The Indy Author Podcast Highlights:

Book Publicity School founder Leah Paulos recently joined Matty Dalrymple for the 277th(!!) episode of The Indy Author Podcast, tackling every author’s major challenge: how to break through the noise and get attention for their book. In this conversation, Leah and Matty discuss the importance of early planning in marketing and publicity, plus how to craft concise, compelling pitches that speak to the specific needs of different media outlets and journalists. Leah also delves into leveraging email lists, building relationships with influencers, and strategies for “long-tail” (post-publication) promotion.

Read a few quotes from their great conversation below–and then head to YouTube to watch the episode.

• “I always suggest that authors start thinking about marketing and promotion as early as they can, even if it’s just opening up a document or spreadsheet where they can throw ideas.”
  

• “If you’re reaching out to a journalist, they want to know that it’s a good book–but they also want to know that there’s something newsy about it, something timely, because their job is not to cover a book, but to create a great story for their own readers or listeners.”
  

• “In order for social media to be effective for book promotion, you need to be aligned and active on a platform where your target readers congregate.”
  

• “I hate to hear authors say, ‘oh, my book came out last month’ and feel like they missed their opportunity. Of course it’s best to start well before publication, but once the book is out in the world, that really should be another starting point for promoting it.”
  

• And on that point: “A huge part of book promotion is being nimble. You have to see what works. So once your book comes out, you actually have a lot more data on what is resonating with people, how you’re finding your readers, and who your readers are.”