The Tao of Book Publicity

Of all the books I’ve kept on the nightstand next to my bed, there are two that stand out as mainstays over the years. One is Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. I am perpetually fascinated by the simple truths – self-reliance, economy, and simplicity – described in those pages, and find myself going back to them often for inspiration and guidance.

The other book that has provided years of inspirational nighttime reading is the Stephen Mitchell translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Written during the 6th century BC by the sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, which means "Old Master"), a record-keeper in the Zhou Dynasty court, the 81 poems that make up the book comprise an instructional guide for everything from politics and governance to practical wisdom and tips for self-knowledge. The concepts have to do with developing humility, compassion, and moderation in how we govern ourselves and others, including learning to yield when the chips are down. Rather than pursuing desire, the Tao emphasizes being willing to step back, listen, and operate from a central place of quiet certainty. In the world of the Tao, those who are stubborn and rigid in their beliefs will suffer, while those who remain open and flexible prevail.

While perusing the Tao the other night, I was struck by how much of its simple wisdom applies to book publicity. Many authors find the marketing side of publishing crass and stressful, but there are aspects of promotion that can be explained and illuminated by some of the principles in the Tao. Here are a few that seem to apply:

12
The Master observes the world
but trusts his inner vision.
He allows things to come and go.
His heart is open as the sky.

Most of the authors I work with come to me for one of three reasons: they know what to do, but don’t have the time to promote their work themselves; they don’t know what to do and would like some help; or they’ve already tried to promote their books, but have not had much success. My first suggestion in all these cases is that these authors take a moment to observe what is happening with their genre and target market, and then sit quietly and consider what it is they want in the way of promotion. I ask them to decide what sales numbers they hope to achieve, what kinds of publicity they’d like (media interviews? book tours? speaking tours? reviews?), and finally, how much they’re willing to spend to make those goals a reality. Authors have to be comfortable with what we’re doing as a team and how much they’re spending on their publicity programs, and they also have to have some level of trust with what I’m recommending for them. The clients who end up having the most success are often those who listen to suggestions about how to proceed, are willing to embrace the process we agree to undertake, and open their hearts to new ideas and ways of doing things.

56
Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.

Those who contact me and want to tell me that they already know everything there is to know about book promotion and publicity are often, ironically, authors who have never published a book before, or who have tried it and have not had any success. But those who are willing to admit that they don’t know much about the process, and who listen to and trust their publicist’s expertise, are generally more successful than their all-knowing brethren. Why? Because the business of PR, strangely enough, comes from a place of not-knowing. We have no guarantees that a producer or editor will like our pitch, nor can we strong-arm him or her into accepting it. All we can do is use our established connections and relationships, our experience, and the knowledge at hand to make the best pitch we can.

Likewise, we can make educated guesses about the target readership for a book and where that readership exists, but there are no guarantees that after we reach them, the readers will buy. With publicity, the best we can do is put our work out there and trust that our publicity contacts and knowledge will open the path and allow the right exposure to happen.

Those who claim to already know it all are often surprised at this; they mistakenly believe that there is a magic formula (a certain number of radio appearances, a certain kind of media list) that will make their sales suddenly sky-rocket. That kind of magical result usually doesn’t occur; in most cases, it is the author who takes careful, steady, well-planned steps toward reaching his audience who will ultimately achieve a desirable level of awareness for himself and his books.

64
Rushing into action, you fail.
Trying to grasp things, you lose them.
Forcing a project to completion,
you ruin what was almost ripe.

I receive a lot of books from potential clients and so many of them are, sadly, not ready for public consumption. As the Tao suggests, rushing a piece of writing to market without the proper preparation, revision, editing, and packaging, can be a recipe for failure. Better for authors to allow adequate time for writing projects to develop and flourish, giving them the experienced, professional polishing and packaging they require before releasing them to the world.

68
Act without doing;
work without effort.
Think of the small as large
and the few as many.
Confront the difficult
while it is still easy;
accomplish the great task
by a series of small acts.

Making the long journey of book promotion a successful one by breaking it up into small steps is wise advice for authors when they begin work with a publicist. At first, starting out can seem overwhelming, but there is a system to promoting a person’s work. Initially, we plan our strategy – we define the audience we’re targeting, we create lists of places where those targeted readers can be found, we map out our next steps, including setting up book and blog tours, scheduling speaking appearances, contacting media, sending out books for review, etc. We develop media kits, including press releases, author and cover photos, Q&A’s, etc. We place the releases on the news wires, we work with our established contacts, we develop a schedule, and we move forward, knowing that this series of small steps will eventually help us to complete our journey and accomplish the great task of allowing the author’s work to become known.
__________
Paula Margulies is a book publicity and promotions expert in San Diego, California. You can reach her at paula@paulamargulies.com, or visit her at www.paulamargulies.com, on Twitter at @PaulaMargulies, or on Facebook at Paula Margulies Communications.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Easily the most compelling WWII narrative I've ever read. The story of Olympic track star Louie Zamperini, from Torrance, CA, starts out slow, but as other readers have noted, it is indeed worth staying with the book -- after the first 100 pages, the story explodes with details about Zamperini's stint as an Air Force bombardier, flying in the notoriously dangerous B-24's before being shot down and lost at sea. The details of his harrowing 46-day-journey on the ocean without food or water, where he and his pilot are the only survivors, are barely outdone by the twenty-seven months of horrific starvation, torture, and vicious beatings at the hands of the infamous psychopathic Japanese corporal, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, referred to as "the Bird" by his captives.

Carefully and compassionately written, Hillenbrand's narrative never veers into melodrama or accusation; instead, she faithfully documents the details of Zamperini's life, including his family's steadfast belief that he was alive, even when the war department declared him dead, and his struggles with PTSD and alcoholism during a rocky return to civilian life after the war ended. I found some of the details in this book so amazing and, in parts, horrifying, that I read a number of passages aloud to my husband and daughter. Most unbelievable to me was the number of U.S. airmen lost due to aircraft accidents, engine failures, gas leaks, oil pressure problems, and faulty landing gear. In WWII, Hillenbrand writes, "35,933 AAF planes were lost in combat and accidents," and "in the air corps, 35,946 personnel died in non-battle situations, the vast majority of them in accidental crashes." It was a dangerous time to be an air force recruit, and for those who survived crashes in the ocean or on land, the horrors were just beginning if they were unlucky enough to be captured by the Japanese who, at that time, were indoctrinated into believing that POW's deserved to be beaten, starved, and enslaved, and ultimately executed in "kill-all" orders at the first signs of American invasion.

Everyone should read this book; it simply and clearly describes the horrors of WWII without sensationalizing or amplifying the details. The ghastly events that American POWs experienced during WWII become achingly vivid and real, which makes Louie Zamperini's trials and those of his fellow surviving servicemen, more compelling and unbelievable because, as Hillenbrand's book illustrates, their stories are true.

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The Writers’ Salon: When It’s All About the Writing

A couple of months ago, I entered a Red Room (redroom.com) writing contest and won free admission to the USC Writers Conference. Since this was the first annual writers conference for the university, I correctly assumed that it would be small (it was) and that most of the attendees would be USC students (they were). Even so, it was nice to spend some time at a conference as a participant rather than a speaker, and I enjoyed meeting the attendees and hearing the presentations, especially the keynote by Red Room founder and CEO, Ivory Madison.

Madison’s talk focused on the amount of time writers spend on peripheral writing activities versus the time they spend actually writing. As Madison pointed out, writers spend a lot of time on activities associated with writing that don’t involve creating any words. For example, she explained that talking about writing is not writing, reading about writing is not writing, blogging or perusing social media about writing is not writing, and yes, attending writers’ conferences is not writing. The only activity that can be considered writing, she said, is sitting down and actually putting words on the page.

One of the activities writers spend a great deal of time on is meeting in groups to critique each other's writing. Meeting in critique groups, Madison pointed out, can be useful for helping to revise a finished work, but it’s still time spent not writing. Although writers need feedback on their work, Madison recommends that they wait to do that until after the first draft of a work is completed.

Madison does acknowledge that writers are social animals, and that group energy and camaraderie are important to writers in helping to provide inspiration, keep each other motivated, and lend a shoulder to cry on during times when the writing gets tough. Although she doesn’t recommend critique groups during a work’s creation, she advocated belonging to what she calls writers’ salons. These are groups of writers who get together for a specified amount of time to do a limited amount of socializing, but whose main focus is to write (she runs a number of these for writers in the Bay Area).

I have personally been a member of some writers groups and found them invaluable when I was writing my first novel, Coyote Heart. Although the meetings did take up some time (my group usually met once a week for about 4 hours), I found the feedback and the interaction extremely helpful to honing my work. But Madison’s point about activities like critique groups taking time away from writing struck home with me. Though the feedback in these groups was useful, why did I have to get it as I went along? Couldn’t I finish a book and then work with a critique group, as Madison suggested?

While mulling this information over at the conference, I discovered that a number of the students there were also big fans of writers’ salons. One woman said that she was in a group that met weekly and found it productive and stimulating. Another said that her salon met online via Skype “We all just sit there and type,” she said. “All you hear are keys clicking while everyone gets the work done.” All of the attendees who are salon members agreed that they were the best way to get work done and still have a social connection with other writers. And all of them said that they were willing to wait until their books/works are completed before having anyone edit or critique them.

Since I had recently begun work on a new novel, I decided to try the writers’ salon concept once I returned home from the conference. There are a couple of organizations that run salons here in San Diego (San Diego Writer’s Ink, for example, runs weekly open writing sessions that cost $5 each to attend). But I decided to start my own unpaid group; I ran ads on Craigslist and in the newsletter of a friend who runs writing workshops and, within a week, was able to form a group of five members that has been meeting for two hours once a week.

What have I learned since starting a writers’ salon? First, it’s a lot easier to set up than a regular critique group. Most of the critique groups to which I’ve belonged required that the group members wrote in a similar genre (for example, all were novelists or short story writers). They also required that everyone wrote at a somewhat decent level, had the same level of comfort and experience with giving critique, and were committed to generating work every week for the group to review. Finding a group that meets all of these criteria can be a daunting task, and when a member or two drops out, groups often fold.

None of that is necessary in a writing salon. The salon concept requires that everyone be there to write, but what each person writes is up to him or her. So, in our salon, we have novelists, short story writers, poets, and song writers. Our group liked the idea of starting out with a ten-minute writing exercise, but after that and a little bit of chit-chat, we get down to work and write for a solid hour and a half (we usually set a timer). After that, the group is free to discuss the writing, share ideas, questions, and concerns, and then disband until the next meeting.

At first, I was a little leery of the notion of writing with a bunch of other people sitting around the table, but I’ve found the group sessions to be amazingly energizing and productive. And the best part of being in a writers’ salon is that there is little-to-no drama. Since we aren’t there to critique each other’s work, there is none of the hurt feelings or resentment that often comes with honest judgment of what we’re each producing. If any of us wants his/her work critiqued, we can easily arrange that as a side option with our fellow group members or with beta readers and/or professional editors.

So, I’m glad I entered that Red Room contest and especially glad to hear what Ivory Madison had to say. If I hadn’t entered, I would never have met the members of my salon group, who I’ve come to treasure, or made as much progress on my new novel, which is moving along nicely.

Why the Rush? Make Sure Your Book is Ready Before You Put It Out There

Ripeness is all. – King Lear, Act V. Scene II., William Shakespeare

In a recent interview at the blogsite On Fiction Writing, OFW editor Renee Miller asked me to name the three specific things a writer can do to ensure success (you can read my response here). Even though my job is to market books, my answer has little to do with marketing.

We publicists prattle on an awful lot on our blog and social media sites about the importance of building a platform. We urge authors to develop their celebrity and expertise by giving talks, teaching classes, and writing articles. We push authors to set themselves up as experts in their fields, advising them to create web and blogsites and spend hours of precious time introducing themselves via social media.

But if a book isn’t good, no amount of platform-building is going to help to ensure its success. Many of the samples I receive from authors who believe their work is ready for publication are sadly lacking in character development, structure, or content, and a good majority have not been edited. Some have inappropriate covers, often designed by the authors themselves, or by those who have little experience in cover design. These books, no matter how much the author works the marketing side of the equation, will never be successful.

My question to these authors is: Why the rush? Why be in such a hurry to put out work that has not been properly revised and correctly packaged? And why in heaven’s name would you want to spend your hard-earned money publishing a book that has never been edited?

My sense is that many authors yearn to follow the paths of those who have self-published and are making a living selling their books. The possibility of earning income, combined with the ego-stroke of being a published author, can be tantalizing, creating an anxiety that results in a rush to release work before it’s ready.

But authors should remember that many of those who are successful have worked a long number of years to get to this point in their careers. And the majority of them have taken the time to make sure their books are polished and ready before they are available to readers.

It takes a long time to write a book. And, if done correctly, it can take even longer to revise it and have it edited and properly formatted. But authors should ask themselves: Do they really want to throw a book out there that isn’t ready and risk negative feedback and poor sales?

Or, is it worth it to wait, giving the book the necessary revision, editing, and design that will ensure its success? Only the author can make this decision, and it is a crucial one.

The Best Timing for Book Publicity

To everything, there is a season, and after many years of helping authors publicize their work, I’ve learned that some seasons that are better than others for certain aspects of book promotion. Here are my recommendations on timing for book publicity (note: this is general advice based on my experience as a publicist; your experiences may be different, depending on the kind of book you’ve written, whether you are traditionally or self-published with ebooks or print versions (or both), and the specific media and venues you plan to approach):

1. The best time to promote a new book: the first 6-8 months after its release
The first 6-8 months that a book is out is the best time period to promote it, because that is when authors are most likely to receive yes nods from booksellers and members of the media for signings and interviews (except for those topics that tie in with breaking or hot news topics: then an older book can be considered timely). When I work with new clients, I tell them to plan on spending the majority of their promotional time, travel, and budget during the first 6 months after release; after that, I recommend they get back to work on their next books.
2. The best time for book signings and tours: spring, summer, and early fall
Booksellers are more apt to say yes to signings in the spring, summer, and early fall, especially in those areas of the country where winter weather might be an issue. Most bookstores don’t want to host authors during the holidays; they have enough traffic in their stores at that time. And many of them don’t begin to set event dates on their calendars until after the start of the new year.
3. When to begin calls to book spring, summer and early fall signing tours: January – March
See #2 above – most booksellers start filling out their spring, summer, and fall schedules right after the new year. Big name bookstores will sometimes book signings months in advance, so be prepared to start early for those venues that are highly sought after.
4. The worst time for book tours: late November – early January
Winter is quiet for booksellers, but it can be a good time for presentations to clubs and professional organizations (although many organizations set their schedules early, so plan to start calling at the beginning of the year to obtain speaking spots).
5. The best time to hold giveaways for new books: just prior to or immediately after release, and ongoing
To help drive initial reviews and buzz, giveaways are best held just before a book is released or immediately after its release date. Some reader sites have specific windows for giveaways (Goodreads, for example, allows authors to give away prerelease copies of their books, but will only allow giveaways for published books that are within six months of their release dates), so check the guidelines for timing. Ongoing giveaways are good, as well, especially if you are an author with a number of books and can give away some titles to help drive sales with others.
6. The best time to book conference speaking engagements: 6 months -1 year in advance
Those authors who would like to give presentations or workshops at conferences should plan to do so early – most conferences schedule presenters a year in advance, and some are even booking two years ahead. If you know you want to speak at a certain conference, check the website for dates when calls for presenters begin and note deadlines for submitting applications.
7. The best time to seek jacket blurbs: 3-4 months prior to publication
Most authors who are traditionally published will have help from their editors on soliciting blurbs for their back covers, but self-published authors have to do this work themselves. I recommend contacting those whose endorsement you seek at least 4 months prior to publication. Be considerate to those you’re approaching and submit all or a portion of the book (this can be done in manuscript form) with enough time for the endorser to read what you’ve sent. And remember to acknowledge the generous gift of a positive blurb with a thank you afterward.
8. The best time to seek reviews: ongoing, but good to solicit some 3-4 months prior to publication, so that they are available when the book is released
Again, authors who are traditionally published will usually have help from their publishers with initial reviews, but self-published authors will have to handle reviews themselves. Traditional publishers will usually prepare advance review copies (ARCs) and send them to top-tier reviewers (New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Booklist, Library Journal, etc.) four months prior to publication. Self-published authors can approach reviewers (generally, mid-tier and online) once their book is in printed form or, in the case of ebooks, when the formatted files are available.
9. The best days to pitch news producers and editors: Tues/Wed/Thurs
When making publicity calls, I’ve found that the best days to actually reach news editors or producers fall during the middle of the week. Editors and producers tend to be busy or unavailable on Mondays, and Fridays seem to be the most difficult days to reach media people.
10. The best time of day to pitch radio and TV morning show producers: 6 – 8 a.m.
If you plan to pitch morning show producers, be ready to get up early. Most producers are in the studio well before 6 a.m. on days that shows are taped, and many of them will be unavailable once the show begins. If you miss a producer, be sure to leave a voice message and follow up with email info (press release, author photo, and book cover art). Be aware of time differences if you’re calling cross country, too.
11. The best time to pitch media for event coverage: 3 weeks prior to event date
This is my own personal preference, but I like to give print media the most lead time for feature stories (about 3-4 weeks). If you are calling magazines, their lead times can be quite long – from 3-6 months in some cases – so research their submission guidelines and plan accordingly. I usually make calls to radio and television producers about 2-3 weeks prior to events (I like to set up my clients’ events first, usually booking 6 months out, and then make media calls about 3 weeks prior to each event to help drive traffic to it).
12. The best time to send out calendar listings: 2 weeks -1 month prior to event date
Many print and online publications will let you post listings on their websites. But check the guidelines for when listings must be done – most publications want them 2-4 weeks in advance of the event date.

Finally, many authors ask me about the best times to schedule their social media posts. For those who do a lot of posting on different sites, I suggest using a management dashboard like Hootsuite to schedule updates. As to specific timing, in his research on blogging, Hubspot's Dan Zarella gives the following guidelines:
-The best day/time to post on Twitter: Friday at 5 p.m. EST is considered the most retweetable time of the week.
-The best time for readership on blogs: early morning.
-The best days for Facebook sharing: Saturday and Sunday.
-The best time for Facebook sharing: around 9 a.m.

On Fiction Writing- Interview on Book Publicity

This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed about the ins and outs of book publicity by editor Renee Miller at On Fiction Writing. You can read the entire interview here: http://onfictionwriting.com/interview/Paula-Margulies/35/