First Word

Today for the do-it-yourself-ers, I thought I would give you a brief tutorial on press release writing. My bachelor's degree is in Public Relations. I remember taking the media class and learning the basic rules of press release writing. Any class at that time that indulged my love of writing was always a winner - whether press releases or essays. So, I'm going to take you through each part.   Press releases require a standard format. It's the same every time and it looks like this (just replace with your info) for the HEADER:   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        Date:                                                             Contact:     ...

This is Michelle Gamble, CEO, 3L Publishing. I wanted to personally let you know that we have some affordable new programs for writers to promote their books. You can find out more about 3L Publishing and my background as a PR expert on our website at www.3LPublishing.com . Please feel free to email me at info@3LPublishing.com. Bronze Package - $499.99 1. Media Kit (press release, about the book, book spec sheet, FAQ, sample chapter) 2. 1 Page Pitch Letter 3. Links to Book Reviewer Lists Silver Package - $799.99 1. Media Kit 2. 1 Page Pitch Letter 3. Links to Book Reviewer Lists 4. Press Release posted to our blog 5. Press Release link posted to Facebook (personal and fan page) (4700 connections) and Twitter 6. One hour of consultation on media relations and book marketing Gold Package - $999.99 1. Media Kit 2. 1 Page Pitch Letter 3. Links to Book Reviewer Lists 4. Press Release posted to our blog 5. Press Release link posted to Facebook (personal and fan page) (4700 connections...

By Michelle Gamble, CEO, 3L Publishing What is the answer to that question? Poor writing Weak characters Uninteresting story Lack of pacing Would you believe the answer is “none of those things make a book fail?” Are you wondering what does make a book fail or (to rephrase it positively) what makes it a top-seller? The answer is cracker-jack public relations and marketing. P.T. Barnum put it best, “Advertising is to a genuine article what manure is to land – it largely increases the product.” In my estimation that is a crass way of saying (in book-ease), let people know you have a book and increase its sales. Books aren’t the same as selling widgets. You can advertise a widget pretty easily, and consumers caught up in the idea or the sensation or fad will invest their dollars. Readers though are interesting audiences to crack open. An advertisement for a book won’t convince a reader it’s any good. Book advertising will increase brand v...

For the next few months, I'm going to do a series of blogs titled "50 Tips to Market Your Book" ... so let's start. Tip 1: A critic's one-sheet flyer Take all of your one-liners (great lines only, please) and create a single sheet flyer (AKA one sheet) and add all of those positive comments. Insert your book's cover as an image. I always encourage people to hire a graphic designer so I will hold to that policy. And that will be another tip for another day. Always remember: you should hire a professional to do your book marketing and PR. You don't know what you don't know, right? For more information, visit my website at www.3LPublishing.com .

One of the best ways to invest your marketing dollars is in book festivals. You can't look at a festival as a singular marketing strategy. Festivals return on investment (ROI) comes from the outreach and networking done to promote your book and get copies right in the hands of readers. When attending a festival as an author, here are some activities that will deliver precious ROI: Reviewers --hand the book and pitch it right to book reviewers. Meeting and talking about your book directly to a reviewer is much different than an email pitch. Make it memorable. Have you elevator speech prepared and deliver it effectively in 30 seconds or less. Make sure you collect the reviewer's business card so you can follow-up. Readers --try and useful trick to build your following; do book giveaways with the request that the readers post Amazon reviews in exchange for the copy. If you have a series you're working on copy giveaways are worth it. Fan following equals bigger sales for t...

If you're trying to do public relations for your book (which I don't recommend), and you want to reach the media, here are some tips. If you have a publicist then he or she should know this information. Regional press is easier to get attention . Regional press usually generously consider talent in their own areas. It's easier overall to get the attention of media in the author's city of origin then to try and get national reviews, which doesn't mean national reviews won't happen; it's just easier to first start with the locals. News angles should focus on regional activities, partnerships or donations . A simple book release won't get the media's attention. Authors whenever possible should partner with for example a charity to promote along with their book. Give portions of proceeds to the charity. For example, the children's book Princess Josie partnered with Canine Companions and donated portions of profits to the group. The media is more ...

Booth duty :). So, I'm sitting in my booth space at the Northwest Book Festival , and I'm with my friend Kirk who volunteered to help that day. People walk up to the booth and walk away. Kirk, who is new to sitting in a booth space, made some keen observations that I found amusing. First, we had many folks walk up the booth who clearly suffered from poverty -- and this is a political statement. What we found actually kind of strange when the say through their (how shall we say) "dental challenged" teeth that we should have the festival on the 1st of the month when they get "paid." It was Kirk who said, "Welfare pays at the beginning of the month." Paid? I thought paid meant you earned a "paycheck" ... you get "paid" for working (that is my fiscal conservative viewpoint). The other observation bemused Kirk. He said, "Why do people stand back, avoid eye contact, and look at the books?" I said, "Because it's ...

My recent post on book promotion is one of the highest read posts on this blog right now. I figured readers must be hungry for that information. The great benefit of promoting all of our books is the side-bonus of promoting my company 3L Publishing as a "via". So, I thought I would share what's required in your author toolkit to market and promote to your target audience. Authors are required to build what is called a "platform" (a place and methodology to spread their messages). A platform enables authors to spread the word about their books, viewpoint and message, and more importantly create the critical following. A following is gold in this industry. It means multiple book sales not just of one book, but other books, too. The following addresses what should be used to build a platform. Media Kit -- industry standard media kits are required not only for the media, but also for the book sellers and associations where the author might speak. The industry ...

I am constantly telling authors that a book is like having an entire business -- that is, if you're treating it right. As you begin the marketing and publicity phase for your book launch, you should have some key marketing pieces in your arsenal. Are you wondering what are the necessary pieces? Here is a good starting point: Author Website -- you absolutely must have an author website. Well, any business these days cannot get away without having a website. At a bare minimum your website should feature: About the Author/Book, a dynamic page or blog that can be updated with event information, and a method to buy the book via a shopping cart system. Media Kit -- 3L Publishing is widely known in the industry for having some of the most beautiful media kits. Media kits go to the book buyers and regional and national broadcast and print media. They are used to attract attention and sales in the book stores without having to necessarily send a sample, which bookstores like Barnes a...