Why Every Author Needs a Parking Lot
Writing a book, you spend years immersed in your ideas. But as publication (finally!) gets closer, you have to shift your focus to getting your book in readers’ hands—and a whole new wave of promotional ideas start bubbling up: That podcast would be perfect… I could write an op-ed on that topic… I should reach out to my old colleague…
The problem is that these ideas arrive at random—on a run, in the shower, at the grocery store—and it’s rarely the right moment to act on them. Which is why you need a reliable way to capture them the moment they flit through your mind.
If you’ve joined one of our workshops or heard me talk on a podcast, you know that I love to wax poetic about spreadsheets. But the specific tool matters far less than the habit. A Notes app folder, a series of voice memos, old-fashioned pen and paper—anything works as long as it becomes a holding space, a “parking lot,” for your ideas.
At Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School, it’s something like a golden rule: authors who start capturing their ideas early set themselves up for a much smoother and far more successful launch.
Why Idea Capture Matters
Today’s media landscape is… a lot. Readers discover books through national outlets, sure, but also through podcasts, Substack newsletters, niche websites, Instagram live interviews, the local paper, LinkedIn posts, radio segments, and a dozen other unexpected places.
A strong publicity campaign can’t hinge on one big placement. You need multiple touchpoints so readers encounter your work in more than one place—and so that these different contact points reinforce one another, increasing their curiosity to check out your book. Those touchpoints come from the ideas you gather over months—not from last-minute scrambling.
Enter: Your Idea Parking Lot
Start early—ideally a year or more out—and jot down every idea for book promotion, no matter how ill-witted or half-formed:
A columnist who writes about your topic
A podcast episode that sparks a connection to a news event
Comparable authors and where they were covered
A potential essay angle
Someone in your network who might open a door
An out-of-the-box marketing idea
A Crucial Step:
You’re going to want to discard some of these ideas later on. Not every concept that enters your head and your parking lot is a good one. ‘Order lawn signs featuring your book cover and plant them in your neighbors’ yards.’ Eesh, delete!
But many of them will grow into pitches, essays, interviews, partnerships, and real opportunities. When you’ve captured all your promotional ideas in one place, you’re not panicked during the four crucial months before launch: you’re set up to put a robust, long-term brainstorming session into action!