Today is World Book Day and the good folks at PR by the Book would like to share these five tips for authors to promote their book during COVID-19.  They are also doing their part to promote a digital learning platform and community during this time of sheltering-in-place, PR by the Book has launched a DIY membership community for authors who don’t have the budget to hire a professional to take them from preparation through promotion on their book journey. The Author to Influencer Accelerator offers an ideal way for authors to tap into what they need during this time of quarantine.

5 Tips for Authors to Promote during COVID-19 

Pitch to media strategically

Despite the total saturation of the media, there are still ways that you can break through the noise with your pitches. People are looking for distractions from the scary hard news and many will spend extra time at home reading books, getting caught up on their wishlist of titles, so play to this need.

Engage with your fans on social media

People are spending much more time on social media. This creates an opportunity for social media promotions with lots of “lives” since people at home will be scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Audit content that you have put out in the past

Most people have never heard of a social media audit. But, how can you know what content to post if you don’t know how your content is performing? Most social media platforms make it easy to look at metrics, so you shouldn’t have to spend too much time tracking down numbers.

Once you know which types of content are performing the best, then you can tailor your future content and post more of what resonates with your audience.

Take time to develop new content

When you have extra time on your hands – like now, one of the best things you can do is create content that you can release in the future. Consider breaking down your book’s major points into bite-size pieces. You shouldn’t give away all your book’s secrets, but you can share important bits of information to entice readers into wanting more and positioning yourself as an authority in those areas.

Build out a content calendar

Once you have content ready to go, it’s best to organize it by using a content calendar. If you plan out what you are posting in advance, releasing content on a daily basis won’t be nearly as overwhelming.

PR by the Book is a literary publicity firm in Austin, Texas, that specializes in turning authors into influencers. For 18 years, PR by the Book has helped more than 900 authors key in on the messages that swing the door wide open to media relevance. Through traditional book publicity, influencer marketing, and digital relevancy, PR by the Book helps authors get their book the attention it deserves. More importantly, due to folks being at home, able to spend more time online, learning and applying those skills, PR by the Book cut the price in half for the month of April.