How to Land Major Media Coverage of Your Book
If The New York Times featured your book, what would the headline say?
Let’s face it: Getting the word out about your new book is easier said than done. It can be difficult to compete with the thousands of authors who publish their newest titles each month, especially since they all have existing fanbases. But rather than dropping a cool $10k+ on a PR firm to promote your book for you, why not try HARO instead?
What is HARO?
HARO is short for Help A Reporter Out, and it’s a service that enables brands and thought leaders to tell their story. How? By demonstrating their expertise to journalists and bloggers who are looking for solutions for their readers.
While there are dozens of smaller publications on the platform, there are several household names on there as well. (Publications like Forbes, New York Times, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and so on.) HARO offers a plethora of opportunities to contribute to these publications, three times per day, via an email that provides an overview of the most recent requests for stories and information. If you find that you have something relevant to say in response to any particular inquiry, all you have to do is reach out to the respective reporter with your story pitch.
That said, it’s important to note that your response should not be self-promotional. Rather, it has to offer real value. In other words, you can’t respond with a direct pitch to the book you just released, but you can take an idea or story from said book and use it in your pitch — so long as it’s relevant to the reporter’s request.
If the reporter finds the information you provide useful, and decides to include your response in their article, you will receive a credit in the publication — landing you highly-coveted media exposure for both you and your book.
How It Can Help
The possibilities for getting publicity using HARO are endless. Reporters often use it because they need an expert opinion for an article that they are not able to provide themselves. Thus, by responding to their request with a smart, well-thought-out answer, you become a voice of authority on the subject at hand. And offering your expertise demonstrates to your target audience — the people reading this publication — that you know what you are talking about.
Furthermore, having your name or book mentioned by an official news outlet creates social proof that you are a credible source of information. It also significantly increases the number of people who will read about what you do and who you are.
In other words, it’s free marketing for your latest book and your author brand! This is what makes HARO such a great opportunity to generate lots of buzz surrounding any author or book (without the added expense.)
How to Get Started
Step One: Go to HARO.com and sign up for their email list.
Step Two: Scan every HARO email that lands in your inbox for submission requests that are most relevant to the book you wrote (or are currently writing.) Each email will be broken down into several categories, making these inquiries more organized and easier to sift through.
Caution: If you find something that you want to respond to, make sure you research the publication making the request first, to ensure that they are a reputable company.
Step Three: Submit your pitch to the journalist or blogger making the request. Here is an example of a template that you can use for your response:
Subject Line: [Title or Credential] for [Query Topic]
Hi [First Name],
I’m a [title with the link to website] with [experience in the subject matter.]
Note: This is where you highlight what makes you qualified for this story. For example, if they want a social media expert and that’s what you do, then include “social media consultant” in your pitch.
Concerning your query on [subject], I can [answer query requirements].
Note: Again, it’s essential to follow the query’s requirements exactly. If the journalist says, “I’m looking for easy, actionable ways to build an organic following on Twitter quickly,” then provide a handful of tips and use a few sentences to describe how to go about each one and what makes it so effective. Many times, the blogger or reporter will run exactly what you send in your email reply, so don’t hold back! Remember that more value builds more trust and credibility.
If you would like me to go more in-depth into the information provided, please get in touch via [contact info.]
Note: This is your version of a call-to-action. It can be a question or an offer to provide more information. And, of course, don’t forget to include your contact details!
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Title and Business with Link to Website]
Step Four: Repeat this process for other inquiries as you wait for responses.
Sometimes you will hear back from the reporter with a request for more information. Other times, you may not hear anything at all but suddenly see that your response was included in an article. How it plays out depends on the reporter. That said, if you are anxious about knowing this kind of information as soon as possible, you can subscribe to the publication’s newsfeed (or set up a Google Alert) to get the latest updates.
There you have it: a simple way to get mass media attention for your book! Leverage it to build up the pre-launch or use it to promote an existing book. Oh, and don’t forget to send the reporter a little thank you note if they include your response in their article. (You never know when they might be willing to help you again in the future!)
Bonus Tip: An alternative approach to using HARO — or another way to increase your chances of getting into a major publication — is to run a quick Google search on books that are similar to yours and see what kind of media attention they received during their launches.
If you see a publication or blog that you think would be a good match for your book, find out who wrote that article. From there, you can usually find the writer’s contact information online or via LinkedIn.
Go ahead and reach out to see if they would be interested in writing a piece about your book. Be sure to make your pitch interesting and mention anything that your book has in common with the book that they previously covered. If they are interested, they will connect with you. But if you don’t hear back, don’t harass them. Simply move on and continue your search.
Takeaway: When you’re a passionate author with a great story, sharing it directly with a reporter can have a powerful impact on your book’s visibility to readers. If a journalist or blogger is looking for information on a subject that you know inside and out, and that relates back to your book or genre, quickly reply with your contribution, along with why you make the best candidate. No one can tell your story like you can, so take matters into your own hands and give HARO your best shot. You never know what might happen as a result.
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