An Author’s PR Roadmap

Whether you’ve signed with a major publishing house, a boutique publisher or have self-published your book, there is one constant…

You need to market!

PR, marketing and promotion are not luxuries for authors, they are necessities.

The question authors need to ask is not if you should market, but when and how.
Your best bet is going to be a combination of a public relations outreach combined with a social media campaign.

Why PR?

Because public relations is the only form of marketing that reaches your target market and offers you the credibility and validation of being featured in the media.
You are not in a commercial or an ad.
You are featured in the news. You are the news!
To start, keep in mind that marketing your book is different than marketing yourself as an author. A book can be an engine that helps pull the train, but the overall train is your image and brand as a writer. One of the problems with publishing houses is that they focus solely on marketing the book and often overlook valuable PR and marketing opportunities that can be gained from marketing the writer themselves.
I understand a publisher’s perspective. They’re going to make their return off the book sales and the author might not be with them a year or two down the line.

But as an author, you need to think more long term. Each book is a part of your canon. No one work defines you. Your marketing, PR and branding focus needs to be on your overall career as an artist.
Still, if you do have a book coming out, you’re then working with a specific timeline and need to develop a marketing and PR plan targeting your book release. Write out your plan. Have it include objectives, timeframe, goals, strategies and tactics. Whether you’re self-publishing or working with a traditional publishing house will change your approach.
If you’re working with a publisher, they should give you some guidance, but do not expect them to take care of your PR and marketing needs. Realize that you are going to have to take charge of your marketing. If you can hire a PR firm, do it. If not there are still steps that you can take to promote and market your work.

Do some homework.
Learn some of the PR basics.
And remember, effective PR is effective storytelling.
And who better to tell a story than –
An author!

The Indie Filmmaker’s Secret Weapon: PR

If you’ve finished shooting, or have locked your film—congratulations!

I know from experience that is not any easy process. It takes, blood, sweat, tears, and persistence—not to mention funding. So, do congratulate yourself, but then do a reality check and realize that your journey has just started.

You now need to get your film into the marketplace and promote it. What are your plans for distribution and marketing? If you’ve secured distribution that’s a huge step forward, but that in and of itself does not assure that your film will be successfully marketed. If distribution is still on your to-do list, an effective PR campaign will not only help create a buzz and establish your brand as a filmmaker, it can also solidify distribution and film festival interest.

With the film industry in such flux and more competitive than ever, effectively positioning yourself in the marketplace is more challenging than ever. At PR for Writers & Filmmakers, we’ve been promoting independent feature films (both narrative and documentary projects) for years. Having worked as a screenwriter and indie film producer, I know the hazards and pitfalls of getting a film from concept to the market. With that in mind, we’ve developed a unique PR and distribution approach designed to publicize and market films to the public, but also to help secure distribution.

Our firm specializes in media placement, media training and image development. We’ve placed clients in a wide range of local, national and international media venues including Time, Newsweek, The Today Show, 60 Minutes, CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News, People, US, Entertainment Tonight, Premiere, Fox News, USA Today, CNN, MSNBC, 20/20, Oprah, The London Times, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Entailment Weekly, and many more media outlets.

Making a film can be a magical experience, but the mistake many filmmakers make is to focus solely on the production and forget about next steps, specifically marketing and securing distribution. Too many filmmakers forget to develop an action plan they can implement once their film is completed. How are they going to get their film, promoted, marketed, distributed? What is their gameplan for building that bridge between the finished product and the audience?

Each film is unique and there are a number of different strategies we can utilize depending on the needs of each project. Effective marketing and promotion will help you achieve your primary objectives: to find your film’s audience and to make your project profitable, which will allow you to make your next film—and the next after that.

If you have a completed independent film, you need PR.

It’s that simple.

Why PR is Crucial for Your Film

Technology and the digital world have caused huge changes to what was once considered business-as-usual in the entertainment world. While the last decade has seen the music and publishing arenas changed forever, the world of film production, distribution, and marketing is also in a state of flux. There are new approaches to production, distribution, and marketing that were previously unheard of. Technology has also made it possible for full-length films to be created on minimal budgets, and there are a myriad of new distribution channels available.

Still, one question remains. What comes after you've produced your film? How is it possible to establish yourself in the industry, secure distribution, or reach your target market?

Social media is one very important piece of the puzzle. However, to get the attention that's needed to move forward, an effective and well-targeted PR campaign is your best approach. A traditional media campaign is critical.

Why is PR crucial when launching a feature film?

Simple.

PR is the only form of marketing that offers you (as well as your film) the validation and credibility of being featured in newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio in online media outlets. Being featured in the media creates an undeniable buzz, building a brand for you and your movie. Being able to land that type of press coverage puts you a cut above the competition. And finally, it puts your film on the map, and shows that you can be a key player in the marketplace. Once you've put these elements into place, you can start to broaden the scope of your own marketing outreach.

When pitching the media, keep in mind that the stories and pitches that interest you aren’t necessarily those that will interest the media. Take time to study the media outlets you’re approaching. What type of stories and angles do they focus on? Let those be your guide.

Remember, you don’t want to simply focus on reviews for your film. Rather, what you need is a mix of interviews, features and reviews about you and your film. Brainstorm, come up with some creative, unique media pitches and hooks about you, your film, the cast, the story, etc. Once you’ve secured some press, you can utilize your media coverage in your social media outreach. That allows you to amplify the media you’ve secured.

A campaign that blends traditional and social media is going to be the most effective. But to start, you need to land some media coverage.

Our motto is effective PR is effective storytelling.

So, what are your stories?

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I’m a Writer, not a Marketer! (You Still Need PR)

"I’m a writer, not a marketer or promoter!"

That can be a nice sentiment, but it’s also generally the kiss of death. If you write and don’t want to promote your works, you best team up with someone who will.

The fact that successful authors need PR and to market their books is not a new phenomenon:

These three were giants of literature who were also brilliant promoters.

There are more stories than we'll ever know from talented writers who are unknown because they failed to promote, and many accounts of mediocre writers who have successfully marketed their works. A mediocre writer who promotes will generally be more successful than the talented writer who doesn’t.

Talented writers who also market and promote—those are truly ahead of the game.

The trick is not only to become comfortable promoting yourself as a writer, but to do so effectively. Sadly, it’s not enough to decide you’re going to promote, jump on Facebook, Twitter, and maybe Goodreads and then sit back and wait. Nor is cobbling together a media list and sending out a press release going to suffice.

The secret? Effective PR is effective storytelling.

Perfect you say, you’re a writer, storytelling is your stock-in-trade. True, but when it comes to PR you need to know what stories to tell, how to tell them, when to deliver them, and to whom you should tell them.

If all of those pieces aren’t in place, chances are not much is going to come of your efforts.

So, if PR and marketing aren't your strong suit—delegate.

Find a PR team that understands how to promote books and authors, have worked in the field and who you feel comfortable with. Bring them on board and, together, move forward.

Effective PR and marketing can spell the difference between success and failure of a book and a career.

Give yourself the best shot to succeed.