There's a significant amount of crossover between book publicity and author promotion. If you're an author on a publicity tour for a new book, you're also raising your personal visibility. It's a fact that's caught the attention of many businesspeople and professionals on the way up the ladder of success. Many become authors in their careers' early or middle stages to earn publicity. Earning PR for a business that could match what's possible with a book would be challenging. You're seen as authoritative and newsworthy as an author, leading to valuable PR opportunities.
Today, some authors come to their book release believing social media promotion alone will do the trick. It's a popular misconception, and many more opportunities occur once you learn otherwise. What's always important is getting yourself in front of the right audience. For more nonfiction authors, the same people are interested in them and their businesses. It's also an excellent reason to contribute articles freelance to news websites. They include a one- or two-line writer's biography at the end, where you can plug your book's title. It's free publicity, and the article makes a good impression.
Everyone with a book also needs a website. Gone are the days when you could decide based on your opinion. The marketplace has decided, and it's clear people want information about you and your book online. If you don't launch a site, you risk others coming up first in searches for your name, and they might try to steal your customers. If you self-publish your work or do so at the beginning of your writing career, your site helps with wholesale sales inquiries as much as retail book buyers. Author's websites don't need to be elaborate, and you can launch an effective one with six to eight web pages.
Book PR campaigns also include speaking platforms to boost your visibility. They can be as simple as talks and presentations before your book signings at retailers and as significant as appearances before esteemed business groups. What's most important is deciding on your key messages and delivering entertaining and valuable information to your target audience. When you make pitches to earn speaking engagements, be strategic about the groups you select. Either you or your publicist can approach the ones with the most potential. The goal is to reach people who are interested in your topic.