When FWV client The Free Enterprise Nation (FEN) approached us with thoughts of writing a book last winter, we jumped at the chance and encouraged them to move forward with the process. Nearly six months later, “Unsustainable” is being printed and our team’s plans are bearing fruit.
Planning a national book tour has been one of the largest, yet rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on. There are a multitude of moving deadlines – however the bigger the task, the more fun we have. Here’s an inside glimpse at what is involved.
Nearly all major media outlets have book reviewers or producers devoted to reviewing new books. Identifying these individuals early on is key to coordinating a successful book tour. Frequently, book reviewers and producers require about 3-4 weeks to actually review a book, which means we were pitching that person several weeks in advance of them receiving the preview copy.
While long-lead media opportunities require a healthy amount of time in advance of the book’s release date, a media tour can normally be planned and executed within a much shorter turn-around. When booking a media tour, we focus on securing opportunities with 24-hour news stations, print reporters, national radio shows and highly trafficked news websites and blogs.
While the majority of national news outlets reside in NYC, there are other clusters of media around the nation that you should pay attention to. For FEN, a non-partisan political organization, Washington D.C. outlets were at the top of our list. When planning travel, include visits to hubs like these. The added publicity is a bonus, but more importantly you’ll be talking to an audience that is going to be more receptive to your message.
Whether it’s FWV client Nick Schuyler on Oprah talking about his book or FEN in-studio with FOX & Friends discussing “Unsustainable,” a publicity tour for a book’s new release is one of the best ways to get people talking about and more importantly, buying your new work.
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