Creating Your DIY PR Plan for Self-Publishing Success

Self-publishing is an enormous task. Without a publishing house supporting you, you’re responsible for every little detail from formatting and ISBNs to finding an artist to create your cover and approving proofs. Once your book is published, you still have to put the work in to make sure it reaches your audience and actually sells. Even with an indie press on your side, authors are being relied upon to do the majority of the marketing for their books more than ever before. Being an author is not just about writing books anymore. 

Marketing is where the self-publishing process becomes a confusing nightmare for so many writers. After all, you’re a writer, not a public relations or marketing expert.

Allison Preston, however, is a PR and marketing expert and she’s come up with your guide to crafting your DIY PR plan to get your books in the hands of your readers. 

Creating a DIY PR Plan

You cleared the initial hurdle of finishing your novel, edited it, gathered feedback, and finally decided self-publishing is the best route for you. But how do you get your book in readers’ hands? It takes a combination of marketing and public relations (PR) to spread your message far and wide. But what’s the difference between the two, and how can they help you in your pursuit of sharing your work with the world?

PR vs. Marketing

One of the most important elements of understanding how to use PR and marketing to share your book with readers is knowing the difference between the two. PR is what experts call earned media. These are free opportunities to promote your work at no cost to you, though it does require some legwork and research. PR consists of actively pitching announcements, story ideas, or news tips to reporters, podcasters, or anyone else with a public platform who can share your message. Marketing is paid media opportunities in which you are creating campaigns, advertisements, or physical materials that you must pay for to get your book in front of your target audience. This could consist of paying for web advertisements, a social media campaign with boosted content, or paying for a table at a writing retreat or book fair with the hopes of making additional sales. 

Building a PR Plan

Now that we have the difference between PR and marketing out of the way, here are a few questions to ask yourself as you build your own DIY PR Plan:

• What am I promoting or sharing?
  • Are you promoting a new book, a previously published book, or hoping to speak out on a topic that relates to one of your books?

• What are the important details?
  • What does the audience need to know? Are there key dates, websites they should visit, places where they can buy my book?

• Who is my target audience?
  • Who do I want to read my book? Who are the experts writing about, speaking about, or promoting books like mine that align to the genre I write in?

• How do I want to promote or share about this topic?
  • Am I willing to pursue interviews, appear as a guest on a podcast, or do I only want to pursue print opportunities where I don’t have to speak? 

• How will I communicate with others about this topic? What are my talking points?
  • What are the top five-to-eight things the audience needs to know from this interview, guest blog post, etc. that will make them buy my book?

Addressing these questions will help you move forward as you further develop your own PR plan. 

Building Your Network

The next phase of the plan consists of building up your network of contacts. These are folks who can share your message far and wide. They can consist of book reviewers with a strong social media following, podcasters who promote book releases or titles in your genre, digital and print magazines that highlight writers, local news outlets, collegiate, trade, or professional networks, and more. Collect emails and contact information until you’re ready to reach out to them.

Drafting a Press Release

Once you have a list of contacts to reach out to, it’s time to draft a press release that will be sent to everyone on your list. 

Every press release should contain the following elements:

• Add your contact information at the very top left corner of the press release
• Create a captivating title
• Identify the who, what, when, and where in the first two paragraphs and any other important information the audience or interviewers need to know
• Incorporate abbreviated quotes or reviews on your book from reputable sources
• Create your author boilerplate message. This is a 1-3 sentence message about who you are, what you’ve written, and any accolades or accomplishments that boost your credibility as a writer
• Add your contact information, including your author website and social media profiles at the end of the release 

Creating a Pitch Email

A pitch email is a personalized way to introduce yourself and your work to reviewers, influencers, and anyone with a platform that can promote your projects. The pitch email should be brief, highlighting the main points of the press release. Typically, you can use the information from the first two paragraphs of your press release. You should also include personal information about yourself that may increase your odds of booking an interview or having your book mentioned in a publication, such as any awards you’ve won, accolades on your writing, and any previous books you’ve published. Finally, it is critical to always include your contact information, links to your author website and social media profiles, and availability for interviews. Providing several dates and times of availability makes scheduling interviews much easier, increasing your odds at booking an interview.

Timing the Press Release and Pitch Email

With all the prep work completed, it’s time to send the press release and pitch emails to the people on your list. The press release should be sent first, and it’s best to send early in the morning so it will be at the top of your recipient’s inbox. Copy and paste the press release text into the body of your email, then Bcc all the contacts on your list. You may add a one-sentence message before the press release if you prefer, but it is not a requirement. Fire off the email and patiently wait for a reply. If you have not received a response from anyone in two-to-three days, follow up with the personalized pitch email.

Creating a PR plan can be an intimidating experience, but the more you put yourself – and your writing – out there, the more readers will discover your work. Happy planning!

Allison Preston is a public relations expert with more than 10 years of experience. She is also working on her first novel, which she hopes to publish in 2023. To learn more about working with Allison, visit prestonpublicrelations.com or follow her on Instagram and TikTok at @author_allison.