A recording of this session is available through IBPA’s institution on OpenLearning.com. IBPA members can login to OpenLearning here.

Book publicity is one of the most vital pieces of launching a book and building its visibility in the marketplace. It should be a part of every author and publisher’s plan well before the book is written. We’ve seen the landscape of both publishing and book PR change dramatically over the last decade or so, bringing both advantages and disadvantages—for example, you have a number of channels on which you can reach your audience, but so does everybody else! How do you stand out amongst all of the authors and books competing for airtime?

This webinar will focus on generating publicity in today’s market, the role and impact of social media, and how to know when to do it yourself and when to leave it to the experts.

You’ll learn the answer to these questions (and be able to ask questions of your own):

• What kind of content makes for good publicity opportunities?
• What are the major challenges for publicists in earning coverage for books/authors?
• What gets the media excited?
• What makes them invite you back for more?
• What’s the most important thing authors need to know about publicizing their book? (How to hone in on your audience and develop your “elevator speech.”
• How can authors include members of the media in their online conversations?

Marika Flatt is the founder of PR by the Book, LLC, a boutique literary publicity firm in Austin, TX, and Nashville that offers traditional and online publicity campaigns, social media services, and message and media training for authors and experts.

Prior to launching PR by the Book in 2002, after garnering experience as the host of two cable television shows (The Teen Report & The College Report) in San Antonio, reporting for her college newspaper, producing for her college TV station, and working with NBC-TV in Dallas, Marika spent seven years leading the publicity team of an Austin-based book publicity firm. While there, she was the Director of Publisher Services, handling the company’s key publicity campaigns and serving as the company’s spokesperson.