Today I’m happy to share an exclusive with my readers: a case study on the book launch for Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe by Robert Matzen.
Sarah Miniaci at Smith Publicity and Kristina Radke at NetGalley review the marketing and publicity strategies that can help increase your book’s discoverability, word-of-mouth, and reviews. Any publicist or author can implement the tactics covered in this case study, which include (but are not limited to) how to incorporate NetGalley’s tools into wider campaigns.
Over 300 publishers and hundreds of indie authors use NetGalley to offer advance review copies of their books and generate early buzz in the book community. And Smith Publicity is a full-service book publicity firm which, since 1997, worked with thousands of authors and publishers in promoting books from every genre—from New York Times bestsellers to first-time, independent titles.
Here’s an overview of what you’ll find in the hour-long discussion, with time stamps:
- 4:05: Getting to know the project and determining goals
- 9:05: What goals were set for the book
- 11:15: Action item #1: Create pre-publication buzz with consumer market targets (using NetGalley and Goodreads)
- 25:40: Action item #2: Obtain book trade reviews to establish visibility with buyers (librarians and booksellers) for holiday 2016 season
- 34:30: Action item #3: Generate major media coverage around release through Christmas 2016
- 42:15: Results obtained from action items #1 and #2
- 45:45: Results obtained from action item #3
- 49:00: Results recap
- 50:30: Key takeaways
Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) has nearly 25 years of experience in the media & publishing industry. She is the publisher of The Hot Sheet, the essential newsletter on the publishing industry for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2019.
In addition to being a professor with The Great Courses (How to Publish Your Book), she is the author of The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal.
Jane speaks regularly at conferences and industry events such as Digital Book World and Frankfurt Book Fair, and has served on panels with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund. Find out more.