There is something powerful that happens when a room full of nonfiction writers gathers together. Even if the room is virtual, you can feel it.
The ideas, and the questions, and the quiet determination. The “I know I have something important to say, but how do I help people find it?” energy. Love it. There is nothing like it.
That was the feeling at this week’s Nonfiction Writers Conference, which was beautifully attended and full of authors who are not simply writing books. These writers are building messages, creating movements, defining their bodies of work, and in many cases, stepping into new chapters of their own lives.
I was honored and thrilled to be asked to deliver the closing session, Publicity Reality Check: 5 Mistakes to Avoid and What Works Instead.
As I prepared for it, one thing kept coming back to me. Most authors do not struggle with publicity because they are not smart enough, visible enough, or interesting enough. They struggle because no one has shown them how media actually thinks.
And that may be the one big truth of book publicity. Your book may be the reason you want attention, but your message is the reason the media may give it to you.
The mistake I see most often is that authors pitch the book when they need to pitch the hook. That may sound like a small distinction, but it changes everything.
I know that writing a book is a big deal. A lot goes into it, much more than anyone realizes if they have never been through the process before. I get it. I’ve written books too. But when it comes to media, they really don’t care about the book in the same way you do. The book gives you credibility, yes, but it is not automatically the story. Your hook, if it’s a good one, is the reason someone in the media cares today.
Authors need to know why this message is important now. They need to understand the outlet before pitching it. They need to stop chasing visibility without a ladder and a strategy. And they need to make sure media wins do not disappear after they happen.
Publicity is not just about getting seen. It is also about becoming findable, credible, quotable, and citable. It is learning how to translate your expertise into something timely, clear, relevant, and useful to the audience in front of you.
That is when authors become media-ready.
Media Darling Moment: The media does not wake up wondering, “Who has a book I can promote today?” They wake up looking for a good story, a fresh angle, a timely conversation, and someone who can help their audience understand something better.
Your job is to become that someone.
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. One of the great gifts of the Nonfiction Writers Conference is the reminder that authors need a village. We all need a little help from our friends.
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