What do you do if none of the media outlets you’re reaching out to are responding? One of the most effective ways to publicize your book is to blog.
To find out why this is important, we asked veteran book publicist Susan Schwartzman to tell us her thoughts.
Q: If an author has tried everything and hasn’t had any luck scoring anything with the media, what else can they do?
SUSAN: At Crimebake, a book conference I spoke at, an author said, “I wasn’t born to blog.” But the reality is, even if you have a long-established fan base as this author does, you have to establish an online presence in today’s world. Many readers are getting their content exclusively on the web, and blogging is an easy way to build a fan base.
Remember, the more media outlets you hit, the more readers you will reach. The person on the way to work who is reading the newspaper on the train is not the same person who is listening to the radio while driving to work. There are stay-at-home moms and dads who are watching their favorite morning show, those who are listening to the radio during their lunch break, or a former classmate who is reading his or her alumni newsletter and notices that you have published a book, and e-mails your alumni.