You’ve written a book, found a publisher and now it’s listed on Amazon. Congratulations, now the hard work begins.

Each year thousands of books are written but very few of them are publicised or even marketed. In-house publicists are notoriously overworked and under resourced with only the top titles in a publisher’s catalogue being allocated PR or marketing spend. More often than not authors are being asked to help publicise their own books. That’s where you (and hopefully me) come in…

In order to get the maximum publicity for your book, you’ll need to start contacting media approximately three months ahead of the on sale date. Lifestyle magazines have the longest lead-time, traditionally working 3 months in advance (although Xmas issues are often finished much earlier). Most established publishers will send out bound proofs or even photocopied transcripts.

As an example, a book out in mid-November will be sent to magazine reviewers in September for the December issues that come out in early November. Have I lost you yet?? Going in earlier is often preferable than later. Like every other type of PR, journalists want to feel they have found something new. There is simply no point in sending a book that has been out on the shelf for months to a journalist who will be receiving dozens of bound proofs every week.

After you’ve contacted all the lifestyle magazines and sent them your book and a well-written press release, you can take a little break. Or you can have a nice blog or website built for you to showcase your book and entice your audience. An author website does not have to be all singing or dancing but it should be clean, simple to navigate, featuring a short excerpt from your book, your biography, a click through to your Amazon page, book tour dates (if applicable), a press section (for all the wonderful coverage you’re going to get) and a contact page.

Stunning PR can provide a reasonably priced website creation service if you’re interested.

By now your on sale date is approaching. You may have finished copies of your book. Newspapers, radio stations and TV would expect to receive your book approximately 3-4 weeks before it goes on sale, giving them time to read it and decide whether they want to run a feature or review.

Most journalists prefer to hear from a publicist rather than the author themselves, although if you have journalist mates, now is the time to start pulling favours! A good press release will include a synopsis of the book and possible feature hooks. Consider whether there’s anything-topical happening that you can use as a ‘angle’. Write a list of feature suggestions. Keep your press release short and to the point – a page maximum.

Alternatively, if all this sounds like hard work (and it is), give me a ring and let me do it all for you. Stunning PR has over a decade’s worth of experience in publicising books. With a wealth of media contacts built up over years, we’re able to help you maximise the publicity for your book ensuring it has the best possible chance of success.

“I asked Suzanne to help me when I stood as a candidate in a by-election. Within two weeks, Suzanne got me newspapers articles which paid one and a half times her fees and strengthened my public profile enabling me to get a contract for my next book. Fun to work with and a great investment.”

Neil Glass (aka David Craig), author of ‘Squandered’