Author Publicity: How the Heck Do I Access the Media? with J.E. Thomas
And SO much diving in before we're ready.
From the Writing Desk:
For someone earning an income from using her imagination, I am remarkably bad at estimating what something will be like before I’m actually in it.
Maybe this is exactly what people mean when they talk about rose-colored glasses, but I have frequently found myself in situations (like certain jobs, certain location moves, or *ew* dates) that shock me with their overwhelm, and my flash-flood reaction of wanting to do a big NOPE and run away. I thought they were going to be great!
From a creative standpoint, what this looks like is me feeling sure I can figure out ALL THE THINGS! before I’ve even tried them. Sure I can draw comics and cartoons! Sure I can write songs! What, I’ve never taken an art class and have fine-motor-skill disabilities? What, I don’t play piano? Pffft. Details.
…yeah. Pretty important details, turns out.
The good news is that I am now officially a Baby Old (huzzah for aging, like for real), which means I’ve had a certain number of decades now of practice with my rose-tinted vision, how to preempt it’s blind spots, in many cases, and how to respond a little more rationally when I can’t.
This means things like allowing myself to be frustrated as I draw and as I play on my piano keyboard instead of letting it push me away, because y’all, it be frustrating. It takes me hours to figure out something very simple that it would take a different artist or musician literally five minutes to figure out. No exaggeration. But I’m old enough now to distinguish this distinctive flavor of frustration, and realize that this particular flavor might go down rough but is actually really filling, satisfying, and strengthening in the end. I’m slowly learning to love my brussel sprouts. (Blackened and with honey glaze, y’all).
And for books, what this means is that I always hit a point at the beginning of a project—right about after I’ve finished all the fun set-up stuff, usually about 15k words—where I am suddenly confronted by the actual work and effort part of writing a whole stinkin’ book. Inevitably I started the project with much enthusiasm and little prep, which means that now it’s time to slow down, figure out where I am, and how to *ugh* plot my way forward from here.
But I know this about myself, now. Now I can get excited about hitting this early road block because it means I’m ready to go back to that nebulous enthusiasm with a little bit more information and structure, and figure out out it’s actual shape.
That’s basically where I’m at with all my projects, at the moment.
At 15k on my adult novel I’ve realized some very new and different things about my antagonist and a few world-building details. This will inform the overall plot, so after solidifying these new things I’ll actually have a sense of where I’m going.
All gung-ho about a new idea and direction for a rewrite on my ghosty chapter book, I’ve started, jumped in, and realized it’s not the right pool. But it’s given me a better idea of what pool this story actually wants to play in.
Last month I got an email that gave me an immediate idea for a picture book that I fell in love with right away, and can see great potential in. So I wrote it! …sort of. The first 3/4. I have no idea what the ending is yet. (Can you relate,
?). But we will figure it out!
So what’s the lesson here? Sometimes it’s impossible to know the temperature of the soup before tasting it. But if it’s too hot or too cold, that’s okay. It doesn’t mean we’ve done something wrong, or even that it’s bad soup. It’s just a step on the cooking journey.
What road blocks are you dealing with on your creative projects these days?
Onward!
Author Publicity: How the Heck Do I Access the Media? with J.E. Thomas
We all want to do whatever we can to support our book babies, right? Including talking to reviewers, journalists, podcasters, bloggers, influencers…oh my. I don’t know about you, but I am constantly torn between feeling like I should do all the things, like collaborate with any media that I can think of, and feeling like…I can’t think of anything. Like I have no clue where to start.
So when I heard J.E. Thomas talk about her approach to working with the media I knew I had to have her here on the newsletter. Her tips are so insanely practical, you guys, and I know they’ll be as helpful to you as they are to me!
J.E. is an award-winning writer with bachelor’s degrees in Mass Communications and Political Science, and a master’s degree in Public Communications. She writes middle grade and YA books featuring those who have a lot to say—but don't often take center stage. CONTROL FREAKS is her first book. She's working on middle grade book #2 and her debut YA novel. Fun fact: She includes the name of at least one of her dogs in every story.
Welcome, J.E.!
1. What would you say is the most important thing to keep in mind when you're a writer approaching the media? What are the common mistakes to avoid?
No matter how excited I am about my book—and no matter how much I think a feature story or news segment solely about my book would be wonderful, lol—I try to remember that reporters are responsible for providing news (emphasis on news) that is relevant and of-interest to a large audience. Assuming I'm contacting a general assignment reporter, versus a book editor/reviewer, I try to take a step back and ask myself:
What about my pitch is interesting and relevant;
Whether my pitch is consistent with other articles or news segments the reporter has covered in the past;
Whether my pitch is timely.
2. What are your strategies for finding media outlets and other publications to pitch to?
I start with news outlets, podcasts and blogs that I read, watch or listen to. Then I may expand to outlets, podcasts and blogs that other authors have been covered by. I believe that two hours of research is well worth the time before sending off cold email.
3. Once you've found a media outlet you want to pitch that ties in well with your book, can you walk us through the steps of how you go about reaching out to them?
I recently hired an independent publicist to support media outreach. However, prior to that, I created a spreadsheet that included columns such as:
Reporter Name
Outlet
Beat
Reason(s) this pitch is a good fit
Date of initial contact
Response Y/N
Date of follow up
Email seems to be the best way to contact reporters. In many cases, there is an email link on online articles. If not, I will check the publication's website for contact information.
Of all of the bullet points on this list, I think the fourth (Reasons why this pitch is a good fit) is the most important! Questions to consider are:
Are you proposing a follow up to a recently aired/written news segment or article? If so, what new information do you have to offer?
Does your pitch sound like an ad? (e.g.: Maine debut author's book is about to be published!) If so, consider buying an ad.
Replace your name and book title with someone else's name and book title. Would you be interested in the story now? If not, rewrite your pitch until it would capture your interest, no matter who it's about.
Are you six degrees (or less) of separation from the reporter? If so, can someone make the introduction for you.
Thank you so much J.E. for your expertise! Find about more about J.E.’s work (plus all the amazing reviews she’ gotten and publicity she’s done…I mean, People magazine??) on her website, and make sure you order her amazing book!
What I’m Reading:
On the kid lit front, I’ve been lucky enough to read an advanced copy of the next middle grade from Adrianna Cuevas, and it is absolutely delightful. She does middle grade voice and spooks so, so well. And it’s based on a real life historical event when the army staged a fake soviet takeover of a Texas town?? Plus aliens. It doesn’t come out until February, but it is SO worth a preorder.
On the adult front, I’ve been finishing the Rosie series by Graeme Simsion. Guys, I just love this character so much. Give me the neurodiverse, middle-aged, quirky love stories all day every day.
What I’m Watching: So after I recovered from my Mentalist binge (will I ever?) I was worried I wouldn’t find anything to bring me in like that again, but I should have trusted the Brits. They can always be counted upon to create stories and characters that live and breathe and snark and delight. I watched through all of Inspector Lewis in June and loved every second.
“I’VE DONE BETTER SINCE:” Ok so…this movie. It came out years ago, but I am STILL GOSH DANG THINKING ABOUT IT. But it’s also…kind of a terrible movie? Like, the music is…not good. Really not good. I’ve never done drugs but I’m pretty sure this movie feels like a trip.
AND YET…I saw it in theaters four times??? I don’t know if I’d say Cyrano is a better play than any Shakespeare, but to me its just as good. And oh man oh man oh man PETER DINKLAGE’S FACE.
So…here’s a sampling of why I saw it so many times and am still thinking about it…
What I’m Drawing: I am not naturally a summer creature, but Happy 4th of July to those in the states! Stay safe, enjoy the fireworks, and start planning your jack-o-lantern! (As if you haven’t already. I see you waiting with your skeleton decor over there).
“You know, it’s hard work to write a book. I can’t tell you how many times I really get going on an idea, then my quill breaks. Or I spill ink all over my writing tunic.”
― Ellen DeGeneres
Writing Opportunity: As the owner of and fan of black cats, I thought this was a delightful call for submissions. Due July 15th, so get it in fast!
Teacher or Librarian? I would love to do a free virtual Q&A with your class or book group! If you’re interested in scheduling a visit you can reach out to me via my website. Let me know how I can support you! I’ve also got free classroom resources to accompany each book. You guys are rock stars!
Thanks for coming along everyone! The Smorgasbord is a hand-kneaded, hand-shucked, reader supported publication. You can support by buying a delicious book or by becoming a paid subscriber. It seriously means the world, you shining star you.
-Sarah
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P.S. I’ve got a surprise!! Now available, a class for writers called Reaching the Pedals: Writing Middle Grade Characters That Drive the Plot. This class has my favorite trick for giving middle grade characters proactivity, agency, and more control than kids usually have.
This is just the first class of hopefully many that I’ll be uploading, as an extra resource for paid subscribers. This newsletter is and always will be free, but the classes are a bonus I’ve long wanted to provide for those with paid subscriptions. Whether you’re a paid subscriber or not, a serious thank you for being here!
Great stuff here! I esp appreciated the practical publicity tips and now I must see Cyrano…
I love how you are “allowing”. There’s such value to understanding our own processes, isn’t there? I’m 51 now, and finally recognising the patterns in how I operate, and allowing myself to operate that way, instead of the constant pressure to be different. Not perfect at it yet, but finding my way.