How can you get free promotion for your book? The answer is simple: have people connect over your book and talk about it. That’s why book clubs are such an effective tool for authors. Book club members go out and buy your book, read it, meet up to talk about it, and then recommend it to their friends. It’s good old fashioned ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing every book needs. You can learn about this approach to promoting your book in a more extensive article I wrote about it here: book clubs.
There’s one book club with a huge national following and it was started by Jimmy Fallon of the Tonight Show.
About the Fallon Book Club Segment
Jimmy Fallon hosts a book club segment where he and his viewers choose a book to read together. Jimmy starts by giving the audience their options. The choices range from debut novels to New York Times Best Sellers, with genres ranging from love stories to murder mysteries. In 2018 when Jimmy started the segment, it was called The Tonight Show “Summer Reads,” but in 2022 Jimmy coined the official “Fallon Book Club.”
Up until this year, Jimmy has picked out five or six books for his viewers to choose from, none of which he has previously read. To compile his list of competitors, Jimmy does research on each of his selections and their authors to ensure he chooses a mix of both established authors and those publishing for the first time. Jimmy has stuck strictly to fictional stories, and he tends to choose either love stories, psychological thrillers, or murder mystery stories as contestants.
As he stated, “Summertime you want the murder mystery, or you want the love and romance.” After Jimmy read the description of each, viewers could scan a QR code or visit the Fallon Book Club website to cast their vote on the story that most appealed to them.
FBC’s March Madness
This spring, Jimmy decided to switch things up. Instead of only doing a Summer Read, he put together a March Madness style bracket with 16 of his favorite finds. From the initial “Sweet 16,” the viewers voted to determine the “Elite Eight,” then the “Final Four,” followed by the “Terrific Two,” and finally the one winning book, which would be the Spring Read for the FBC. Jimmy’s original bracket was made up of 16 action-packed, thrilling mysteries.
The champion that has become the Spring Read is Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra, a debut novel. According to LateNighter News, there were about 1 million total voters involved in determining the winner, with each viewer allowed to vote up to 10 times on the Fallon Book Club website.
Winner Takes It All
The Fallon Book Club has helped debut authors become New York Times Best Sellers. Having your book selected by Jimmy Fallon could change the trajectory of your career as an author. Thanks to the publicity from the FBC, Nightwatching’s sales have made an outstanding increase. When Jimmy first introduced the novel as a contestant on the bracket, it was #20,143 on Amazon’s list of Best-Selling Books.
A couple days after the voters proclaimed it the winner, it jumped to #46, according to LateNighter News. Jimmy also announced that he would invite the author of the winning book onto the show, which will even further promote Sierra’s novel.
Bring A Social Life to Your Book
Today, people are using social media to connect in ways beyond the traditional gatherings. Connect with Jimmy and the FBC by following along on Facebook and Instagram @FallonBookClub and tagging him with mentions of your book.
Use the hashtag #FallonBookClub and ask friends and family to do the same. Doing this will help build community around your book.
Getting Fallon’s Attention
Multiple attempts to contact the show were futile, so they must want their selection method to remain a secret. It is likely a combination of publisher contacts, agents, and serendipity. The show’s mailing address is 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York.
Jimmy Fallon mainly looks for either love stories or mysteries for the Fallon Book Club. If this aligns with your books, you could be a contender for the segment!
The Bottom Line: A plug on The Tonight Show can be a life changing event. The opportunity is in your hands. Go for it!
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.
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!
As a book publicist, I am constantly looking for new and improved ways to help clients promote their books. Marketing is key when it comes to success—you can create a great book, but it will go nowhere if nobody knows about it. One new tool that is being used in book marketing is artificial intelligence (AI). AI is software that helps to carry out a task by collecting and applying data.
Many authors are already using a form of AI while writing. Features such as autocorrect and spellcheck utilize AI to search out grammar and spelling issues and offer corrections. With the more advanced generative AI, it can completely transform the style and tone of your work while keeping the content intact. I recently used AI on the first few pages of a client’s book, asking the program to rewrite it in a more dramatic style, and I was blown away by the finished product!
Beyond writing, AI can be used in many different ways during the publishing process. Here are some examples of ways AI can be used in book marketing.
1. Producing Copy
Using AI, authors can input key ideas and let the machines do the rest! What would take a human being hour to write up can be done in seconds. Sites such as The Associated Press have used AI for years to provide near-instant news, and in publishing, that speed can be used to get content out quickly, jump on the latest trends, and prepare for what comes next.
2. Find Target Audience
Many social media platforms utilize AI to provide personalized recommendations to each user. As stated in an article from FADEL, these recommendations are “a powerful tool for enhancing reader engagement, increasing content consumption, and fostering long-term loyalty.” For authors, AI can find those who will be interested in your book based on other content that they have engaged with.
3. Social Media Content Creation
Similar to producing copy, AI can be used to create social media posts based on popular trends. According to Forbes, this form of AI uses “text-to-image, image-to-video, image-to-image and other varieties of algorithms to create unique content like images, video, music and text.” For authors using social media to promote their books, AI will keep their content relevant and engaging.
4. Book Cover Creation
AI can also be used to create book covers. Given your genre and book content, it can make suggestions for potential covers based on similar or popular titles. Much like creating social media posts, some AI programs can even generate images for your cover. However, make sure to use programs that are not using stolen artwork to teach their AI!
5. Increased Accessibility
AI can also increase the accessibility of your book by generating text-to-speech, creating audiobook formats, translating to other languages, and much more. By offering more than one way to consume your content, more readers will be interested. Author C.S. Lakin recounts her experience of Amazon’s AI Audiobook feature: “Honestly, it took all of fifteen minutes, after I spent one minute choosing one of my titles, picking a voice, and publishing. Seriously! I have an entire 11 hours of audio listening for Time Sniffers, and it took Al all of ten minutes. The reading is pretty good—better than some narrators I paid to do my audiobooks.” Even better, this program is free!
6. Find Places and People for Promotion
You can ask AI chatbots for suggestions of places to promote your book based on your genre, target audience, or other factors. They can quickly locate influencers, websites, magazines, or bookstores that might be interested in promoting your book! Given how vast the internet is, it’s much simpler than trying to find them on your own. Plus, AI can find places that might not have ever crossed your mind.
7. Interview Practice
Not sure how to talk about your book? Ask AI chatbots to ask you questions about it. You can prepare answers for common questions before actual interviews. AI can also offer feedback on your answers, such as how to improve wording or what information you should add or remove.
8. Predictive Analysis
AI can be used to track trends and predict what will come next. What books will be popular? What advertising methods will be effective? What will catch people’s attention? What is going out of style? AI can study past and current trends to predict the answers to these questions. PublishersWeekly claims, “[AI] can do a great job with competitive analysis and can paint a compelling real-time picture of what’s happening in the market to the books that are siphoning off sales, and to opportunities missed.” Get ahead of the curve by preparing for the next big thing!
Reminder: Always double-check your AI-produced creations! You don’t want false or plagiarized information.
AI will continue to grow and expand, and authors should take advantage of it. It is cost-efficient, effective, and saves time. Some common AI programs for writers and publicists include ChatGPT, Gemini, Jasper, CopyAI, Writesonic, Ocoya, Bing CoPilot, and DALL-E. However, this barely scratches the surface of the hundreds of programs available for every niche. Take time to explore and find what works for you!
If you’d like to see a step-by-step overview in using AI, check out an online video class by Jess Todtfeld, President of Success In Media, Inc, a leading business communication expert whose clients include the United Nations and Fortune 500 firms. ChatGPT to Supercharge Your Public Relations Media Training. Just watching the free previews will help you.
The Bottom Line: AI is a valuable tool when it comes to book marketing, as it is an effective and efficient way to expand your audience.
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.
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!
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why the title of your book is so important. The title is the first thing potential readers will see or hear about your book. While thinking of a compelling title is easier said than done, it’s essential if you’d like to sell your book.
I wrote a book about how to title a book called Book Title Generator. The good news is artificial intelligence (AI) can now help in the process. You still need to understand the underlying concepts in titling a book – SEO, Amazon optimization, using numbers, idioms, short titles, etc. Let’s take a closer look at how authors are tapping into the power of AI to title their books so you can do the same.
AI-Powered Book Title Generators
Fortunately, there are a number of AI-powered book title generators to help you title your books, regardless of genre. You can enter a few phrases or keywords related to your book’s content and receive a list of potential book titles to get your creative juices flowing.
An AI-powered book title generator can also analyze your target audience, so you know your readers’ demographics, interests, and preferences. It may recommend titles that resonate with your specific audience.
In addition, you can set different parameters like your preferred tone to customize the titles the generators provide you. This makes it a breeze to ensure the suggested titles fit your vision and brand.
ChatGPT and Bing Chat AI are the most popular tools for generating book titles. Both can generate unlimited title ideas. You just have to use a descriptive prompt about the genre, setting, story line, targeted age group, and other factors. It’s quite amazing how many clever titles it can generate quickly. Here are several other reputable AI-powered book title generators you may want to explore:
AskYourPDF: AskYourPDF offers several content development tools, including an AI Book Title Generator.
Simplified AI: Even if you’re new to AI, you’ll appreciate this intuitive tool that can help you generate a variety of serious, thought provoking, and humorous book titles.
Toolbaz: With Toolbaz, you can come up with book titles in various genres, styles, and lengths.
AISEO: If SEO is your goal, AISEO will help you optimize your book titles for search engines.
BookAI: You can count on BookAI to review your manuscript and share relevant title ideas.
Taskade: Taskade can assist you with every stage of the book writing process, such as brainstorming, and title generation based on the keywords you input.
Benefits of Using AI in Titling Your Book
Whether you’re a new author or have been writing and publishing books for years, an AI-powered title generation can offer many benefits, including:
Time Savings: Create unique, compelling book titles and save hours upon hours on brainstorming and manual tests.
Increased Profits: An engaging title can intrigue readers and lead to more sales.
Flexibility: AI book title generators accommodate all types of authors, regardless of genres or writing styles.
Chance to Stand Out: With an intriguing book title, you’ll be able to differentiate yourself in the competitive market and in turn, raise your chances of success.
If you’d like to see a step-by-step overview in using AI, check out an online video class by Jess Todtfeld, President of Success In Media, Inc, a leading business communication expert whose clients include the United Nations and Fortune 500 firms. ChatGPT to Supercharge Your Public Relations Media Training. Just watching the free previews will help you.
The Bottom Line
Titling your book doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out process. With AI, you can come up with the ideal title in a fraction of the time. Best of luck!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!