Grabbing Publicity
All fiction writers have to create opportunities to get publicity for their published books and, of course, grab those that come long.
It’s hardest with an Indie book, they say. However, one opportunity may lead to another, as I’ve just experienced.
I worked hard to get my latest adult novel, “Hillsend”, published in time for Christmas so that, on its release, it would have topicality with the news media . [A major part of the story is set over a hot Christmas vacation in the Marlborough Sounds.
In initially approaching the printmedia I played my few advantages:
• The timing – a contemporary story released just before Christmas about a Christmas holiday
• I was born in Marlborough and could trace my ancestry there back to 1864, with a Sounds connection
• It was my 8th book – all published in the USA
• I had my own website, with a press kit
• My first novel was an ABNA semi-finalist.
I made special pitches, by email, to (among other journalists) a couple of named “Marlborough Express” reporters (copy to the Editor) and submitted a press release about the book.
Error 1 – I forgot to include a phone number. (I’m not in the phone book)
Error 2 – I didn’t check my e-mail every day and missed the opportunity to be interviewed by one of the reporters by the time of her deadline.
Despite my lapses, the Express did do a short feature (with photo) based on my press release and information on my website. For an Indie author, even that is an achievement.
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) National picked up the article from the Express and invited me to do a live interview about my book-writing experiences.
The day before the interview, I spoke off-air with a RNZ journalist who did a kind of mock interview so that she could feed question ideas to the “Afternoons” presenter.
The day of the interview (last Thursday) I had to do my usual volunteering duty at the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and be home by 3 pm for the call from RNZ. Full of anticipation, I left the CAB office at 2 pm, got in the lift and pressed the button for the ground floor.
The doors closed ... and nothing else happened. I pressed again; still no movement. “Oh God,” I thought. “I’m going to be stuck in a lift and miss my radio interview on top of missing the one for the newspaper.”
Calamity!
It was to be my first ever radio opportunity as an indie author and, after over 10 years of writing, a huge break that might not occur again. My heart was in my throat.
Luckily, I had the presence of mind to try the “open door” button, which worked. Greatly relieved, I got out and walked down the stairs.
I was home in plenty of time to sit at my desk and think about what I might say in response to possible questions from the radio presenter. It made me better prepared, but no less nervous, about the prospect of going on air live.
You can listen to the 11 minute interview (and me on anxious auto-pilot) at:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/pro...
My interview is the 5th one down on the programme for the day (go to Thursday, Decemer 18, 2014).
It’s hardest with an Indie book, they say. However, one opportunity may lead to another, as I’ve just experienced.
I worked hard to get my latest adult novel, “Hillsend”, published in time for Christmas so that, on its release, it would have topicality with the news media . [A major part of the story is set over a hot Christmas vacation in the Marlborough Sounds.
In initially approaching the printmedia I played my few advantages:
• The timing – a contemporary story released just before Christmas about a Christmas holiday
• I was born in Marlborough and could trace my ancestry there back to 1864, with a Sounds connection
• It was my 8th book – all published in the USA
• I had my own website, with a press kit
• My first novel was an ABNA semi-finalist.
I made special pitches, by email, to (among other journalists) a couple of named “Marlborough Express” reporters (copy to the Editor) and submitted a press release about the book.
Error 1 – I forgot to include a phone number. (I’m not in the phone book)
Error 2 – I didn’t check my e-mail every day and missed the opportunity to be interviewed by one of the reporters by the time of her deadline.
Despite my lapses, the Express did do a short feature (with photo) based on my press release and information on my website. For an Indie author, even that is an achievement.
Radio New Zealand (RNZ) National picked up the article from the Express and invited me to do a live interview about my book-writing experiences.
The day before the interview, I spoke off-air with a RNZ journalist who did a kind of mock interview so that she could feed question ideas to the “Afternoons” presenter.
The day of the interview (last Thursday) I had to do my usual volunteering duty at the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) and be home by 3 pm for the call from RNZ. Full of anticipation, I left the CAB office at 2 pm, got in the lift and pressed the button for the ground floor.
The doors closed ... and nothing else happened. I pressed again; still no movement. “Oh God,” I thought. “I’m going to be stuck in a lift and miss my radio interview on top of missing the one for the newspaper.”
Calamity!
It was to be my first ever radio opportunity as an indie author and, after over 10 years of writing, a huge break that might not occur again. My heart was in my throat.
Luckily, I had the presence of mind to try the “open door” button, which worked. Greatly relieved, I got out and walked down the stairs.
I was home in plenty of time to sit at my desk and think about what I might say in response to possible questions from the radio presenter. It made me better prepared, but no less nervous, about the prospect of going on air live.
You can listen to the 11 minute interview (and me on anxious auto-pilot) at:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/pro...
My interview is the 5th one down on the programme for the day (go to Thursday, Decemer 18, 2014).
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