Nuts & Bolts
Public Relations

The Basics

By Callie Rucker Oettinger, WIW Newsletter and Web Site Managing Editor

Think Outside the Box

The hardcover version of Anita Diamant’s title, The Red Tent, based on the biblical figure Dinah, was not widely reviewed. When it was released as a paperback, it was sent to Reform rabbis and women ministers nationwide. The response propelled the book into bestsellerdom. The rabbis and ministers recommended it to their congregations and the word spread from there—until hundreds of thousands of books were sold and the title was an Oprah Winfrey feature.

Why is this one of my favorite publishing stories? The author thought outside the box and was persistent. I’ve seen authors put down huge sums of money. Unless you are already a well-known author and have a publisher who is willing to invest a large sum in your book, the best tools to access are persistence and creative thinking.

Persistence

The depths of our pockets are not equal, but the opportunity for persistence is. Promoting and selling a book is a full-time job. Understand the process, act professionally and be persistent. As Thomas Edison said, “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”

John Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, was initially rejected by major publishers. A small press eventually published a few thousand copies of the book and Grisham went on the road with his book, selling it out of the trunk of his car. His next book was The Firm, for which Paramount Pictures bought the film rights. The successes of subsequent books—The Pelican Brief and The Client—renewed interest in A Time to Kill. The title was republished in hardcover by Doubleday, in paperback by Dell, and made into a feature film.

Those are two examples of fiction books. What if your book is nonfiction? The perennial nonfiction bestseller What Color is Your Parachute? was originally self-published by Richard Nelson Bolles in 1970. In 1972, Ten Speed Press started printing it. It appeared on bestseller lists beginning in 1974. The paperback has been on the New York Times Bestseller List some 288 weeks.

During the summer of 2001, I worked on a book titled Path to Victory. It was about fourth generation warfare and army transformation. Although army transformation was a big issue, the media gave it little attention. They were wrapped up in Chandra Levy’s disappearance and Gary Condit’s relationship with her. In the fall of that year, after 9/11, the media started paying attention and calls started coming in for interviews.

The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century, a book I’m currently publicizing, is also about fourth generation warfare. In this current political climate, the author has appeared repeatedly on numerous CNN programs, had an OPED published in the New York Times, has been included in publications such as the Atlantic Monthly and USA Today and has done numerous radio programs nationwide, including National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”

I do not recommend taking advantage of tragedy, but if you are an expert on a subject that is in the news, step forward and educate audiences. Subject matter that might not be deemed interesting one day, may—good or bad—be the headline the next day.

How Much Money Should You Spend?

Spend as little money as possible. Spend and spread your energy and dollars over a long period. As long as your book continues to sell, book-selling outlets will keep it on their radar. Rather than spending your time and money toward one large effort, develop a plan that allows you to focus on doing something effective very day—even if that something is one radio interview or one e-mail and one phone call to a producer a day. Growing an audience that will stay with you through the years is often more profitable than throwing down all of your money in one shot and hoping that fame will stick.

You do not need a 25-city book tour. Instead of spending dollars on advertising or mailings, you’ll spend dollars on airfare, food, and lodging. Interviews can be done from your home. If a larger show wants to book you, that’s when you spend the money. The national shows don’t always pick up airfare, but many will pick up hotel and car service costs. Depending on the show, some producers will set you up for satellite interviews. These usually take place at an affiliate station and eliminate the need for traveling. Some shows do require in-studio guests, so be prepared, and save your money for such moments.

Develop a Plan

1) Know Your Market
Authors should educate themselves on the various media outlets. Understand why Oprah is not going to do a book on engineering or why Vogue isn't going to do a book on baby names.

2) Widen Your Approach
A few years ago, I represented a book for female soldiers. It was a women’s version of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. As you can imagine, the audience for the book was very specific. Nevertheless, the author expanded the market by sharing herself. During Desert Storm, the author was the senior most commanding female officer in a wartime situation. The media hooked on to that and became interested in her book through this hook. By understanding her market—the market for her book and the market for her story—she was able to widen her readership. Rather than simply targeting book reviewers, we contacted military and women’s interest reviewers, too.

Longer legs carry books with authors pitched as experts able to speak to certain headlines. The media has more space for news stories than book reviews. For instance, I deal with a large number of military authors. Rather than sending the books to the book reviewers, I also send them to the Washington/Pentagon/military editors/reporters/producers. For TV/radio, the producers are knowledgeable, but the reporters are often the experts. Reach out to them. Develop pitches that relate to current headlines rather than why the book is so great.

Although I approach the military publications, and general news magazines and journals, I also reach out to “mass market” outlets. People already interested in the military will read the material, but to really boost sales, authors need to pitch to outlets with readers/viewers/listeners that may not be as familiar with the subject matter. Excite that group and you'll sell books. Pitch OPEDS, write articles, and schedule interviews with outlets such as Dennis Miller's program or the Daily Show. Get on NPR. Shoot for the morning network programs in addition to the evening and weekend news programs. And constantly change the pitch.

3) Define Your Targets

a) Media: There is a high turn around in publishing/broadcasting. Don’t rely on old media lists. Call the outlet and confirm the name and contact information for the person to whom you are sending materials. Research the outlets and make sure that they are relevant.

b) The following trade outlets should always receive an advance galley of your book at least three months prior to the publication date:
Publishers Weekly
360 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10010-1710
* Send to “Book Review” and follow up by e-mailing pwreviewstatus@cahners.com. Include your book’s title, ISBN, and publication date with your request for review status.

Library Journal
360 Park Ave. South
New York, NY 10010-1710
* Send to “Book Review” and follow up with Tanya Barnes, 646-746- 6818

Booklist
50 E. Huron
Chicago, IL 60611
* Send to “Book Review” and follow up with Chris Anderson, 312-280- 5724

Kirkus
770 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
*contact is determined by genre of book

c) Bookstores: The books in stock at your local chain or independent bookstore aren’t even a dime in the dollar of books available. They represent the current releases and perennials. Due to competition for space, publishers buy space in the store. They buy endcaps—the displays attached to the ends of the shelves—table space, behind-the-counter and on-the-counter space, and ads in the stores’ publications. Bookstores are about selling real estate. Books aren’t necessarily at the front of the store because they are good, but because they are being financed. Unless you have deep pockets, and can afford to buy bookstore real estate—after you’ve spent dollars on other promotions first—you should spend your cash elsewhere. You have to compete with other books to a certain extent, but your best bet is to find alternative markets in which there aren’t as many other titles competing for space.

d) Alternative Markets:

i) Alternative Speaking Events/Book Signings: A few years back I did a book tour for Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. A lot of young people were interested in her message. When she came to D.C., we had her speak to an auditorium of business students at Georgetown, with a booksigning following the event. That evening we went the traditional route, with a talk and signing at Politics & Prose that was taped by C-SPAN. The day before, she was on NPR’s “Fresh Air,” which mentioned both events.

With the independent store Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida, I set up a speaking event with the business school at the University of Miami, which pre-purchased about 700 non-returnable books to gift to business students. Another event was set up with Ms. Roddick speaking at a luncheon of professors. Non-returnable books were purchased for this event as well.

The competition is fierce for bookstore signings. In D.C. there are numerous other options. I have had a number of authors involved with the National Archives lecture program, which includes booksignings after the authors speak. I have also had authors do speaking/booksigning events at the Women’s War Memorial and at the Holocaust Museum. Such events also tend to attract additional media attention as they are not traditional booksignings.

When I work with military historians, I always send them to the military bases to do signings. When a World War II author was visiting New Orleans, I found out that a WWII reunion was taking place in the city, with “field trips” to the National D-day Museum. I booked an event for the author at the museum and he ended up going back for a second day. Although the museum ran out of books the first day, it scrambled and was able to obtain enough books for another signing later that week.

When an author came to D.C. to promote his book about surviving the Holocaust, he spoke at the Holocaust Museum and at the D.C. Jewish Community Center. While chain stores and the media tend to work with authors as their books are released, outlets such as museums and community organizations tend to work with authors months after release dates. For this reason, I highly recommend museums and community organizations. They allow authors a larger window of opportunity.

The Smithsonian also has a wonderful lecture series. Not only are the people who attend such events book readers, but they are usually book buyers.

ii) Sales: Nonfiction books do especially well in nontraditional book markets. There are numerous organizations, companies, museums, catalogs, and boutique stores to approach. One of the gift books I represent was getting lost in the bookstores. At only 4 x 4 in size, it was hard to find among the other gift books. With the title being Vitamins for the Spirit, I thought it might make a good premium sale to vitamin and drug manufacturers. I developed a mailing list, sent the books out in time for winter holiday sales, and the orders started coming in.

T. Scott Gross’ title, Positively Outrageous Service, was sold as a premium buy to Southwest Airlines. The heads of the airline liked Gross’ message enough to buy books for employees. Because the books aren’t going through a bookstore, they are non-returnable. Gross doesn’t have to worry about the books coming back.

Premium sales are usually offered at a deep discount, with the condition that they are not returnable. Bookstores traditionally receive a 40% discount from the publisher and can return books far into the future. For this reason, bookstores are more like libraries. The books may be in the stores, but customers can always return the books. If the bookstores aren’t moving the books, they can return them to the publisher.

4) Distribution
Before you spend money to promote your book, make sure that you have a good distribution system in place. Distribution is the key. You can have all the PR in the world, but if your book is not readily available, it won’t sell.

Check with your publisher to find out what accounts they handle. If they only handle the traditional brick and mortar chain accounts, then you’ll need to work the independents and Web accounts. If they don’t do gift sales, you’ll need to hit museums, boutiques, and catalogs. For the most part, you’ll also have to handle premium sales.

When working with a publisher, it is important to let sales reps. know of your PR activities. Last year I worked with a defense analyst who was well connected with the media. We received a lot of good press for his title. After my work ended, I told him to make sure he informed his publisher of additional work he was doing so that the publisher could share the info. with the sales reps., who would then use it as sales ammunition with the book buyers. A few months later, the author was quoted again in the Washington Post, with a mention of his book, and did a joint interview with an Atlantic Monthly reporter on NPR's “All Things Considered.” The publisher had not received advance notice, and the sales reps lost the time needed to push his books to the bookstores—even in D.C., where he is most well known.

5) Materials
You can spend $20,000 on a campaign, but if you don’t have good press materials, you will not receive attention. Good press materials aren’t defined by the pre-printed folders in which they are sent. Good press materials rely on the basics of journalism: A solid pitch with all the facts—who, what, when, where, why, and how. They also rely on a tie-in to what is going on in the world. Short and to the point. Editors/producers/reviewers have stacks of books to wade through daily. Make yours stand out right away.

6) Follow-up
Authors should stay on top of the news and aggressively follow up. As with everyone else in the world, editors/reporters/producers are busy. Authors should keep their book on editors/reporters/producers radars. However, authors should avoid being pests.

Do not harass the media. It is a club to which you want to belong. Once you have been accepted by one outlet, you will have a better chance at being accepted by other outlets. Publicity begets publicity. Give the contacts time to read and consider the materials presented to them. If they turn it down or write a bad review, don’t call them up and yell at them. Harassment is the best route to a bad review. Like elephants, media contacts have long memories. They will remember you the next time around.

7) Build Relationships
As a publicist, the worse review I ever received followed a persistent author’s harassment of a major metropolitan newspaper’s book editor. Although I had called the editor numerous times, he would not commit to reviewing the book. Behind my back, the author began calling the editor, telling him why he was wrong for not reviewing the book. To my surprise, the editor scheduled a review. In the end, the review slammed the book—all the way down to a critique of the book’s jacket design. The author received his review and I was stuck with an annoyed editor.

John Grisham is known for starting the promotional activities for his books at independent bookstores in Mississippi and Tennessee. When asked why he does this, he responded: “I sign copies of my books each year at five bookstores, and only five. These stores are owned by friends who helped me in the beginning when I was peddling A Time to Kill out of the trunk of my car.” Imagine how many books Grisham sells and what it must be like to be one of only a few handful of stores at which he signs his books. Can you see the dollars rolling in?

Be sincere when you meet new people, but remember that each new contact is a potential future sale. For instance, there are a wide range of speaking events available to nonfiction writers. After speaking, distribute self-addressed and stamped postcards to the attendees, asking them to fill out their contact information and whether they’d like to receive information about your future speeches, books, and other projects. Your mailing list will grow. For subsequent books/events, you’ll have a larger audience to approach.

8) Final Suggestions

a) Network: Join organizations such as the National Speakers’ Association (www.nsaspeaker.org). This Association will help you establish a career as a speaking—from the university circuit to the corporate level. There are local chapters throughout the Unites States.

b) Think creatively: The next time a National Public Radio affiliate has a fundraising drive, offer to donate your book as an incentive for them to gift to donors. You may not receive an interview, but your book may be mentioned on the radio numerous times.