How to keep on hyping when you don’t hear back

5 ways to reinject some energy into your book publicity

Raise your hand if you spent ages getting whipped into a book launch frenzy as the publication date of your book approached and have subsequently lost a bit of your book promo mojo?

It can be superbly frustrating and disheartening firing out your book press release and never hearing back from journalists. Here are a few ways to inject a bit of energy back into your book publicity.

1/ #journorequest

Without a doubt one of my favourite FREE tools for seeing what journalists are after. Search for the #journorequest on Twitter and have a look at the sort of media requests you could help with. The hashtag is used by journalists on a deadline often looking for case studies or expert opinions for articles they are working on.

Note: it is unlikely someone is going to be doing a round-up of books, think more along the lines of sharing your entrepreneurial journey or tips.

2/ Podcasts

One of the reasons I love podcasts for publicity is that it is a really intimate way for the listener to connect with you. Often, they are driving in the car, in the bath, or cooking dinner so they can really start to feel like they know you in their own space and time. You also don’t need a book press release to secure a podcast slot. A compelling email pitch with a list of the topics you can talk about and how it will benefit their listeners is the perfect place to start. Also, unlike a book review in a print publication, it has a much longer shelf life (pun intended) and you can keep promoting your book.

3/ Opinion articles

Media outlets, brand & business blogs, networks and forums are always looking for guest content. If it benefits their audience and drives traffic to their website it’s a double-whammy because it allows you to share your expertise with your target audience (just like how Katie is letting me write this article for you here). Draw a short list of x5 people, places or spaces that you could write for and get a pitch out there.

Top tip: If you google how to write an opinion piece for The Guardian (or whichever publication you want to write for) there will often be a URL with all the information you need to be able to pitch to that publication.

4/ Local radio

Often overlooked but one of the best ways to engage with your local audience. Local radio shows (particularly BBC) are always looking for guests from that region, be it a successful business owner, expert or story.

A great way to find the right contact is on https://media.info - have a listen to the local shows first to get an idea of the programme or slot that you think you could work for. This is going to pay dividends when it comes to writing a tailored pitch later.

5/ Listicles

Listicles is the title for articles which are a list. E.g. The Top 10 books for XX. Take some time to do google research and find online outlets that do round-ups of the book that your category would fit in. If it hasn’t been updated for over a year, you could try asking them if they are planning an update or if they will be writing a revised version for the current year. It can be a great hack to get your book included which is how I managed to get my own book in Stylist.

Launching a book is hard work. Maintaining that launch energy can be even harder. Pick a format that appeals to you be it writing, speaking or public talks and focus on that area. And if you need some help championing your book with some accountability you can join me on my 10-day book sprint Relaunched.

By Lucy Werner, Author of Hype Yourself and founder of The Wern