Once again, I was going to do a blog about press releases, but I just learned today that my book The Great Heist got a wonderful review in the newspaper, so I'm going to talk a little about newspaper reviews.
Many people say that newspapers are going out of fashion, and will be gone soon. I disagree. In fact, I believe they are one of the four best resources for writers. (The others are radio stations, blogs, and podcasts.) Though they have lost a lot of revenue over the past couple decades, and their staffs have unfortunately declined significantly, they are still relevant with a certain audience. More importantly, they still have ways to survive.
The problem is when people equate newspapers with news print. The assumption is that as the print medium dies, so do newspapers. Not true; and the smart newspapers have been adjusting, getting onto the web, and creating apps for their product. Just as heralding news on the streets was replaced by the printing press, so, too, has the printing press been replaced by computers and, to a larger degree, tablets. It's the natural progression, and there's no reason anyone should be left behind as it's simply a different method of distribution; the content doesn't really need to change, (except perhaps for some adding of interactivity.)
The problem for the newspapers is financing. Once purchased by millions of people, it has reduced to a tiny percentage of that amount due to the internet. Television and radio reduced the readership as they came along, but this most recent threat was bigger because it approached the same audience: readers. While TV and radio attracted people to watch and listen to the news, newspapers retained readership; people who prefer to read for themselves about what's happening rather than having it filtered through the emotions of telecasters or radio personalities.
That's how I get to my point. Though newspapers and blogs may have a lower readership than television and Youtube, they retain the audience that is most important, readers. Independent book selling is really more about selling to niches than it is about going for the mainstream audience. Even if your book will appeal to a mainstream audience, you want a niche audience to start out with. You want them to feel special, like they have a beautiful secret before anyone else. Then utilize that base to launch off into a wider audience. Newspapers have that loyalty, and a reader who cares about a newspaper, (or a blog,) will care more deeply about what they say, and are more likely to read a review or a story from them.
My books have thus far been a lot about Nebraska history, and I plan to do some more fairly soon. I've therefore become acquainted with the people in charge of book reviews at The Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha Reader. (I have not been impressed with the Omaha World Herald.) I've sent them stories and free copies of the books every time they've come out, and I've shown gratitude every time they do a story or a review. I also see what's going on in town before sending them things so I can refer to current events, and talk about how these stories will be relevant. As such, I've gotten both reviews, and regular stories written about my books and their subjects.
Once I have that base, I branch out from there into blogs, podcasts, radio stations and newspapers around the country. But having that base from a couple local newspapers helps tremendously, as I'm able to show others that first review, that first story, and how well it went over with their readers.
To see the review of The Great Heist, go to:
http://journalstar.com/entertainment/books/book-review-great-heist-is-fantastic-tale-of-lincoln-bank/article_ca0d72de-ed14-5b38-a5c6-6225da12a8b7.html
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