Thanks to publicist and regular WWW contributor Lynda Bouchard for this guest post on hunting for the right author publicity pitch!
Easter is just around the corner so I am of course looking for creative tie-ins for my authors’ books. This got me thinking about the thrill of the treasure hunt.
It is human nature that we direct our attention to whatever gives us a sense of identity, purpose and adventure. Remember this when you craft a publicity campaign.
Religious organizations, sports teams, twitter feeds, and book clubs all give their followers a sense of identity, purpose and adventure.
Every one of us is on a treasure hunt. Yet we all value different things. Your pitch should be crafted for your specific audience of treasure hunters. They need to identify with it.
Book stores and book festivals are a great example of this. Not everyone hunts for the same kind of book. Your bookstore even makes it easy for you by leaving breadcrumbs – separating books into categories like travel, self-help and business.
You must first REACH your audience and connect with them. Only then will they follow you on your adventure.
Books exist to satisfy hungers, fulfill dreams and create adventure. But primarily books help us discover who we are. Happy hunting!
Lynda Bouchard is founder and Chief Inspiration Officer at BookingAuthorsInk, a boutique publicity firm dedicated to authors. She is also to be an esteemed faculty member at PubSmart 2014, discussing creative marketing and PR opportunities for authors.
What a wonderful concept—the treasure hunt.! I’m always looking for that special reader, and what a great experience a book club is! A covey of like-minded book-aholics eager to talk intelligently about the things that engage the author to write. The adventurous spirit always desires the unknown, sometimes to be surprised at the treasures to unveiled, connections made, connecting to yet others. It’s a trip!
Couldn’t agree with you more, Helen… A great trip, indeed!