CREATING THE BEST MEDIA PITCH FOR YOUR BOOK

Ben Cameron

Cameron Publicity and Marketing Ltd

What is a Media Pitch?

Media

ReadersYou

You Readers

TRADITIONAL PUBLICITY SOCIAL NETWORKING

Know Your Media:Media Targets

• Television• National

• Local

• Radio• National

• Local

• Magazines

• Newspapers• National

• Local

• Journals / Organisations / Newsletters

• Online• Traditional media websites

• Websites

• Bloggers

Know Your Media:Targeting Journalists

• THINK LIKE A JOURNALIST

• Media bias

• Journalist specialisations

• Workload

• Interviews / points of view

• Deadlines / pressure

Break Down Your Pitch

• YOUR BOOK• Focused message for every

subject area

• What is unique?

• Special dates / occasions

• News

• YOU• What an you talk about?

• Experience / expertise

• Interests

• Writing / inspiration

• Personal contacts

• You need to stand up for your work!

How to Pitch

• Be honest about the appeal of your book to journalists

• Focus on the most likely journalists

• Email / phone

• Follow-up and be persistent!!!

• Accept rejection (eventually and politely)

• Turn interest into coverage

Grumpy Old MenopauseCarol E. Wyer• Book

• Health

• Humour

• Women’s interest

• News: Emma Thompson

• Author• Previous Books

• Humourist

• Former physical trainer

• Social Media

The Dead, The Dying and The DamnedJohn Hollands

• Book• Previous bestseller

• 50th Anniversary of end of Korean War

• Literary interest

• Military interest

• Author

• Korean War vet

• New book about real experiences

• Story about why he joined up

• Story about Churchill

Carnaby Street’s Great UninvitedSafia Shah

• Author• Lives in Morocco and Surrey

• Drives a black taxi

• Commissioned knitted cover for taxi to tie in with Knit and Stitch show

• Endangered words campaign

What Happens Next?

• Make the most of it: Broadcast coverage with social media

• Build small media placements up to large media placements

• Add quotes to Amazon, Goodreads and other descriptions

• Let sales people know

• Don’t take bad reviews personally, don’t bite back and don’t obsess