Self-Promotion or Death: PR Tips from Sara Dobie

Tip of the Week: Make friends with your local media. I’ve told my clients a million times; I can do as much as possible on my end. I can send the review copies, email the press releases, and make the phone calls for you. However, it’s so much more effective for your local media to put a face with your name, as opposed to dealing with “Publicist Sara Dobie”—some faceless ghost person who only exists in the electronic realm and as a disembodied voice on the phone. If you have a book coming out (or heck, even if your book came out a year ago), be sure your local media knows you. Don’t be afraid to show up at your local TV station with a copy of your book, and just say, “HEY! I’m a local author. I’m amazingly important, and here is a complimentary copy of my book. And but of course, I would love to stay for a quick interview.” You will be making a reporter’s job much easier. You will be handing them a story. Don’t fear the media. They’re your friends. They will help you sell books. Just make sure they know who the heck you are and that you’re a literary phenomenon, thriving in their back yard.

Feel free to stop by my blog, too: Saradobie.wordpress.com. You'll find all sorts of useful information and interviews there.