Do Your Press Releases Tell “The Story Behind the Story”?

Written by Robin Thompson on July 18, 2019. Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Blog, Business Development, Leadership, Publishing.

Great easy tips by Shel Horowitz, book marketing copywriter and strategic marketer, about how to write your book press releases.

Which would you rather read: “Electronic Privacy Expert Releases New Book” OR “It’s 10 O’Clock—Do You Know Where Your Credit History Is?”

If you follow most advice about how to write a press release for a book, you’d end up with something like the first example. You’ll put all the 5Ws in the first paragraph. And you’ll put your readers to sleep.

But when a client hired me to write a press release for a book on electronic privacy, I turned in the second example. The main text repeated the headline and continued: “It's 10 O'clock—Do you know where your credit history is? How about your employment records? Your confidential medical information?

“How would you feel if you found out this sensitive and should-be-private material is “vacationing” in computer databanks around the world—accessible to corporate interests who can afford to track down and purchase it, but not necessarily open to your own inspection?”

The book and author weren’t even mentioned until the third paragraph.

Any book has multiple angles—news hooks you can use to gain media and reader attention. I chose to focus on data privacy that time. If I were writing that press release today, I might focus on identity theft, hacking, or the influence of fake news on elections. But NEVER on “expert releases book.” Publishing a book, by itself, is not news. Just in the US, it happens about a million times a year. That’s 2740 books published every day! You want to stand out in that crowd.

So if you’d rather not imitate a snooze button, try something different. Tell “the story behind the story” and create a press release that people will read (and act on). For nonfiction: What problem does your book solve, what pain does it alleviate, what success does it lead to (financial, relationship, career, personal growth, etc.) Ask yourself who needs the information, and why.

For fiction or memoir, what kinds of people will identify with your main character? What exotic situation or fascinating career fills in the backstory? For either—what seasonal or charity tie-ins, awards, or superstar endorsements make your book newsworthy? If your press release is fun and exciting, readers will realize that your book is also going to be fun and exciting.

As a book marketing copywriter and strategic marketer who writes a lot of press releases and book covers for books, I do this constantly. Here are some actual press release headlines I’ve written for clients (starting with one for my own tenth book):

NONFICTION:

Finally, A Handbook for Business To Change the World and Make a Profit—As General Motors, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, the City of New York, and Others Have Done (This is for my own most recent book, and I’ve left the hyperlink in to the complete press release)
54 Million Americans “Swallowed by a Snake”
At 54, He Moved Across the World—Because It’s Never Too Late for Dreams
Missing for 400 Years, Mercator’s Atlas Is Now Available in North America for the First Time

FICTION:

If Romeo and Juliet Had THIS Magical Parrot, Things Would Have Been Different: Romeo and Juliet Meets Robinson Crusoe Meets House of the Spirits—in Africa
Kidnapping…Terrorists…A Foreign Land: Carinci’s Latest Suspense Thriller Chases Danger Across the Emerald Isle
A Children’s Picture Book Where the Good Guys Don’t Win? Yes, Really!
Still More Honors for Debut Novel, “The Dark Dreamweaver”—Named an iParenting Media “Greatest Product”

In spite of their “just the facts, Ma’am” training, journalists love these kinds of press releases. And in today’s world where readers can find press releases in search results, you might even capture reader interest directly.

Shel Horowitz writes press releases and book covers and develops strategic marketing for authors, green and social entrepreneur businesses, and nonprofits. His 7th book, Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers (2007), was endorsed by Dan Poynter, Fern Reiss, and other publishing gurus. His 10th book, Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, is endorsed by Seth Godin and Chicken Soup’s Jack Canfield. Discuss your next marketing project with Shel: 413-586-2388 (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.US Eastern) or https://goingbeyondsustainability.com/contact/ – and pick up his free gifts for you at https://goingbeyondsustainability.com/freebies/

Shel Horowitz – Book Marketing Copywriter, Strategic Marketer & Book Publishing Consultant

What Authors Need to Know NOW to Solve the Biggest Publishing Mystery

Written by Robin Thompson on November 21, 2016. Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Blog, Podcasting, Publishing. 2 Comments on What Authors Need to Know NOW to Solve the Biggest Publishing Mystery

Why do fewer than 10% of nonfiction authors leverage their books into audiobooks? Take a look at what authors need to know to solve this mystery.

In the last eight years, the self-publishing industry has EXPLODED. Bestseller campaigns abound and books have become the new business card. Nonfiction authors often invest anywhere from $5,000-20,000 to develop and launch their book and become a bestselling author.

Here lies the mystery…why do fewer than 10% of nonfiction authors leverage their books into audiobooks?

The audiobook industry is growing at 3X the rate of any other kind of publishing, with sales up 34% in the last year. In 2015 alone, 1.5 million more audiobooks were downloaded than ebooks. In 2016, audiobook sales were were up 25%+ over 2015’s sales numbers. Digital Book World names audiobook production as one of the top 11 key trends for authors.

And to top it off, the cost of audiobook production has dropped 50% since 2009.

My team and I searched for the answer to this mystery – talking with authors, publishers, editors and book coaches – and we heard the same thing over and over again.

Authors had no idea that they could dramatically increase their audience, influence, and income with audiobooks.
Authors didn’t know that they didn’t have to give away their royalties or that it was so easy to get a return on their investment.
Worst of all, authors didn’t know their options for audiobook production or where to get started.

Audiobooks are certainly not a new medium and they’re definitely not a fad. Audio has have a long track record of durability and popularity. In fact, audiobooks are simply an extension of oral history and storytelling, which is part of every culture in the world, and much, much older than the written word. Your listener develops a relationship with you when you’re in their ear. Even if the narrator’s voice on the recording isn’t yours, your Voice (capital V) comes through and stays with the listener. Your words, your messages are going directly into someone’s brain like a software download.

We’re wired to listen to stories and that’s something that is not going away.

Most books that have a good, solid narrative are a good candidate to be turned into an audiobook. There’s an especially big opportunity for nonfiction authors right now as well, because very few nonfiction books have been turned into audiobooks yet. That’s a market advantage for any author with good content. Even if your book is technical, putting it into audio can be a big advantage because it allows people to feel as though they’re being taught the material. Many times, people will purchase both the print book and audiobook version so that they have multiple options.

If you find yourself wanting to google audiobook production at this point, then I would recommend you look deeper into audiobook production. However, utilizing outlets like audiobooks and other audio options like podcasting need to be part of a leveraged marketing strategy that is ultimately going to connect you with the right audience, build that audience, and convert them into fans, and clients and customers.

Find out the facts from reliable sources so you can make powerful choices for your business, protect your royalties and skyrocket your audience, influence, and income.

Audio Narration: It’s Not As Easy As It Looks Or Is It? You Decide… [Podcast]

Written by Robin Thompson on November 9, 2016. Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Leadership, Podcast, Publishing.

There are a lot of tricks to narrating your book and putting it out to a wider audience – punch recording, mic technique, breath technique to name a few – and the generally accepted equation is five hours of recording will give you one hour of finished recording.(Podcast on Writer On The Road, November 9, 2016)

Breathing is about getting in touch with your torso; then there’s tone, tempo, flow and sonority. Still with me? Because I haven’t even mentioned audio quality. Narrating a novel requires a level of focus that some of us may just not be able to summon and by the end of my chat with professional narrator, Tina Dietz, I was starting to create a strategy to choose and hire a professional. Did I mention that Tina’s a professional? Book narration is a performance and our books deserve to be treated well. You can find out more here and don’t forget to download your free checklist. I’m going to…

My team and I can help you figure out the best solution to narrate your book