Interview with Sara Dobie, Public Relations Coordinator

Sara Dobie is a Public Relations Coordinator for a publishing house. If you're an author who doesn't self-promote, she will find you and throw tomatoes. Rotten ones. Read more PR advice from Dobie on her blog: http://saradobie.wordpress.com/.

1. How can an author best utilize his/her personal contacts?

First off, organize them into an email group. (Snail mail is so OUT right now. Too expensive, especially when email is free!) Send this contact group emails regarding upcoming events, new releases, and media coverage/interviews you receive. Develop a fan base; start with your nearest and dearest.

Secondly, do you have a friend in the media? Give them a review copy of your book. Do you have a friend who works with educators/media specialists? Give them a review copy of your book. Do you have a friend who just likes TALKING to everyone in your community? Give them a review copy and tell them to blab all over town.

Having said this, in an ideal world, these personal contacts should go buy your book. (Guilt them into it. Don’t feel bad; it’s your job to sell your book.) Tell your personal contacts to go buy your book at a local bookshop. If the book isn’t in stock, have your friends ask the bookstore to order your book. This starts to get you some attention over time. If your book is selling in bookstores, distributors and store buyers take notice, and bookstores will be more apt and enthusiastic to schedule you for events.

2. What is the best way to prepare for a book signing?

Make flyers for the bookstore where your signing will take place. (A good bookstore will help with this, but just in case, do it yourself!) Hang them up yourself if you have to. It’d be awful if your pretty flyer just sat on a dusty desk, as opposed to hanging in the front window.

Tell your local media about it a couple weeks before the event. If you’re good at the public relations side (meaning, if you’re familiar with AP style and know your journalism junk), write a press release and send it to your newspapers, radio stations, magazines, and TV stations. This press release should include info about you, your book, and all event details. If you’re not comfortable with writing a press release, send local media an email. (Their contact info should be on the newspapers/radio/TV website.) Offer to send a review copy of your book as bait. If you don’t hear from them the week of the event, call them. Stop in the station, if you want. Don’t be afraid of the media. They’re just like you and me, and they’re the ones looking for the next big story. You’re doing them a favor by handing them the breaking news.

Make your signing into a party. Offer an activity or writing workshop on the side as a package deal. Make your event a place for people to learn, as well as meet a totally cool writer person. As an addendum to the party idea, plan to have refreshments at your event. Make it a celebration! Make people want to stick around and meet you! Hey, who doesn’t like free food, right?

Always have tons of books. NEVER run out. NEVER! And if the store will let you, sign the remaining books at the conclusion of your signing. People dig copies signed by the author. Plus, it makes you feel like a big shot. Good stuff.

3. How can an author get the most out of his/her blog?

Offer to review the books of other authors. (Get in touch with the author directly or the public relations guy/gal at the book publishing house.) You’ll get free books out of the deal. Then, you’ll be able to give a fellow author press by posting the review on your blog. Maybe someday they’ll review your book, too. (In theory, scratch their back, and they’ll scratch yours.) Then, hold a book giveaway contest. Ask people to post a comment on your blog to be entered into the giveaway. Choose a name at random, and send them the book. Everyone likes free stuff, and it’ll drive traffic to your site.

Post on the Verla Kay Blueboards. It’s simple. Just sign up: http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php. There’s a Message Board just for blogs. Whenever you post something new on your blog, post a synopsis on the Message Board. It’ll get attention and traffic from your fellow author/illustrators. Basically, you’ll be getting traffic from the industry people who matter, and you might learn something from them in the process.

Always post information about your upcoming events—the where, when, what, why, etc. How are people going to come meet you and buy your book if they don’t know how to find you?

Make your “official” info easy to find, as in contact info, bio, and how to order your book. This will be helpful for media people who want to interview you. It will also be helpful for people who want to buy your book, which in turn, is helpful for YOU.

Post your URL on the internet everywhere you touch. Post it on Jacketflap. Post it on Facebook/MySpace. Leave posts on other publishing industry sites so that people can read your comment and follow your link. Keep that URL in your email signature. Business cards. Press releases. Book website. You get the idea. Basically, post that URL EVERYWHERE.

4. How can an author best use Amazon to his/her advantage?

Whenever a friend/family member/reviewer reads your book, have them post a write up on your Amazon page. The more reviews, the better it looks. It’ll make other people think, “Sheesh! I should probably read this book, too!”

5. How can an author handle a spur of the moment phone interview by the press?

Always be ready to sell yourself and your book. ALWAYS. A phone interview by the press is a lot like a job interview. Instead of them offering you a job at the end of the call, though, they’re assessing the saleability of you and your book. You gotta wow them, or their report on you will be drab and uninspired.

In my personal experience, I’ve done some brainstorming. I prepare a list of possible questions that I think the media would ask. Then, I prepare my answers to these questions and practice. Sounds dorky, but it helps. Like the Boy Scouts—always be prepared. If you know yourself/your aspirations well enough, there will never be a spur of the moment phone interview. There will only be amazing, wonderful, and terribly charming interviews with the press.