PR for Authorsā€”Media Is Not Interested In Your Book

authors Aug 15, 2023

Are editors, journalists, reporters and podcasts hosts interested in your book?

Yes, and no.

Hear us out.

Media is tasked with writing, producing and creating the best content (whether written, print, digital, tv, podcasts) for their audience.

While it's awesome that you just wrote and published a book (congratulations, we know what a huge feat this is!), we recommend focusing on a different strategy when pitching yourself to media contacts.

Here's What We'd Recommend:

  1. Find the Value Intersection—this is that special place where your work, expertise and experience meet the media outlet's interest, values and audience. For example, say you wrote a book about real estate. Instead of reaching out to podcasts telling them they should interview you because you wrote a book, you should bring a big idea, interesting concept or theme to the table that their podcast audience is interested in. In your introduction pitch, introduce your valuable idea about the short-term rental industry and amp up your pitch by letting the host know you've also just written a book on the subject and would be happy to gift them a copy.
  2. Identify Interesting Topics—this relates to the prior point, but this is really the point we are trying to drive home. VALUE. Read some of the writer's content, see what there already talking about, and bring a unique and interesting topic to the editors attention. Say this writer loves to talk about sex and relationships and you just wrote a book on the topic. Lead with your interesting idea about sex (and how you believe couples are becoming more sexually open through polyamory—which just so happens to be exactly* what you wrote your book about) and make mention of your book in the pitch.
  3. Use Your Book as a Credibility Booster in Your Pitch—We're not saying not to mention your new book in your pitch, but we are recommending to lead with a story, value or newsworthy topic and then   thread in your newly published book.

 

Authors, this might just be the mental shift you needed when it comes to pitching yourself.

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