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Book Publicist Scott Lorenz offers Authors Book Marketing Tips and Techniques on his Blog “The Book Publicist”

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Attention Women Authors – Don’t Sell Yourselves Short

Attention Women Authors – Don’t Sell Yourselves Short

By: Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing

It’s happened again. A female author client of mine decided that she did not want to conduct interviews with podcasters, radio or TV show hosts. Why? Because she thought her southern accent was too strong.

I disagreed emphatically… to no avail. I thought her accent was fine. She was easy to understand, and it added authenticity to the interview. I even offered more media training to help give her confidence. “Sorry, not going to do it.”

Now, had she or any other client had a strong accent making an interview impossible to understand, then we would most definitely focus on other methods to promote the book. We are not here to make a fool of anyone.

But having self-critical author is not new.

In another instance, a prospective female author, called me to discuss promoting her book. But she warned me that she was shy about getting publicity, and that she was not sure about using the incredible endorsement she got from a bestselling author of 30 million books – Jack Canfield. I was stunned.

I honestly have never come across a male author who said, “I am not worthy of the PR you are about to get me!” They may be out there, but I’ve never seen them.

I have, however, spoken to a number of women who have implied that, for a variety of reasons, they are not worthy of the attention, and I am here to tell you to STOP IT!

I explained to my prospective client that before I can even begin to help her, she needs to stop pulling punches, and to stop selling herself short, and recognize her self-worth.

Often, the biggest barrier between some women and success is themselves. This concept is discussed in the multi-year-best-selling book Lean In, written by Sheryl Sandberg, the former Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Sandberg says that women are conditioned by society to blend in, to stay out of the limelight, and even to downplay their power or success. In the book, she cites a meeting with Tim Geithner, who was at the time the Secretary of the Treasury:

“Secretary Geithner’s team, all women, took their food last and sat in chairs off to the side of the room. … [They] had every right to be at this meeting, but because of their seating choice, they seemed like spectators rather than participants.”

It is no secret that some women have been taught to hold themselves back for cultural, religious and other reasons. This is archaic and has no place in our world today nor should it.

The Bottom Line: Women, put your foot on the accelerator and don’t let it off! Believe in your book, enter book award contests, listen to your PR professional, do the interviews, and believe that you are worthy of winning! Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Book Marketing, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.


Authors: Contribute to Print Pubs to Promote Your Book

Book Publicist Scott Lorenz Offers Tips on How to Contribute to the New York Times, Huffington Post and Success!

Authors: Contribute to Print Pubs to Promote Your Book

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

Whether you’re a new author or have been around for decades, it’s important to continually promote yourself. The more you build your brand, the more likely you are to get published, sell your works, and meet your goals.

By writing for prominent online publications, you can do just that. Do your research and find several publications that accept entries from authors. Then, follow their editorial guidelines and submit original, compelling articles.

Editorial Guidelines

Each publication has their own unique editorial guidelines so it’s important to write a piece to their target audience. If they say they want a 500-word piece don’t turn in 900-word piece. Simple right?

For example, The Huffington Post says they are “Looking for freelancers who have compelling and unique pitches about TV, film, music, celebrity and internet culture, with an eye toward how pop culture and entertainment trends reflect the world around us.”

A prominent business publication says “We inspire and educate small business owners to start and grow successful businesses.  We also work with large brands that want to reach small businesses.”

Then each publication has their preferred article structure, which often includes information about word count, titles, headings and subheadings, paragraphs, and sentences. The article must conform to their linking policy. (Some allow links to websites, and some do not)

Here’s an example, “Your article length should be from 500 – 1,000 words – give or take. We want to avoid the death wall of text, especially as our posts are seen on mobile devices. Keep paragraphs between 3-5 sentences max.” “Sentences should be no longer than 19 words. Break up long sentences into shorter sentences where you see “but, that and because.”

Add a minimum of two links. Aim to place one around the 50% mark. Have at least one quality internal link that relates to the blog content as well as 1-2 external, authoritative links.”

Most editorial guidelines will also discuss what types of media (images, videos, infographics, etc.) are permitted. In addition, they’ll also mention any SEO preferences and byline submission requirements. Typically, you’ll be able to include your headshot, social media platforms, and a link to your website. This part is almost as important as the actual article so put some thought into it!

Publications Seeking Contributors

There is no shortage of online publications that accept submissions from authors like you. Here are a few options to get you started.

The Bottom Line: Make the effort to contribute to publications. One big hit could propel you and your book to great heights!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Book Marketing, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.


Authors – Want to Create a Pen Name? Here’s How to Do It

Authors - Want to Create a Pen Name? Here's How to Do It

Having a difficult time selecting a pen name? Try these random name generators. You may get some inspiration from some of these and its fun to see what they come up with.

By: Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing

Do you need a pen name? A rich tradition has existed for hundreds of years for fiction writers to use pen names. You may be surprised to learn that some authors have more than 10 pen names. Here’s why pen names have been and continue to be widely used: Many authors believe that their name can affect how their audience sees them and even affect their book sales.

One of the most famous pen names, of course, was Samuel Clemens who wrote under the name Mark Twain. Another well-known one is Lewis Carroll, which was used by Alice in Wonderland’s author, Charles Dodgdon. He gained a considerable reputation as a mathematician and didn’t want to create confusion by writing fiction under his real name.

In 1992, Putnam Publishers asked Nora Roberts to come up with a second pen name because they could not keep up with the prolific writer’s romance novels let alone the genre of romance suspense novels she wanted to write. So she took the initials J.D. from sons Jason and Dan and shortened Roberts to Robb. She has also written under the pen names Jill March and Sarah Hardesty.

New York Times Best Selling author Nora Roberts is a pen name used by Eleanor Marie Robertson. Nora Roberts’ name has regularly appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List since 1999. Since her first best seller in 1991, Nora’s books have spent 1,045 weeks on the Best Seller List. Believe it or not, that’s equivalent to 20 consecutive years of weekly bestsellers.

In 1992, Putnam Publishers asked Nora Roberts to come up with a second pen name because they could not keep up with the prolific writer’s romance novels let alone the new genre of romance suspense novels she wanted to write. So, she took the initials J.D. from sons Jason and Dan and shortened Roberts to Robb. She also has written under the pen names Jill March and Sara Hardesty.

Whether you call it a pen name, pseudonym, non de plume, alias or AKA, you are creating a new persona that’ll need care and feeding!  Scott Lorenz, Book Publicist

One of my book marketing clients served as a Navy Seal in the Iraq War and then returned to write a book about his war experiences.  To protect his personal safety and maintain security for his family, he used the pen name Chuck Bravedy.  The author was concerned that extremists living in America would be offended and angered by his controversial book and come after him or his family.

The fact that Chuck Bravedy was not listed as a Navy Seal caused The Pentagon to call me. They explained they wanted to keep phonies from impersonating military officials. I gladly connected them both!

Another client was a former CIA station chief. He was concerned about the impact a pen name would have on promoting his book. After discussing the pros and cons he decided to use his real name. (The CIA has to clear any books written by former high-level staff to make sure they do not reveal secrets).

I’ve represented two Medical Doctors who both wrote serious erotica. Neither wanted their hospitals to know about their ‘other’ life so they both chose pen names and donned disguises for their headshots.

From a marketing standpoint if your real-life identity is associated with a business and you want the book to promote your business, or vice versa, then no need for a pen name. But if you have success, and don’t want that success threatened by pursuing an avocation of writing, then a pen name would be in order. Pen names may create marketing challenges, most of which can be overcome, and so the marketing implications need to be examined before publishing.

Since the publishers of JK Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, were unsure if the preteen boys that she was targeting would accept wizard stories that were written by a woman, they encouraged her to use her initials instead of her real name, which is Joanne Rowling. The “K’ in JK came from her grandmother’s name Kathleen and she’s been known as JK Rowling ever since.

Known as one of the most famous comic book writers in the world, Stan Lee’s real name is Stanley Martin Lieber. He initially decided to publish under Stan Lee because he thought he would eventually transition to more serious work and wanted to use his real name when and if that time came. Once he realized that he was destined to stay a comic book writer, he legally changed his name to Stan Lee.

If you’ve ever read the popular children’s series, A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions, you probably know that the author is Lemony Snicket. Believe it or not, his real name is Daniel Handler. He decided to go with Lemony Snicket because he wanted to anonymously contact right-wing organizations. Handler first came up with the Lemony Snicket pen name while doing research for his first novel, The Basic Eight. He needed to contact right-wing organizations for the book, but he didn’t want to give them his real name. So, he called himself “Lemony Snicket,” and the moniker stuck.

Reasons for using a pen name include:

  • To avoid embarrassment
  • For personal safety or security
  • If you write under more than one genre
  • If your name is hard to pronounce or spell
  • If your name is not marketable
  • If your name conflicts with the name of another author
  • To hide gender (a male writing in the predominantly female genre)
  • To avoid confusing readers if you are well known in another field.

Reasons to use your real name:

If you want to hide from the public and from people you work with or worked with, etc., then a pen name is fine. But, if it’s not important, why bother? So, my vote is to use your own name. Here are just a few points to ponder.

  • If you are not trying to hide from anyone.
  • To brand yourself and promote your name for speaking gigs or consulting assignments.
  • If you are planning to write a series of books.
  • So people can find your published works.
  • Your face behind your name builds trust and confidence with readers.

Here’s some interesting information I’ve obtained from librarians and employees at bookstores. Is there a popular author whose work is similar to yours?  Why not select a pen name beginning with the same letter as that author’s name? Since most books are filed by genre and then the author’s last name, selecting a pen name with the same letter puts you in close proximity to their books.

Someone searching for that author could ‘stumble’ upon your book and decide to take a look. Radio stations have done it for years by selecting their location on the ‘dial’ nearby other highly rated stations so they could benefit from the proximity of that popular station. Crafty? Perhaps but do you want to sell books or not?

Having a difficult time selecting a pen name? Try these random name generators. You may get some inspiration from some of these and it’s fun to see what they come up with.

1. https://chucklehound.com/generator/

2. https://businessnameguide.com/

3. https://www.dotomator.com/

4. https://naming.net/

5. https://www.shopify.com/tools/business-name-generator

6. https://namestation.com/

7. https://www.businessnamegenerator.net/

8. https://businessnamegenerator.com/

9. https://www.netsubstance.com/

10. https://looka.com/business-name-generator/

11. https://namelix.com/

12. https://www.wix.com/tools/business-name-generator

13. https://logo.com/business-name-generator

14. https://www.oberlo.com/tools/business-name-generator

15. https://blog.reedsy.com/pen-name-generator/

16. https://www.name-generator.org.uk/pen-name/

17. https://www.dcode.fr/pseudonym-generator

18. https://www.invaluable.com/blog/pen-name-generator/

19. https://www.namegenerator.biz/pseudonym-generator.php

20. https://bookbird.io/tools/pen-name-generator/

21. https://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

22. https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/victorian-names.php

23. https://www.namegeneratorfun.com/cool

24. https://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=evilnamer

25. https://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/12465#.XG11qegzbIU

26. https://www.namegenerator.co/fantasy/pen-name-generator

27. https://www.namesnerd.com/people/pen-name-generator/

28. https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1172-the-ultimate-romance-pen-name-generator

29. https://domainwheel.com/pen-name-generator/

30. https://bookraid.com/ai/pen-name-generator

31. https://www.duplichecker.com/name-generator.php

32. https://anytexteditor.com/pen-name-generator

33. https://www.behindthename.com/

34. https://www.fantasynamegen.com/

35. https://www.orrt.org/literary/names.php

36. https://thestoryshack.com/tools/pen-name-generator/

37. https://coda.io/@hales/fake-name-generator

38. https://www.selfpublishingtitans.com/tools/Pen-Name-Generator

39. https://www.brandroot.com/business-name-generator

40. https://randomnamegenerators.com/various-name-generators/pen-name-generator/

41. https://www.renderforest.com/business-name-generator

The Bottom Line: A Pen Name is an author’s useful tool for the right reasons.

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?

Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!


Snappy Sound Bites Will Turn a TV Appearance Into A Huge Success Says Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Snappy Sound Bites Will Turn a TV Appearance Into A Huge Success Says Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing

Authors seeking to become a TV talk show guest must learn to master the fine art of using sound bites. Local and national television thrives on sound bites, those brief, quotable remarks that will be repeated again and again on television news and talk shows. Sound bites are the pearls that flow out of our mouths into the ears of TV producers and onto the airways.

If you want to be quoted, you must convert the message points in your book into sound bites. To do this remember that analogies, bold action words, emotions and personal examples, attacks and absolutes make good quotes and sound bites. The highly personal, classic sound bite has action, emotion, and attacks; all of these elements will work to make reporters swoon.

My experience as a book publicist and book marketing expert has taught me to compare an author’s book with something else that is better known. For example, one of my clients’ books is a time travel, sci-fi. Here’s the sound bite: “BAD LOVE STRIKES is like Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Goonies.” See how that paints a picture? Another client’s book is about sci-fi alien romance. So we came up with, “If you like the movies ‘Shape of Water’ and ‘Avatar’ you’ll love KAIRN, Mates of the Alliance.”

The sound bite serves the purpose of telling a long story in a few words.

You can tell people who the book is for. “This book is for recent college graduates looking for a job in TECH.”  Or, “This is the perfect book for people who want to know all they can about ChatGPT and AI.”

What about YOU? Are you skilled enough in producing sound bites to earn an interview on local or national TV? If you’ve not had media training, believe me it’s too late once you get the call. You may have to get in a car or on a plane within an hour’s notice. That’s why you need to be prepared before you get the call. When my clients agree to media coaching, my first choice for them is Jess Todtfeld.

Jess is one of the leading authorities on media training in the world. With more than 25 years of media training experience, Todtfeld has trained thousands of CEOs, authors, and experts, including leading government officials in the United States and members of the United Nations.

Another well-known media trainer, TJ Walker came up with several good sound bite creation techniques he’s shared:

  1. Create sound bites that are 10, 15 and 30 seconds.
  2. Work an example into the sound bite.
  3. Use Clichés. Reporters can’t write clichés, but they love quoting other people using them.
  4. Humor can be memorable but only if you are not talking about a serious topic.
  5. One great way to get your message quoted by reporters is to state your ideas in the form of a rhetorical question.
  6. Opposition quotes make good quotes and sound bites. Opposition quotes remain a favorite of reporters but use them only if and when they are appropriate to your message.
  7. Absolutes are absolutely quote worthy. If I say “We will be the next champions!” That has a better chance of landing in the story than “We are hoping to win.” Saying “Our company is the top performer in this field” would be another example.
  8. Recycle your quotes. If one worked well with another media interview in the past, use it again.
  9. Use pop culture references in your quotes.
  10. Put analogies in your answers, use bold, action-oriented words, let your emotions flow freely, and attack your way to the headlines.

A sound bite is only one aspect of a successful television appearance. You must also be concerned about your total message, the knowledge you display, and the self-confidence you demonstrate.

As a book publicist I’ll prepare questions for our clients ahead of time and include those in our press kits sent to the host. Often the interviewer will read those questions right in order. Other times they refer to our questions and include some of them. That’ll help you because you’ll know what to expect and you can respond with the sound bites you’ve already developed.

The Bottom Line: Prepare some snappy sound bites ahead of time, rehearse them every day and you’ll sound like a pro turning your TV appearance into a huge success.

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!


How Authors Can Benefit From BookTok

Can BookTok Sell Books?

By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

The social media platform TikTok made its debut in 2016. It allows users to create and share short-form video content and slideshows, ranging anywhere from comedy to life advice to product reviews and much more. Today, the social media platform is available in over 150 countries and has over 1 billion users.

BookTok is a community on TikTok where readers discuss their favorite books, series, and authors. Users can create reviews, share their favorite books, show off their book collections, and even promote their own creations. Authors can learn what their readers love, find new fans, and answer questions from both readers and fellow authors.

“#BookTok is an honest and authentic community of readers, authors, and industry professionals who love to talk about and learn about books, writing and all things book related. BookTok is more than just social media word of mouth, it’s a tight community of book lovers where an author can find out in real-time what readers want to read,” says Sheila English, award-winning author of Adam Frankenstein: Dog Fight.

If you’re an author, it’s a good idea to explore BookTok as it can help you grow your audience and share with fans via text and video. It just might give you the type of exposure you need to get published and sell your work, as many users, especially the younger generations, are drawn to organic promotions directly from their source rather than traditional advertising. It gives the readers control over what becomes popular. Users can also form connections with their favorite authors or find books and communities for specific niches.

Publishers and bookstores have also begun to engage with BookTok. Walk into any Barnes and Noble and you will surely see a display with popular BookTok books. The company reported a 14% increase in sales after #booktok launched. Even some shopping websites, such as Books-A-Million and Target, have a category for books that gained popularity through BookTok!

Simon & Schuster marketing and publicity manager Olivia Horrox is quoted in The Guardian, stating, “There’s something about the fact that it is under a minute. People who are consuming this content want stuff that’s quicker and snappier all the time – you watch a 32-second video and someone’s like: ‘This book has LGBTQ romance, it’s really heartbreaking, it’s speculative fiction.’ And then the viewers think: ‘Oh, ok, those are all things that I’m interested in. I’ll go buy it.”

For both established authors and new authors, BookTok allows for organic exposure and a chance to build effective connections with your audience.

Authors: Is It Time To Put BookTok Into Your Book Marketing?

How to Get Started on BookTok

If you are an author looking to establish yourself on BookTok, follow these steps.

1. Download the App and Create an Account

You can link to Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail and download the app. Once you do, choose a catchy username to sign up.

2. Create Your Profile

Add your picture and a short description that explains the type of author you are and what books you write. Prove that you are authentic and passionate about your books!

3. Follow BookTokers

Go to the home page and follow some BookTokers by searching the hashtag #BookTok. This will ensure the TikTok algorithm displays book-related content in your feed. You can also keep up with current trends by paying attention to who and what is popular.

4. Make Your First Video

Now, the fun part begins! It’s time to get noticed by other BookTok users. Hit the + sign at the bottom of the screen, add a sound at the top, and press the red button to record yourself. You can talk about anything related to your books or you as an author. Then, hit next and add the #BookTok hashtag as well as a few others that relate to your genre and target your readers. Additionally, take some time to observe what other authors like you are doing. TikTok thrives on trends, so keeping your content catchy and relevant is key!

As you begin your journey as an author on BookTok, be careful about what kind of engagement you create. You don’t want to start arguments with negative reviewers or be too overbearing. Don’t force yourself on other users; let them come to you. Remember, BookTok is about the readers!

BookTok may seem daunting at first, but practice makes perfect! Just make more videos, engage with others in the community, and remain enthusiastic about your books!

Successful Authors on BookTok

Here are a few of the many authors who have decided to harness the power of BookTok and found success in doing so.

Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover AKA CoHo is a romance and thriller author that has published more than 20 novels and used BookTok to find loyal fans and readers. As a result of her efforts on BookTok, she gained 1.1 million followers and 14.8 million likes. This helped some of her books, including It Ends With Us earn a spot on the New York Times best seller list. Check out CoHo’s profile here.

Victoria Aveyard

Victoria Aveyard is best known for her novel series The Red Queen and is a popular content creator on BookTok. She frequently gains fans through her posts on upcoming new books, publishing, and general lifestyle content. Check out Victoria’s profile here for advice on writing.

Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas, who writes folkloric fantasies such as Lost in the Neverwoods and New York Times best seller Cemetery Boys, jumped on the BookTok bandwagon in 2021. He shares promo videos for his book and memes about being a Trans Latinx fantasy writer. Check out his profile here.

Ayana Gray

Ayana Gray used BookTok to promote the launch of her first book, Beasts of Pray. She shares updates that share her enthusiasm for the process and gives other aspiring authors some inspiration. Check out Ayana’s profile here.

Jennifer Millikin

Through BookTok, Jennifer Millikin creates teasers for her books, such as Our Finest Hour and The Patriot. in an effort to generate excitement. During each teaser, she pretends to be the main character in the book. Check out Jennifer’s profile here.

Fiona Lucas

If you go to Fiona Lucas’ BookTok, you’ll find videos of her that walk you through her process of publishing her first book, The Last Goodbye. Check out Fiona’s profile here.

There are hundreds of authors who have found success through BookTok, and reading their stories is sure to inspire anyone to follow in their footsteps. Caseen Gaines, author of Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way, decided to engage with BookTok. “My first video [about Black suffragettes, Aug. 18, 2021] had over 3,000 views. Once I got that immediate gratification, I was off to the races,” he says.

David Alan Arnold (@davidalanarnold), author of Help From Above, has 1.8 million followers on TikTok. He’s also helicopter cameraman for the Deadliest Catch, Survivor and numerous others shows and newscasts. David started a Facebook Group called How to Grow on TikTok. He offers free advice on the topic. This is a treasure trove of information for authors.

The Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a fresh yet effective way to promote your work as an author, you owe it to yourself to explore BookTok.

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book.

He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!