You started a blog, but who’s going to read it?  Do you have to write another one? How do you get the most out of it?

Writing a blog is a basic process: an introduction, the body, and a conclusion. You hit the “publish” button and it’s out in the inter-web, now what? The best result (and most hoped for) would be that people just randomly stumble onto your blog and fall in love with it immediately—but we all know that realistically, getting viewers to your website is going to take a lot of tedious work. Tedious, but necessary! If you are not getting the viewership you’re hoping for, here are some tips that we have found to be successful:

1. Tweet on Twitter
If Twitter overwhelms you, you are not alone. When I first started Twitter, I was terrified of so many things: saying something really dumb, having a person attack me (it happens to everyone—Twitter is a place where many people unleash their critical side [such as here], and it’s not you, it’s them), or using the wrong #hashtag and having someone malign me for it. But Twitter is not all that bad, and you can use it to spread word about your blog.

2. Use #HashTags
There are lots of ways to muster interest, such as posting your blog on Mondays and tweeting your latest post with a #MondayBlogs hashtag. Or #ThrowBackThursday with an older blog post that could still be considered relevant.  For example, did you write a blog post in 2012 about Superbowl commercials? Use #TBT or #FlashbackFriday as a fun way to look back and compare it to this year’s game.

3. Facebook/LinkedIn
More people are shifting their attention from Facebook to social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, but don’t forget how much of your demographic may still be on Facebook and LinkedIn. Post your new blog posts to Facebook—friends and family members can be a huge help when they share your posts with their friends. Don’t forget that Facebook now uses hashtags too—so make sure you utilize them as well. LinkedIn is similar to Facebook in posting styles.

4. Commenting and sharing; relationships with other blogs
Blogging and getting traffic to your blog is not a one-way street. Other bloggers who are starting out (and even have had blogs for awhile) are in the same position as you: they need readers. You should read other blogs that are interesting to you and share on social media ones that you like (and if they have a social media account, make sure to tag them or tweet their Twitter handle).  You might comment on some blogs, other people might click on your comments, and because you have made sure your name links back to your website, you will gain traffic–Voila!

5. Putting your blog in your online bios.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but make sure that your blog web address is on any and all of the other platforms that you use: Google Plus, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Goodreads, etc.

6. Subscribers
Brainstorm new ways to get people to subscribe to your blog. A client of ours wanted to know how he could leverage his book signing in order to get more subscribers to his blog.  We suggested he print out some sign up sheets for the people who came to his event.   It’s simple, and by the end of the night he might have 20—maybe more—new subscribers.

7. Create a blog roll
Are there blogs that you find yourself going back to over and over again? Create a blog roll on the side of your page that links back to those blogs. It’s another way of participating in the “sharing is caring” culture of the blogosphere—they’ll appreciate it and may insert you in their blog roll as a thank you.

8. Use buttons
There are several websites out there, like BlogLovin’, that pull together tons of different blogs for their subscribers. You can add their buttons to your website, and when people click on “add me to BlogLovin’” it adds your blog to that person’s list.

There is never just “one way” to get traffic to your blog.  It is more about using several of these tips and strategies that will connect you to a community as well as increase your own readership, and you will have to extend yourself sometimes to help a kindred blogger. In order to get what you want, you have to give a little too.

I recently wrote a blog about when and how to publish your book.  A gentleman who had self-published wrote a response in which he indicated that I wasn’t as thorough about how things work for independently published books as I was for those traditionally published.  He brought up several points and I will try to address each one based on the experiences I have had so far.

1.  If you are trying to get review coverage in print papers, it will be difficult and maybe impossible.  However I have booked interviews for authors in their local papers and other similar venues.  The key is to find an angle for “off-the-book-page” coverage.  Also, I will tell you that traditionally published books have had a very, very hard time over the last several years getting reviewed in print unless the author is a known entity.  If you look at the review sections of papers like USA Today, the New York Times, etc. you will notice the same books reviewed in many publications.

2.  There are review outlets that charge for reviews for self-published books, like Kirkus.  Publishers Weekly will also charge a fee to get listed in their “PW Select” feature, which includes all self-published books that have been submitted to them for the quarter.  If they like your book, they may review it in the same issue of the magazine, but they only select a certain number for this opportunity.  There is no additional fee.

3.  It is true that you will not be distributed as a self-published author unless you hire your own service.  An author of ours started his own imprint and signed up with a distributor which got books to stores, when they were requested.  You do not have the benefit of a field sales force out there pushing your title and you would need to approach a store directly.

4.  I have met independent authors who have come up with amazing and creative ways to market themselves, and it is another full-time job.  Their success is usually reflected in Amazon Kindle numbers.  Porter Anderson just wrote a piece about controversy in the Kindle world and a self-published author who has sold millions of books this way had some comments.

I’ve done some research and it is clear that self-published authors on average earn the least amount from book sales; traditionally published authors are next; and interestingly, hybrid-published titles, through publishers like Greenleaf, Balboa, and others that cooperatively publish books with their authors, sell the most.

5.  If you can get a literary agent and become published by a traditional publisher it will make your life a lot easier in terms of all of the leg work that goes into self-publishing.  However, these days more and more traditionally published authors are hiring their own pr/marketing professionals because they know that publishing houses are spread thin in this department.

I would like to add that if you decide to publish yourself, I recommend creating your own imprint and publishing under it.  There are wonderful freelance editors, book designers, and other people out there who will be able to help you.  You need to be careful when you sign up with a “self-publisher” because sometimes they will retain the rights to your work, and  I’ve also met disappointed authors who didn’t like the discounting structures and other things that related to the sale of the book itself.

When working with a self-published title, we don’t tell people a book is self-published except when asked.  “Independently published” is a good term that is kind of a catchall for anything not published by one of the major companies (so that term can include small press books as well).  This doesn’t mean we send books to bloggers or reviewers who specifically say they don’t take self-published books.  It just means that we try to let the material, content, or product speak for itself.  Years ago they told me original trade paperbacks wouldn’t get traditional review coverage.  I worked on a debut novel that was published as a trade paperback, and it was reviewed in the New York Times and the New York Times Book Review, among other places.  Act as if you have what people want, and you might get what you are looking for as well.

Many years ago, I was working as a “temp” while I made time to pursue a career in acting and musical theater.  I believe the man I worked for took pity on me and was compelled to offer me a full-time job with benefits (I had none at the time).  Deep down, I knew that I wanted a bit of security.

That job was at Disney Publishing and I eventually made my way to become Assistant to the Associate Publisher of Hyperion Books for Children.  After a couple of months he said, “I need someone to publicize the launch of a new imprint called Jump at the Sun.” And I thought, What is that and how do I do it?

One of the things I learned early on as a novice publicist is a formula that consists of the following:

1. Read the book.
2. Write a press release.
3. Put together a media list of book reviewers, journalists, producers in radio and television, and online news sites.
4. Send copies of the book to people on the media list.
5. Call to follow up and try to schedule reviews and/or interviews for the author.

At the very least, this is what a publicist can do for you and your book, regardless of how it’s published. But there is more to the job than making a few phone calls and setting up an itinerary. A publicist needs to know how to tell your/your book’s story well enough to attract the attention of as many people as possible through media placements, outreach to groups and organizations, online communities, and through social media.  This is true no matter how your book is published, but whichever path you choose, there are a few differences between how you and your book may be received in the world.  To make it simple, I’ll break things down into  what you can expect from a publicist whether your book is traditionally or independently published.

Traditional

• To be traditionally published means you have signed a contract with a full-service publishing house which will perform the editing, production, marketing and promotion of your title.  There are many levels of “houses” from the big six to the smaller literary places like Unbridled or Bellevue.  If this is your path,  here are some things that you can generally expect from a publicist:Being introduced approximately six months ahead of publication.
• Discussing with your publicist your book, background, credentials, personal contacts, previous media history, and anything else that might help the campaign.
• A press kit is written and approved.  This may include a press release, Q&A with you, bio, pictures, praise sheets, etc.
• He will set up tour appearances if you are going on a book tour.
• He will put together a media list. A local area media list based on where you currently live, where you grew up, where you went to college, where you got married, etc., will be culled as well.   He will also coordinate with the online marketing person to discuss what blogs and websites she might be working with to promote you.
• Books will be sent and pitching will start, and hopefully reviews and interviews will be scheduled for you.

The majority of the work will take place ahead of publication and will last about a month or six weeks into the book’s release depending on the book and how successful sales are.In recent years more and more authors are hiring their own publicists because they want someone who is reporting to them directly who may be able to accomplish more or supplement the work of their assigned person.  In fact, an editor I had lunch with recently recommends that many of his authors consider doing so.  The reality is an “in-house” publicist is only going to devote the amount of time and expertise that she can based on what other projects she has going on at the time; whether or not your title is a lead for the list; and her level of experience.  All of the checklist items should be accomplished, but will this person research every possible angle? Online community? Niche media outlet? Event venue? How about after the month runs out and you still want to work on promotion.  Will she be given the time to continue?

Keep in mind that a traditional house is very bottom-line oriented ; when deciding where to spend its publishing dollars, it must consider all of the other titles on its list.  A smaller, independent publishing house may have more time to devote to you (because their list is smaller). The caveat here is that part of the success of any campaign will be about how well the publisher is recognized in the media, how well you are known in the outside world as an author or expert, and how good the book is!

Self-Published/Independent

What I’ve listed above is  also applicable for self-published books in terms of the actual “to do” items, but the media strategy is a bit different. Having said that, here is what  your publicist can arrange for you:

• Blog and website reviews.
• Online radio and video interviews.
• Terrestrial (or traditional) radio and TV appearances, if there is a news hook.
• Social media that maximizes your Twitter; Facebook; Linked In; Pinterest; and/or Tumblr platforms and followers.
• Content marketing where your original essay or blog is pitched to different websites that appreciate the subject of your book and can post for their audience.

Now, I’ve learned from experience that self-published books will almost never be reviewed in traditional print outlets, so you may have to let go of the fantasy of your cover appearing in the New York Times Book Review. But I promise you there are other ways to reach your audience. My advice to every author is to write your book, because that is the first and hardest thing to do.  Without your story, there is nothing any of us publicists can do.

As for how to go about hiring a publicist…well, that is a post for another day.

An author contacted me this week to find out if I had written anything about what you can expect from a publicist, because she is disillusioned with her firm and isn’t sure if her feelings are justified.  Initially I responded that it is difficult to gauge because some of it depends on what is being promoted; the experience level of the person or firm handling the campaign; what you specifically have hired the firm to do; and how much you are paying for the service.  Upon thinking about these things I thought expanding them as much as I can in a blog may be helpful and if anyone has a question about it, you can just ask me (claire@clairemckinneypr.com).

What are you promoting?

As an executive in the publicity world and having nearly twenty years of experience I can say honestly that what you are selling does make a major difference.  You can’t pretend something is what it is not–that backfires tremendously–and you can’t manufacture credentials or a person’s background to raise their platform.  Either you have the goods to work with or you don’t.

Now there are some gray areas in that we are all trained to “spin”, which for me means turning everything we have to work with into an advantage whether through messaging or opportunities.  So for example, a person who isn’t a Ph.D. but who has a great concept can still be successful out there with the right promotional package and by hitting the right target audience.

Experience of the person or firm

When I first started doing publicity I had no idea of what I was doing or what it really meant.  My mentor started me out with a press release and a list and said start pitching this list.  My goal was to get the top TV, radio, and print in every market and as much national media as I could secure.  I got on the phone and methodically went down the line, marking comments on my list, and bookings into my schedules.  Was that all there was to it?

In my second job, my boss enlightened me to the fact that there was strategy involved in media and that you could shift directions if one way wasn’t working.  I thought huh? Strategy?  Anyway, I think you get my point as after many jobs and my own company later, I am a very, very good PR strategist.

What have you hired a publicist to do?

There are many ways to structure the contract you make with your publicist.  Some people charge a monthly retainer; some a project fee; some hourly; some a la carte; etc. You need to keep in mind a couple of things about what a publicist does and how this all works, in my article Do You Know What a Book Publicist Does?

It all comes down to hours in a day, and the job of a publicist is very labor intensive.  When you retain a person or firm you need to explain what you want to have done and if you aren’t sure of what’s possible, that person should be able to give you an idea based on his/her experience.  Here is a quick list of some things you can/can not expect from your publicist:

1. You CAN NOT expect a set number of quantifiable results.  You can’t purchase five feature stories from a publicist. That would be considered advertising, and it would cost you a heck of a lot more money.

2. You CAN secure a radio satellite company to book radio for you and they may be able to say they will get “x” number of interviews, but you CAN NOT expect they will all be national or on good stations.  In some cases companies will not be able to book what they quoted and they may give you a refund for part of your contract.

3. You CAN NOT expect your publicist to be on call 24/7 unless you are a celebrity; it’s a matter of national security; or you are on tour at his/her discretion and your cab dumps you off in the middle of the desert at 2:00AM (hope there is cell service out there).

4. You CAN ask for regular written updates of his/her activities and outcomes as well as an accounting of where things stand with different parts of the campaign.

5. You CAN NOT expect your publicist to know everything so it’s okay if you have some ideas that he/she hasn’t thought of yet.  You CAN collaborate which can lead to greater success.

6. You absolutely CAN expect that your publicist will be the expert who can guide you and explain what is likely and what is unlikely.  You should be able to expect honesty from the person you are hiring.

Money, money, money

I have an earlier blog post about how much it costs to hire a publicist.  I will be trite here, but the old adage “you get what you pay for” still stands.  I have a rule when I buy something I consider major (like an appliance).  I never buy the cheapest one and I never buy the most expensive.  You have to figure if you call five people and they are all more expensive than one, the one is charging too little for what the job truly entails and you will not be happy.  Do you have to hire the $50,000 firm in the big city?  No. But do be practical and do consider that we are all trying to earn a living and experience, resources, and track record do play a part in what it is going to cost you.

Have I answered your question JH?  I hope I have come close.  Again, public relations and publicity is a tough industry where a firm may devote many hours and get few immediate results.  In general, if you don’t feel comfortable with the person/firm you are working with you should try to have a candid conversation about your concerns.  If you don’t think you are the right fit for each other, you may want to part ways.