Do you know your ABC’s when it comes to getting the publicity you need for your book, your business or yourself?

First of all, no matter what business you’re in, getting current publicity is vitally necessary… If you’re not entering into the conversation, if you’re not on top of what’s in the news as it relates to your topics of expertise… then you’re going to be left behind.

And this is especially true and important if you’re an author working on your book.

If you’re not staying out in the public’s eye, and talking about what’s going on from your status as an expert, and letting people know how what’s going on is going to impact them, then you’re going to become yesterday’s news – and the world will move on without you.

Look, publicity is an investment – because once you’ve gotten the publicity, doors will open for you, and other opportunities will fall into your lap.

So let’s look at the ABC’s of Publicity that will help you promote your book…

A is for “Advertise” your book… I’m not talking about taking out an ad in the New York Times or USA Today, I’m talking about getting creative and creating a kind of publicity matrix to help you promote your book in as many different ways as possible. (Some ideas to consider: Posters, flyers, postcards, media releases, newsletter – yours and other people’s, Website, email list, personal letters, networking, twitter, facebook, myspace, forums, local bookstores, book signings, book reviews, local and cable television bookings, etc.)

B is for “Bookings” – you need to talk about your book. So start thinking about radio (internet and traditional) stations, newspaper interviews, blog tours, speaking engagements, etc.

C is for “Creativity” - you don’t have to spend a lot of money – although if you don’t have any kind of budget for your marketing strategy, you’re going to need to plan on spending a lot of time to successfully promote your book. Here’s one way that’s been under-used, but is becoming more mainstream – find corporate sponsors of your book.

D is for “Direct Marketing” – don’t forget to send out notices that your book is ready for purchase.  You can use email (no spamming,please), postcards, personal letters, joint ventures, piggy-back marketing, etc.

E is for “Eye Catching” – My grandmother used to say, ‘Pretty is as Pretty does’… And in today’s hectic, over-advertised, busy worlds, people are getting slammed all the time with advertising. The problem is, too much of it is the ’same-old, same-old” – make yours stand out from the crowd.

F is for “First in Mind” – This goes back to having a platform, creating a brand and coming up with a way that when someone thinks about your topic, or your niche, or even your genre, your book is what pops into their minds first.

G is for “Giving it all you’ve Got” – When it comes to publicity, too many authors will send out a media release or two, maybe do a virtual book tour, and a book signing at their local bookstore – and then they’re done.  The problem with publicity is, it’s a process, and it’s something that happens over time, with continued effort.  If you don’t want to promote yourself, then do you and your book a favor, and hire someone to handle your publicity and promotion.

H is for “Hook” – What’s your hook?  A Hook isn’t a “big over-reaching idea” – it’s the one little thing that grabs people’s attention and helps to create a buzz about your and your book. This is a biggie, so make sure you take the time to find the right hook before your start your book promotion campaign.

I is for “Ideas” – When you’re looking for ideas for promoting your book, take a look at what’s going on in other industries, with other authors and with marketing campaigns for other products that catch your “eye”.  It’s a good idea to create a “swipe file” of advertisements, promotion ideas, posters, flyers, etc. Not to steal, but to help jumpstart your own marketing plans.  Sometimes just one idea can fan the flames of your creativity and result in a fabulous promotional campaign that nets you lots of ongoing publicity.

J is for “Jumpstart your Campaign” – When you’re ready to start promoting your book, create a multi-pronged campaign that hits in as many different media as possible – all at once.  This really can help to jumpstart your promotion and publicity efforts, because your readers – and potential readers – will start seeing your book everywhere.  And it’s necessary, because according to direct marketing experts, a consumer has to see your name or your advertisement at least 7 times before they’ll buy.  So you want to “go wide” at first, to help create a buzz.

K is for “Kick it up a Notch” – Once you’ve done the first promotion blitz, don’t stop there.  Kick things up a notch and do some more.  Remember promoting your book is a process. To do it right, it takes time and effort.  So create an organized plan. Start with pre-promotion. Then the first marketing campaign, and then the second wave. And then have a plan for what happens after that….

L is for “Lessons Learned”.  Keep track of what works – and what doesn’t. One of the best ways to do this is to get yourself a notebook – a publicity journal.  Some authors like a 3-ring binder so they can add pages or move them around as needed. Others prefer a diary-type book or day planner. Having a calendar is useful, and a place to put contact information or other people’s business cards is also good. Basically you want to track not only what you’ve done to promote your book, but the lessons you’ll learn along the way – what doesn’t work, or what you’ll do differently the next time.

M is for “Modeling is a Good Thing” – Don’t waste time, money or effort in reinventing the wheel. Those old sayings that “success leaves clues” and “Find someone who’s already successful and follow in their footsteps” are also true when it comes to promoting your book and getting publicity.

N is for “Networking”. You’ve got connections. The people you know have connections. If you’re networking from a place of honesty and integrity, and with the main goal of helping others, then use your connections. Don’t be shy about it. You might be surprised to find how willing other people are to help build a buzz about your book.  Warning: Don’t suddenly start networking and asking people to help you if they haven’t heard from you in over a year – first of all, they probably aren’t going to remember you. And secondly, it’s those kind of networkers who give everyone else a bad name.  Networking should be a part of your every day activities.  Build your network and keep it going – before you start promoting your book.

O is for “Open Mind” – Stay open to new ideas and always be on the lookout for ways to promote your book. Ideas can come from anywhere, anything and anyone.

P is for “Platform” – It’s one of the first questions an agent or publisher is going to ask.  In its most basic form, your platform is who you are and what you stand for.  It’s your “public face” if you want, and it needs to include what you’ve done – such as your credentials, your expertise, your most recent speaking engagements, previously published work, interviews, etc. – Basically everything that says ‘why you’ and ‘why this book’.

Q is for “Quick Start” – Sometimes you can get almost overwhelmed by trying to plan your entire campaign. If you have that “deer in the headlights” look, don’t let it stop you.  Choose one element of your publicity and promotion campaign, and just do it – move quickly and just get one thing done.  That’s usually all you need, and it will get things moving again.

R is for “Respect” – Like the song says “R E S P E C T” – First and foremost, respect yourself, your talent and perseverance in finishing your book.  Secondly, respect for the people who buy and read your book.  And respect for the people who are making an effort to help you promote your book.

S is for “Speaking” – Becoming a speaker – and even eventually getting paid for it, is one of the many ways authors can put ‘legs’ under their writing business. Not only is speaking an excellent way to promote your book and get scads of free publicity, but it can also become a source of additional income.

T is for “Tie-Ins” – How can you tie your book in with the latest news stories, current events, local happenings or buzz-worthing things that are going on? For example, is there a cause you truly believe in? What about doing a tie-in with one of their fundraising campaigns, and donate a portion of your book’s proceeds to the nonprofit?  It doesn’t matter if your book is fiction or non-fiction, there are ways you can get additional publicity by tying it in to what’s going on in the world, or your little corner of it.

U is for “Universe”. What’s yours?  This is about finding your niche or industry and making contacts with the people in it. Set up a Website, create a newsletter, get people on your list.  These are the people who will be most interested in buying your book. Start building your universe now.

V is for “Visibility”.  If people don’t know who you are, what your book is all about, – or why they should care, they won’t. Get out there. Be seen. Be heard.

W is for “Website”.  You do have a Website, right?  With an online news room?  And a publicity or media kit?  And a sign up box so people can find out what’s going on with you?

X is for “Xtra! Xtra! Read all about it!” (Ignore the spelling, I’m using a little artistic license here…) You need to learn how to write media releases – hire someone who does to start building a buzz.

Y is for “Yes you Can!” You can do this.  You can promote your book and get the publicity you need.  Getting publicity is a process. It takes time, and planning, and concerted effort.  But it can be done, and it’s not that hard once you understand the process.  And, like I said, if you don’t want to do it yourself, then surround yourself with a team who will do the heavy lifting for you.

Z is for “Zig Zag” – Don’t forget to stay open to changes and have a ‘Plan B’ in place for those times when Murphy’s Law steps up and kicks you from behind.  For example, are you willing to step in to be a last-minute guest on a radio talk show? Or if the projector suddenly quits when you’re about to give a talk – can you wing it? If something can go wrong, it often will.  But that doesn’t have to be  recipe for disaster if you just take the time to think about contingencies and have a backup.

So there you have it – my ‘off the cuff” ABC’s of publicity. If you’ve got different ones, I’d love to hear what they are. Just post your comments in the box below!

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