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Congratulations! You’ve poured your heart and soul into creating your book. Now the question becomes, how do you tell the world about it? Earned media coverage can significantly impact sales, establish your authority as an author and thought leader, and amplify the message you set out to share by writing your book in the first place. Crafting a personal, professional, and precise pitch is the first step in securing coverage.

Here are some of Greenleaf’s top tips on how to successfully pitch your book, and yourself, to the media.

Brevity Is the Soul of Earned Media Pitches

• Journalists, editors, hosts, and producers receive hundreds of pitches in their inbox every day, and they don’t have time to read a big block of text. Your pitch must be as concise as possible.

• Think of your subject line like the headline of an article: It has to catch their attention and give them an idea of what’s waiting in the body of the email.
• An emailed pitch should be like an elevator pitch for your book. Don’t waste time with flowery language and long-winded introductions; get straight into the essentials and the value you have to offer.
• Your pitch should get to the heart of what makes your book different from its competitors.

Know Who They Are, and Know Who You Are

• Take time to research the person you’re pitching. Read their recent articles or listen to their latest podcast episode. Cater your pitch specifically to their style, content, and audience.
• Referencing the recipient’s recent work shows you’ve put the effort into writing a pitch specifically for them and that they aren’t receiving a mass mailing.
• Understand the specific value you can offer their audience. Remember, it’s often more about you than your book. Think about how you can provide insights they won’t find anywhere else.
• Details matter, so don’t forget to proofread! Avoid typos, especially in the names of both your recipients and the outlets they represent. The greatest pitch in the world has a much harder time landing a feature if you comment on a recent article in the New Mork Times.
• Be sure to find the most up-to-date email and mailing addresses. Journalists move around in the Internet Age, and it’s important to keep up with the most current information so your pitch doesn’t get lost.

So What Exactly Are You Pitching Anyway?

• Remember: Your pitch isn’t a press release. You aren’t announcing your book’s existence. You need to identify a specific ask that speaks to the recipient’s outlet and their role.
• Consider what sort of pieces they write and how often they publish. If the person you pitch publishes six online features every day, consider offering an excerpt or original article that ties to the book’s content. It’s harder for them to say no when you offer to do their job for them.
• If you find a columnist at a major print newspaper who produces one piece of investigative journalism each month, it doesn’t make sense to pitch them a story about your book. Instead, pitch them on you, and offer your availability as a subject matter expert the next time they need to quote a thought leader.
• Does the outlet you’re pitching run a monthly book roundup? Do they feature author Q&As? If you do your homework, you can land more placements by pitching people exactly what they’re looking for rather than what you want them to look for.
• Tie your book to relevant topics. Yes, it’d be great if someone wanted to talk about your book nonstop for an hour, but you’re more likely to land an interview if you can connect your book to topical issues that people are already talking about.

Balancing on the Follow-Up Email Tightrope

• Be persistent but not annoying.

• Exercise your best judgment when sending follow-up emails. Sometimes one follow-up is enough, sometimes more is appropriate. If you’re considering a seventh email and are yet to get a reply, turn around, you’ve gone too far.
• If you pitch on Tuesday, don’t follow up on Wednesday. Media folks are busy people. Give them a chance to respond.
• Your follow-ups should respect their time. If you have additional information or links that strengthen your pitch, go ahead and include those, but like your initial outreach, don’t overwhelm them with details until they’ve replied with interest.

What If They Don’t Reply? What If They Do?

• There will be crickets. There will be radio silence. Don’t take it personally. Sometimes the timing isn’t right, the show has a backlog of guests, or they just ran a similar story last month. There are a million reasons the media may not get back to you. It’s part of the process. Don’t wallow in the misses. Celebrate the wins.
• When you do receive interest from the media, be ready to reply in a timely fashion. If you wait a week, they could move on to the hundreds of pitches that have filled their inbox in the interim.
• Be prepared with the right information. Offer a review copy or PDF. Have a press kit ready with suggested interview questions. If you pitched them an original article, please have it written before they ask to see it.
• Make yourself available. You’ve put a lot of time and energy into your book, and it would be a shame if all that personal investment was tossed aside because you didn’t want to move an appointment to accommodate a reporter or podcast host’s availability.

You wrote a great book, and you deserve to give it the best chance possible for success. A strong media campaign can bring you and your book the visibility it deserves. If you’re willing to put in the elbow grease, a DIY media campaign can lead to tremendous exposure, sales, and the recognition you deserve.

If you’d like to learn more about how Greenleaf’s media strategists can assist in your outreach, contact media@greenleafbookgroup.com.