Writers' Resources: Finding Influencers Who Need Your Expertise

My SharingwithWriters newsletter includes how-to articles, regular features like "Opportunities," "Thank Yous" (which usually link to blog posts or other sites that will help your writing career), and "Accessible Contests to Help Build Your Platform."  But it's the short tips that most people say they love most. If you'd like to receive that letter in your mailbox, send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com and I'll do it for you.

Here is a sample of a longer tip or how-to article that I sometimes include in the letter, too.

 

Getting Leads for Great Promo Ops: You can get lots of publicity from supplying reporters with quotes or information to support or refute their premises. But how can you reach the ones writing on a topic related to your book or expertise?  A service called HARO at http://helpareporterout.com is very popular. They send you e-mails with requests from reporters, radio and TV hosts, and even other authors researching books. In each of their e-mails is a list of these needs, and each has a live link to the person who has a need. Each is a little like a classified ad.  

When you see a link with a subject line that's related to any of the topics in your book, you send them a note. Quickly outline your expertise and then add whatever you think might entice them to call you for an interview or other need they may have. I try to give them enough that they may not have to call or e-mail me. That fits with my theory that the easier you make it for an editor to use your material, the more likely it is they'll use you over someone else. It may take you a while to perfect your technique.

If they end up quoting you, they should include a mention of your book and preferably a link. Even if the reporter, producer, or host doesn't contact you or use the information or anecdote that you provide,  you get your name, book title, link, and expertise out there to people who are influencers every time you answer one of these requests.The downside is that you will get quite a few e-mails from your subscription. The upside is that  you could land anything from an appearance on a TV show to a quote from you (the expert!) in Newsweek.

-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including the award-winning second edition of, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog: