In today’s interconnected world, authors have many opportunities to promote their reading and autograph events. Leveraging local radio, event listings, newspapers, and social media can enhance your visibility and attract a larger audience. By utilizing these media outlets, authors can transform their in-person events into anticipated gatherings, ensuring their stories reach a broader, more engaged audience.
Media outlets don’t have to be big for their stories to have an impact on your event’s success. Come explore ten tips for how authors can harness the power of media to support and elevate their reading events.
1. Attract Attention With Press Releases
Writing and sending press releases can generate coverage in newspapers, online publications, and broadcast media. A well-crafted press release can catch the attention of journalists looking for local interest stories and provide you with free publicity for the event. Keep your release short and to the point, including any necessary information and a hook that explains why your event is worth covering. Have one main URL for people to follow, and include contact information in case a journalist has follow-up questions. Make sure you include a graphic for your event with the release.
Pro Tip: You can write releases for free, but if you have a small budget, choose a budget-friendly paid option to get a more targeted service for your event. Here are a few options to explore.
24-7 Press Release
With plans starting at $29, authors use this service to announce their books at launch. It could also announce your reading events.
PR.com
Plans start at $60. Authors and event coordinators use this service to promote their events.
PRfree
Plans start for free or at a low cost. This service is more limited in scope than the paid PR companies, but it is budget friendly for authors with little PR capital.
PR Log
This company is well known and offers free press releases. You can upgrade and pay for more targeted services.
2. Open Your Glossy Pages
Appearing in local lifestyle or cultural magazines can help authors reach a niche audience. If you write memoirs, seek family journals. For nonfiction, find magazines that cover your topic of interest. If you write fiction, discover magazines that include author interviews or book reviews along with their stories. You may find an opportunity there if you are a good match for the magazine’s typical subject matter. Ask whether you can collaborate with the magazine to write a piece about your book’s theme or participate in an interview, providing details about your upcoming readings.
3. Be Found in the Library
Partnering with local libraries for book readings and discussions can draw in a crowd. Libraries often promote events through their newsletters, social media, and community boards, providing additional promotional support. To book your event, approach the head librarian and pitch your event idea. If the library has a conference room or other open location, it could be a great place to hold a reading. Often, your local library will host book fairs or other literary events as well, or it will sponsor online events. These can be great ways to draw a larger crowd of new readers and a valuable resource when searching for a location to host your author event.
Pro Tip: While libraries will do a small amount of marketing for your event, be sure you’re promoting it in your own channels as well. If you are given a time slot for your event or join one of their book festivals, promote it as you would for any other location.
4. Deliver Your News By Email
Consider segmenting your email list and creating a separate list of readers close to your area so you can send additional emails to your local fans without posting to your entire list. This can be profitable as you develop in-person events at bookstores, libraries, and other reading venues.
As you host events in your local area, be sure to designate these in-person signups as local. Mention your events in your regular newsletter and email blasts, as well as to this list, to encourage people to attend. Plan to announce well before the event, with an additional quick reminder just before it takes place. Offering an incentive, such as a free chapbook, a special sticker, or a flier, can also entice your readers. These attendees will be your most dedicated readers and potentially the most excited about the chance to meet you at your in-person event.
5. Join the Ultimate Blog Journey
Collaborating with local bloggers to write guest posts or give interviews can create buzz around a new book release or author event, attracting a wider audience within your community. Plan to schedule appearances on a blog tour well before your book launch. Have the bulk of your appearances drop around the time of your launch, but scatter more in the next few months to follow as well. Many times, you will find calls from bloggers looking for authors to feature on their sites. Other times, you can find services who will set up a tour for you. When you set up your blog tour, if you also have in-person events scheduled, you can ask each blogger on the tour to include it at the bottom of their review or interview. Many times, they will accommodate you.
6. Find Local Events at Your Fingertips
Submitting event details to local event apps can reach tech-savvy community members. These apps often allow users to search for events by date and type, making it easier for people to discover your reading without it getting buried by other community events. Be certain to list your event in as many apps as you can to get the word out. They are often free to use and will be targeted to those in your community who are already looking for a fun activity. Many community directors, museums, and libraries also have event pages where you can connect with your local community and get the word out about your event.
Pro Tip: In addition to searching community websites for places to submit your own events, here are a few event listing services to consider:
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is an event ticketing service that includes a discovery calendar. You can set up an event for free for up to twenty-five tickets. If you want to promote to a larger group, the pay scale starts at $9 per one hundred tickets, with prices increasing in increments of $10 for larger events.
Meetup
As a free member of Meetup, you can find venues to host book events or start a single group of your own for free. If you find Meetup works for you, the standard subscription and pro plan offer additional features, including the ability to create more groups or set event fees or membership dues.
Facebook Events
Placing your event on Facebook is free and will tap into the people in your own network, as well as those in your local community. When planning your own author event, consider filling out an event form with your personal account so your friends and family will see the event on their feed as well.
7. Engage Local Influencers
Partnering with local influencers or social media personalities can amplify an author’s event promotion and marketing for a new release. These movers and shakers are part of every community. Find ones that are keyed into the area where you wish to hold your event and partner with them.
A simple way to locate them is to use Google. Type in “[city name] + influencers” and a list of people will appear. Similar to group promotions and newsletter swaps in the author world, an influencer hosting you on their TikTok or Instagram may be a boost to their reach while also helping you set the stage for your author event. Have a pitch ready, and message influencers as you learn of them.
8. Tune into Podcasts
Many communities have local or niche podcasts, and listeners often appreciate the in-depth discussions that podcasts allow, which can translate into a more engaged audience at live events. Calls for podcasts appear all the time in Facebook Groups, on X, on Bluesky, on Mastodon, or on other social media platforms. Create an elevator pitch about what benefits you would bring as a podcast guest and author. Take some time to research local podcasts and scroll through recent posts to find interview opportunities. When you spot a likely match, direct-message an inquiry to the producer.
Another way to find interviews is to sign up for a podcast matching service. The service works similarly to a dating service, pairing podcasters with potential guests and vice versa. These services usually have a free option for you to try out the program and see if it is worthwhile. Find a list of services to explore in “Unlocking the Power of Podcast Appearances for Authors” in IAM’s March 2024 issue.
9. Air Your Story on Community TV
Many communities have public access TV channels that welcome local content. Authors can create short segments about their books and events to be aired on these channels, reaching viewers who prefer local programming.
To become a public access producer and gain access to the channel’s time, you will need to register as a local resident and attend a production class. This certifies you on their equipment and gives you the basic skills you need to produce programming. You will then be encouraged to create thirty-minute to sixty-minute programs to air on the channel.
Many times, a public access producer is already producing a book show. They are easier to access than a public television station since they are members of your community; consider reaching out to see if they’d be willing to feature you and your work on their program.
10. Talk with Local Radio Shows
Public radio often hosts programming on books, poetry, and other cultural topics. Create an elevator pitch about why you should be considered for an interview on these local programs. Prepare engaging stories about yourself as a writer and about the inspiration behind your book.
Pro Tip: Use Google to set up notices for local radio and television stations, as producers will occasionally post calls for appearances. The radio show’s website and social media page may also have information on how to apply to be on the show. Sometimes it is helpful to have an agent with connections to secure interviews or book spots in programming, though this may be an investment for newer authors.
Wendy Van Camp