International Publicity Packages

LitPR has been working on the creation of collaborative and innovative partnerships with like-minded book publicists in the US and Australia. The aim is to offer authors access to trusted services that align with LitPR's brand value and missions, not just in the UK but in other target markets (starting with English-speaking countries) to provide a reliable and effective extension of the successful campaigns already offered in the UK. For more information about potential partnerships please get in touch: info@literallypr.com. Our first partnership is with Over the River Public Relations in New York, US. 

Literally PR & The United States

At Over the River Public Relations, we’re thrilled to be working with the wonderful Helen Lewis and Literally PR, and we’re looking forward to helping you launch your books in the US market.

Since 2000, we’ve helped hundreds of authors, publishers, non-profits, and small businesses in the US achieve their publicity goals by generating key TV, radio, print, and online coverage.  We are a passionate PR firm specializing in innovative and individualized campaigns with a focus on electronic and social media, promotional writing, and one-on-one mentoring. We’re excited to start sharing our expertise with you!

Now that you have a US release date for your book, there are a few things you should know about the American book market.  Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you navigate your way around the US book world:

1.   Know your audience – In the US there are tons of niche markets to approach.  Is your book a mystery? Romance?  Science-fiction?  Are you a Jewish writer?  Does your book have gay/lesbian characters or themes?  Are there organizations or specialty museums that might be interested in hosting you for a lecture?  These are just a few examples of how to think beyond the typical book channels.  If your publisher doesn’t have the time to do all of this legwork, then it’s important for you to try and get it done. Do some research online to find out if there are newspapers, newsletters, magazines, blogs, etc. that cater to your audience.  If you have plans to come to the States, email these contacts and let them know of your plans.  If not, reach out to them to see if they would consider a review, mentioning your book in a roundup, or scheduling a Q&A with you (via email, Skype or phone).  The more advance notice you can give them, the better (see tip #2). 

2.   Plan ahead – Book editors here in the States are inundated with requests to review books.  Some of the large daily papers – The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times – receive several hundred books every day!  As a result, these editors plan their coverage far in advance.  Ideally you should send them advance copies at least 5 months before publication date.  The same is true for national radio and television shows and even popular regional shows.  Similarly bookstores plan their events a few months in advance, so if you’re hoping to schedule some bookstore events, plan ahead!

3.   Media Outlets – There are a lot of media outlets throughout the country.  As wonderful as it is to aim for national coverage, don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.  There are plenty of influential media outlets on the local and regional level that should be part of your outreach.  We recommend the targeting a specific area and expanding in widening circles from there. For instance, you might start in Boston, then expand to the towns bordering Boston, then the state of Massachusetts, and finally the New England corridor. You may begin with daily newspapers, then expand to weekly publications and college newspapers, and finally blogs and community websites.

4.   IndieBound – This organization is a wonderful collaboration between the independent bookstores across the US and the American Booksellers Association.  On their website (http://www.indiebound.org/) they have a list of all of the independent bookstores and you can search by zip code, city or an address to find specific stores.  If you have plans to be in the States, find the local independent bookstores near where you’ll be.  Let them know when you’ll be in town and see if you can stop by, say hi to the manager, and sign their stock.  This is what we call “an informal signing” and a great way to leave a lasting impression at the store.

5.   Establish your US Amazon Author Page – Spend some time building up your US Amazon Author Page. You’ll find plenty of tips here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com.

Have questions? Need more help? We’re here for you. Feel free to drop us a line at info@otrpr.com and schedule a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how we may be able to help launch your book in the United States. Or, if you'd prefer to come to us via Literally PR's Helen Lewis you're more than welcome to. You can also find out more about who we are, who we represent, what people say about us, and what we can do for you at: www.otrpr.com.