Yes, book reviews are great, but they aren’t the only type of media coverage that can be used to promote your book! As an author, it’s best to be open to other unique media opportunities. If you extend your sights beyond the traditional book review, you’ll find various effective promotional tools you can use to get your name in front of readers.
Guest articles
Articles you write, whether they’re being published in a newspaper or online, are an excellent tool for author branding because they allow you to position yourself as an expert. In an article, you will get to emphasize your viewpoint, sharing what you’re passionate and knowledgeable about in your own words. Here are some tips for writing guest articles.
Local and regional media
Some authors get their strongest support from local and regional media; people love to see members of their community succeeding and doing positive things with their lives. And as a bonus, this local coverage helps show independent bookstores in your area that there’s interest in your book within the community.
Promotional giveaways
Giveaways put your book directly in the hands of avid readers, which will help drum up support for your work over time, as these readers leave reviews for your book online, or spread word about it to their friends and family. You can try setting up a giveaway on your social media or, Goodreads offers authors access to their giveaway program for a fee.
Radio shows and podcasts
Audio interviews allow you to express yourself. Hearing an author’s enthusiasm about a book is infectious — you may be surprised to discover that you can pull in potential readers with little more than your personality! Check out more here about how radio and podcasts can be valuable marketing tools.
Book blogger spotlights
Features with book bloggers can be easy to arrange, and are great for SEO! When a blogger is swamped with review requests and can’t possibly add another book to their TBR, ask them if they’d be willing to share a spotlight for your book instead. All you’ll need to do is share the book blurb, your bio, cover image and headshot, and *tada* you get exposure.
Cover reveals
One way to take advantage of a beautiful cover is through a cover reveal. These scheduled unveilings help build excitement for upcoming releases and may help increase pre-orders as well! Learn more here about setting up a cover reveal.
Excerpt placements
Excerpts give potential readers a sneak peek at your book. If you highlight the right excerpt, you’ll have your reader hooked, and they may buy a copy of the book simply because they’re dying to know what happens next!
Bookstagrammers, TikTokers and other Influencers
Think about the advertising rule of 7: A potential reader must see a book at least 7 times before they’ll be enticed to buy it. This is especially true for debut authors or those who don’t have a fan base built up already. Ideally, readers will need to see your name and the cover of your book various times on social media. Before long, they’ll begin to wonder, “what’s this book everyone’s been raving about?” and they’ll grab a copy of their own to find out. Influencer support is very powerful!
It’s true that not all media opportunities will work for every author, but we encourage you to try as many of the above as possible. Having a diverse array of coverage for you and your book will help you to reach new audiences all while solidifying your position as an author-expert!
For more information about these different types of media coverage, be sure to click the hyperlinks above and check out our other articles.
Jackie Karneth is a publicist with Books Forward is an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.
