Book Marketing Buzz: Book Promotion & Publicity Tips: How to Promote Your Books with Motivational Speaker Robin Jay
Posted by pumpupyourbookpromotion on April 7, 2008
Book Marketing Buzz: Book Promotion & Publicity Tips: How to Promote Your Books is a continuing series to help authors learn how to promote their books. If you would like to be a guest blogger for our book promotion and publicity series, click here.
Our guest blogger for today is motivational speaker Robin Jay, author of The Art of the Business Lunch.
One of the best ways for an author to promote their books is through speaking. If you are not afraid to get up in front of an audience and share stories about your book – from the content to the process, why you wrote it, how you wrote it or what it’s about – then you will have the greatest opportunity to promote your book.
It takes everything you can do – from virtual book tours, websites, various marketing tools and newsletters to get the word out about your book. But if you can talk to someone about your work, you will be able to inspire them to read it.
I actually became a professional speaker when I launched my book. Any speaker will tell you that having a book is a great way to earn more – by selling products, including books or CD’s in the back of the room. Anyone looking to work as a speaker should have a book. But not all authors are speakers. If you are an author and you are uncomfortable speaking, I recommend you join toastmasters or hire a coach to help you overcome your fear of public speaking. Not just that, but you may need a coach to tell you how to move, how to dress, and how to relate to your audiences. Being a successful author is no longer simply about being a great writer. You must be able to conduct interesting interviews, answer questions and generate excitement about your work!
At my book launch, I hosted 80 of my close friends and former clients at The Palm Restaurant inside Caesars Palace in my hometown of Las Vegas. I had no idea what I would say except for some notes I had made about the business lunch, including why I felt it was important to take clients to lunch, along with some of the situations I had experienced taking clients to lunch. From the drunken co-worker who made racist slurs to the salesman who, wearing khakis and a golf shirt, was escorted into a boardroom where the directors all sat in suits and ties, I shared stories about how to conduct oneself when courting clients.
On her way out of the luncheon that day, one of my friends said, “Man…you were BORN to do THIS!” I knew she was right. I was so comfortable in front of the group. I loved helping people to prepare for their business luncheons and to share a message with them about the importance of taking other people out and making them feel special.
Since that day, I have conducted countless interviews on radio, television and for print – magazines and newspapers. I have attended networking events, promoting my books and my speaking. I have even been in a movie!
A friend of mine, Matisun, told me a long time ago about a man she knew who attended the Maui Writer’s Conference. At one point, he had FIVE agents vying for his attention. He was a brilliant writer and his work was outstanding. The five agents all met this man for lunch one day in Maui. They told him he would need to get his teeth fixed. Apparently, they were so crooked that they affected his speech. Then they told him he would have to clean himself up a bit…get a bit of style and change his hair and his clothes. He declared, “This is who I am….like it or leave it! It’s my writing that’s important.”
Well, they left it! A publisher or an agent today is looking for the entire package. It’s no longer enough to just be a great writer. In fact, you could be downright prolific! But if you can’t go on national television and promote your work, the movers and shakers will likely pass. They are more excited about the writer who can promote their work publicly.
So, if you want to promote your book, get some media coaching and a make over if necessary. It’s a competitive world…and if you don’t put yourself out, someone else will; and THEY will get to the top of the best-seller lists before you even get a book deal! Become the kind of author who can do it all. By doing so, you will make yourself much more valuable in the marketplace.
Robin worked as an Advertising Account Manager more than 18 years. She experienced a 2000% increase in sales in her career, largely because of her ability to build strong, long-lasting relationships.
Robin found that bringing a social situation, particularly lunch, into business relationships works to bond client and salesperson. She attributes her proven track record to applying the lessons she learned during her vast experience courting clients. Robin has been on more than 3,000 client lunches, which is why her clients named her “The Queen of the Business Lunch”!
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Jay has lived 
in Las Vegas, Nevada for the past 31 years. This surreal environment gives her a unique and amusing perspective on business.
Robin Jay is a past President of Las Vegas Women in Communications, and has served on the Board of Directors for several organizations including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF) and The Advertising Community Talent Show (ACTS). She has written articles for Forbes.com, Hospitality Executive Magazine and What’s On Magazine, and has also written ad copy for such clients as the MGM Grand Hotel and the Sahara Hotel & Casino. She has been awarded the WIC Electronic Media Award for Radio Account Executive of the Year. Ms. Jay enjoys playing golf, singing and is a gourmet cook. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with her dog Georgie.
You can visit her website at http://www.robinjay.com/ and her blog at www.robinjay.com/blog.
Listen to an audio chapter from her book here!
Robin’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion, an innovative public relations agency specializing in online book promotion. You can visit us at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com.
As part of her virtual book tour, Robin will be stopping off at Paperback Writer tomorrow!
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virtual book tour, virtual blog tour, online book promotion, book marketing, guest blogger, Robin Jay, motivational speaker, The Art of the Business Lunch, promote your books
jacksonjimmy said
It’s common knowledge that most successful people set goals. Most successful people know what their goals are. motivational speakerspeople are aware of the power of goals and goal setting.
bookmarketing noob said
Great guest post, I would have to agree that you need a “platform” these days to get picked up by the big publishing houses, you just can’t be a great writer anymore.