Can Bloggers Help Me Promote My Self Published Book? YES! Part 2 (Book Marketing Podcast)

by | Oct 22, 2020 | Book Marketing Basics, Getting More Media Coverage

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“Can bloggers help me promote my self published book?” This post is for every author who has ever asked the question.

My answer is always an emphatic YES!

In fact, we think bloggers are so important to an author’s marketing plan that we did a pair of episodes on pitching them. Today’s post is a recap of Episode 10, “Getting More Blogger Reviews for Your Book Part 2,” on our Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast.

In last week’s post recapping Episode 9, we covered how to find bloggers; today, we’ll dive into how to pitch them.

We go deep in our discussion about these important influencers, so be sure to download and listen to the shows for all the details, recommendations, and considerations!

Short Really Is Sweet

First off, let’s talk about brevity, because that’s SO important. If your pitch is over a page, it’s too long.

And don’t start futzing with your font size and margin to keep the content – you have to be ruthless. A pitch is not the place for every nuanced angle in your book.

I recommend you keep in mind two old chestnuts about messaging:

  1. Use your elevator pitch. You have 90 seconds to explain your book in an elevator to a potential influencer.
  2. Think above the fold. This comes from the newspaper world; when we all read physical newspapers, the stories most often read appeared above the fold. I suppose the digital equivalent of this would be above the scroll!

So many of us read email on our phones that I’ve gotten in the habit of including a shortened elevator pitch of 1-2 sentences before the Dear X in a pitch. That way, it shows up in the preview section of their email program.

Promote My Self-Published Book

Promote My Self-Published Book

Customizing Your Pitch

The subject line, however, might be the most important part of your pitch because if you can’t get them to even open the email, you’ll never get a review request. Think about who is reading your pitch and write to your audience.

In the same way, you might customize the pitch itself. This is especially true for nonfiction authors.

At AME, we like to create a core pitch and then change the angle depending on the market segment we’re targeting. So a pitch about a career book might have a few different versions if we’re targeting female entrepreneurs, millennial lifestyle outlets, and self-help bloggers.

You should always read the review policies of the blogs you’re pitching, but I recommend also reading some posts and the About Me content.

Use what you learn and personalize your pitch by mentioning a recent post or commenting on a detail in the blogger’s bio: maybe you also have a golden doodle or live in Texas, or maybe you wish you did.

Bloggers will help you promote your self-published book if you demonstrate that you value what they have to offer and if your pitch is grounded, authentic, and doesn’t waste their time.

For more tips and information on bestfriending bloggers, don’t forget to give Episodes 9 and 10 of the podcast a listen. And should you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss how AME can work with you on a successful book marketing and promotion campaign.

Good luck!

Resources and Downloads

Monthly Book Marketing Planner

Promotion for IngramSparks Authors

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