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Power Book Publicity Tips for September 2012
September 7, 2012 /in "Power Publicity Tips" Newsletters /by Smith Publicity
Announcement: Deadline for Frankfurt International Book Fair Display Extended (Now 9/21/12)
New Ways to Build Book Buzz Using the Digital Galley by the NetGalley Concierge Team
The Top 5 Reasons Smith Publicity Loves NetGalley by Abigail Raymond, Smith Publicity
Deadline for Frankfurt International Book Fair Display Extended (Now 9/21/12)
Frankfurt, Germany: October 10-14
Perhaps no venue on Earth reaches the depth and breadth of the publishing industry the way the Frankfurt Book Fair does. It might be because of the near 300,000 in attendance, the eight full halls of exhibits covering 100 different countries, or maybe it's just the reputation Frankfurt has as the industry's 100% absolute must-participate event for over 60 years. One thing is certain however, and that's that regardless of the cause, there's no question that the Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important event on the publishing industry's calendar each year. Reach publishers, agents, distributors, printers, booksellers, librarians, book buyers, authors, journalists, rights executives, editors and so much more from a pool larger than any other all in one location.
To register your book or for information and questions, contact Kathy Weick at cbe@smithpublicity.com or 856-489-8654 ext. 306. Price is $275 per book (call for multiple book discount).
Please note the deadline to register your book is now September 21st
Corinne Liccketto
o: 856.489.8654 ext 309
https://www.smithpublicity.com/
View our previous newsletters
Questions? Contact a representative of the Smith Publicity sales team:
Sandy Diaz, sandy@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x301
Dan Smith, dan@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x101
Marissa Madill, marissa@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x314
Dina Barsky, dina@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x319
Sarah Miniaci, sarah.miniaci@smithpublicity.com, 856.489.8654 x329
Ben Cameron ben@smithpublicity.com, +44 (0)20 7917 9812 (London office)
New Ways to Build Book Buzz Using the Digital Galley
By the NetGalley Concierge Team
One of the great drawbacks of print galleys is that their distribution is often limited by budget to a perceived A-list of influencers. We've often heard from publicists, digital and library marketers, sales reps, and even authors that they'd like to broaden the number of people who can preview their content before it's published, and that they'd like to know with more certainty the influence and reach of those broader communities. Today's web technology makes this possible.
The largest segment of our current community consists of reviewers, comprising just over 50%. Librarians make up 19%, with the remainder split evenly between booksellers, media professionals, and educators. Our UK membership is growing rapidly as UK publishers begin making content available, and we're working closely with those publishers to introduce their contacts to NetGalley. With a large and very active community of professional readers our daily goal is to connect them with the titles they want to review or purchase for their library or bookstore. As the entire news world is adapting in response to the popularity of online and social media, so is the job of the book publicist and marketer. The key is to be creative, open to new ideas, and willing to experiment.
Below, you'll find some exciting real-life examples of how we've seen NetGalley publishers finding their own creative solutions using NetGalley to generate successful book buzz.
Utilizing social influencers and Twitter
We had a publisher partner with Klout to offer a digital preview copy of a highly anticipated title (via NetGalley) to 100 pre-selected key influencers on Twitter, in exchange for tweeting about the book to their followers. It was very exciting for us to learn more about Klout, and to see this publisher interacting with some of their biggest fans in an effective way. The practice of rewarding people who were both interested in a title and also influential in book circles is something more publishers could easily replicate in other ways (outside of Klout or Twitter).
Certainly, it pays to know your audience—and to use them to help spread buzz. And, of course, in your own Twitter efforts, it is important to be focused in your messaging and tweet with relevance—we definitely try to! With a current Klout score of 61, @NetGalley is always looking to keep our audience engaged and extend our reach, and we appreciate your help!
Easily connecting with bloggers
The idea of a blog tour can be immediately exciting to many authors and publicists who run into logistical hurtles when planning a traditional book tour (e.g. high costs for travel, coordinating special shipments of books to arrive in time, scheduling events with various stores all with their own full calendars, and bringing in a big enough audience at each venue to make it all worthwhile). How enticing an idea—to stay home (in your pajamas if you feel like it!) and follow a schedule of virtual Q&As/interviews/guest posts directly with bloggers. We've seen how fast buzz can build and spread across dedicated book blogs, and we love to see publishers taking advantage. One publisher used NetGalley to promote a special campaign to bloggers to help spread the word about authors who were touring (both physically and virtually). In exchange for a blog post about the author, book, and tour, the blogger would receive an exclusive sneak peek of another forthcoming title via NetGalley. Win-win!
Engaging with online reading communities
Publishers don't have to look far to find pre-existing communities of dedicated readers who can't wait to talk about the books they're reading. Websites like LibraryThing and Goodreads are a great resource and provide a direct connection to fans. LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program in particular is a great tool that awards advance copies of books to LibraryThing members in exchange for a review. LibraryThing uses their special algorithm to match the most deserving readers with the right titles, and publishers benefit from all that pre-publication buzz. We love when publishers use NetGalley to make the process even easier (and environmentally friendly) by fulfilling those Early Reviewer copies digitally. Not only does this allow the LibraryThing member to read the title on their favorite device, but also keeps the publisher from being restricted to only offering as many printed galleys as they have left in their office.
They can even have the best of both worlds—offer some print galleys and then fulfill the second-tier of requests with digital galleys. We saw another publisher do this with a trade advertising campaign: through a trade newsletter ad (e.g. Shelf Awareness and PW Daily), the publisher collected requests for a particular galley. When they ran out of printed galleys to send, they provided an auto-approved link to view that galley via NetGalley instead. We loved to see how many more readers were given access to the galley because the publisher utilized the digital option to supplement their reviewer list.
Plugging into the NetGalley community
Here's the shameless plug portion of this article: with the new "NetGalley Roundups" newsletters, publishers are promoting their forthcoming titles to professional readers (e.g. reviewers, bloggers, media professionals, librarians, booksellers, and educators) who have expressed interest in that genre. For example, NetGalley members who love romance titles are excited to hear about the newest romance galleys that have just become available, and publishers benefit from tapping into members' pre-existing reading preferences. Our NetGalley at the Library initiative began following our partnership with the American Library Association. ALA members can include their ALA number in their NetGalley profile so publishers will see the ALA icon appear when they request titles. Publishers have told us that librarians with that ALA icon are approved more quickly and often. We're also so excited to be working with EarlyWord and Penguin on First Flights: The Penguin Debut Author Program.
Those are just a few recent examples that made us smile—but we're always open to new ideas! We thrive on finding new ways to incorporate digital galleys into buzz campaigns and are continually inspired by publishers and bloggers alike.
The Top 5 Reasons Smith Publicity Loves NetGalley
by Abigail Raymond
1. It saves everyone money.
The average book costs about $5.00 to mail within the U.S., which means clients have to factor postage costs into the price of any campaign. Now that Media professionals are more open to using e-readers and computers to review books, NetGalley is an outstanding tool to quickly get our books in the hands of the right people, anywhere in the world. When NetGalley users request copies of titles we've uploaded, we're able to instantly and easily approve their requests. This saves authors and publishers postage fees and book printing costs! This fast delivery means your book will be fresh on their mind and likely at the top of their "pile" instead of waiting days to get the book in hand.
2. Reviewers love going digital.
While nothing is quite like the experience of turning the pages of a physical book, we're seeing more and more requests for digital review copies rather than their printed brethren. It's easy to see why. Reviewers and journalists don't have to wait by their mailbox, and their homes and offices can remain free from the clutter of stacks of review copies. Reviewers can easily take books with them on laptops or e-readers.
3. Your book is safe in their hands.
The number one question I get from clients when I introduce them to NetGalley is: "Will my book be safe from digital piracy?" The answer is always: "Yes!" Not only do we control who has access to the book, but we also control what they do with it. The files we upload are protected, meaning that users can't print or forward the books they request. The community also works to foster feelings of trust between users and authors/publishers – we're sharing something with them that they want and, in return, they respect the privilege of getting access to these materials.
4. We're able to reach additional professionals interested in your genre.
The NetGalley community reaches librarians, booksellers, educators, media professionals, book reviewers and highly influential online book reviewers and bloggers. If you've heard any news about the publishing industry recently, it's that the blogosphere can launch an obscure title to the top of the bestseller list when something catches their eye (*ahem* Fifty Shades of Grey.) NetGalley becomes a valuable tool by allowing online reviewers and bloggers to discover our titles based on their interests. Many successful blog tours have started by contacting bloggers who requested our titles through NetGalley.
5. NetGalley isn't for everyone… and that's a good thing!
While NetGalley welcomes all types of professional readers–from librarians and booksellers, to bloggers and freelance reviewers–not just anyone can upload a book. Because of how NetGalley is set up, authors and small publishers with a limited number of titles don't have access to NetGalley. When we upload your book, you'll be in the company of HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House, and Yale University Press, just to name a few!
If you are interested in Smith Publicity uploading your book for a NetGalley Only Service—and receive ongoing reports of who has requested your book, who plans on reviewing it and then links to completed reviews—please contact us for details at info@SmithPublicity.com!
Beginning in 1997, Smith Publicity has evolved from a one-person operation run from a bedroom office to one of the leading book promotion firms in the industry. Fueled by a passion for making good things happen for clients, we've worked with over 1,000 individuals and companies—from New York Times Bestsellers to first time, self-published authors in every genre.
The Smith Publicity reach is international; we've effectively worked with clients throughout the United States, Canada, the U.K., and from Australia to Israel and Malta. We have offices in New Jersey, New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London.
While our expansion from boutique publicity agency to a multi-faceted public relations firm has greatly expanded the breadth of our services, the fundamental driving force behind everything we do is superior presentation, promotion, and positioning of our clients. Our refrain, "make good things happen for clients," has propelled Smith Publicity from just another agency to a premier promotional firm offering outstanding, cost-effective service with unparalleled customer attention.
If you're interested in discussing your project, please contact Corinne Liccketto, corinne@smithpublicity.com, www.smithpublicity.com
or 856-489-8654 x309.
corinne@smithpublicity.com
856.489.8654 ext 309
www.smithpublicity.com
Mailing Address: 1930 E. Marlton Pike, Suite I-46, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
Tags: NetGalley, newsletter, september 2012
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