons more than 200 miles across the Oregon desert Saturday, landing in a field in Idaho. Video: Ore. Man Uses Balloons and a Lawn Chair to Fly AssociatedPress Believe it or not, he's lounging on air The Oregonian - OregonLive.com CNN International - BBC News - KOHD - San Jose Mercury News all 1,071 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:50:31 GMT Analysis: McCain struggles to regain footing - The Associated Press The Associated Press Analysis: McCain struggles to regain footing The Associated Press - 2 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain calls himself an underdog. That may be an understatement. The GOP presidential candidate trails Democrat Barack Obama in polls, organization and money while trying to succeed a deeply unpopular fellow Republican in a year ... Rural voters lean to the GOP St. Joseph News-Press Neither Obama nor McCain meets Energy Party standard The State New York Times - Online Athens - Washington Post - Newsweek all 465 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:40:55 GMT McCain Battles a Nemesis, the Teleprompter - New York Times New York Times McCain Battles a Nemesis, the Teleprompter New York Times - 7 hours ago Mary Altaffer/AP By MARK LEIBOVICH LAS VEGAS —Senator John McCain was performing relatively smoothly as he unveiled his energy plan. McCain Campaign, in Relaunch, Seeks Tighter Message Focus Wall Street Journal McCain Campaign on Obama and Iraq FOXNews The Associated Press - Washington Post - Los Angeles Times - CNN all 737 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:31:52 GMT Obama "puzzled" by Iraq comment frenzy - Reuters Washington Post Obama "puzzled" by Iraq comment frenzy Reuters - 1 hour ago By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Saturday his plan to end the Iraq war was unchanged and he was puzzled by the sharp reaction to his statement this week that he ... Obama struggles to thread needle on Iraq AFP Obama Refines the Blame on Iraq Miscue New York Times International Herald Tribune - Voice of America - Washington Times - New York Daily News all 1,620 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:08:23 GMT Smallest planet shrinks in size - BBC News Canada.com Smallest planet shrinks in size BBC News - Jul 4, 2008 The smallest planet in the Solar System has become even smaller, studies by the Messenger spacecraft have shown. Data from a flyby of Mercury in January 2008 show the planet has contracted by more than one mile (1.5km) in diameter over its history. First Results From Messenger's Mercury Flyby Slashdot Mercury is shrinking, NASA craft finds; a cool clue: 'lobate scarps' Los Angeles Times eFluxMedia - Baltimore Sun - Examiner.com - ChattahBox all 155 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:45:26 GMT Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages Website Traffic Promotion

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Colour and Book Covers - What You Should Know if Youre Self-Publishing

Color is tricky at the best of times. If you... Read More

The Bible Of Self Publishing

Any book that is in its 14th edition must be... Read More

8 Ways to Find Good Reviewers for Your New Book

Review Your Reviewer: You will be sorry if you do... Read More

How To Promote A Book

Nowadays it's no longer a matter of whether or not... Read More

Top Ten Ways To Prepare for Your Online Book Marketing Success

Still marketing your book through press releases, networking groups, and... Read More

Book Publishing Without Pain

When I meet an author with a great book concept,... Read More

Secrets to Selling Books by Mail

This is intended for informational purposes only. Selling books by... Read More

How To Get The Most From Your Free eBooks Marketing Campaign

First, your ebook needs to have an attractive title. The... Read More

How to Sell Your E-book - (or other information product) - Through Quickie Seminars

I've been selling my own self-published information products (mainly e-books)... Read More

Promote Your Books on Talk Shows and Make More Money

Successful authors are convinced that radio interviews are the very... Read More

Five Tips To Consider When Choosing A Publisher

Choosing a publisher probably seems like a complicated task, however,... Read More

Is There a Book Hiding Inside You?

Have you always wanted to write?Are there ideas churning in... Read More

Whats Killing Your Publishing Career?

With the large increase of books being published by self-publishers,... Read More

Are You Ready For The Publishing Revolution?

Writing has traditionally been considered a solitary craft. You wrote... Read More

Why Write Articles to Promote your Book?

Reach 15,000 to 100,000 targeted buyers every week Online. That's... Read More

Publicity Through Philanthropy For Writers

I am twenty three years old, have sold over four... Read More

Never Pay Full Price for a Book!

Are you an avid reader? Are you trying to instill... Read More

Book Marketing 101

Francine Silverman. Book Marketing from A-Z (InfinityPublishing.com, 2005). Trade paperback.... Read More

Navigating the Amazon Sales Ranking

First, the disclaimers: Since the algorithm Amazon uses to generate... Read More

Oh No! A Bad Book Review! Have No Fear...Advice For Dealing With The Blues Of A Bad Book Review

You've just been notified a review of your book has... Read More

You, Your Book and the Internet!

Authors, especially self published, small press and Print on Demand... Read More

Speaking for a Publication

Why write a book and get attention and loads of... Read More

Top Ten Getting Started Tips to Market Your Book and Business

Want to sell a lot more books? Want clients calling... Read More

Buzz-Based Book Marketing

Once upon a time, people went to bookstores when they... Read More

Titles (and Subtitles) Sell Books!

Does a title really sell a book? The short answer... Read More