Public Relations for Thought Leadership Books | Mark Fortier | 340

Leveraging Thought Leadership

Savvy authors know that public relations can be more unpredictable than marketing. So, how do you navigate those treacherous waters and find success?

Today’s guest is Mark Fortier, founder of Fortier Public Relations. Mark has spent 30 years publicizing hundreds of important books, including 140 bestsellers! Now, he's here to share tips and tricks with us that are essential for making your thought leadership book a success.

When taking a book to market, authors often only look at big wins. It's important to get coverage in large media outlets, but what most don't realize is that it's often small, incremental goals that really move the needle. Mark explains how and why it is important to manage expectations, and why you should work to create close relationships in order to help your book's audience grow. He also discusses the ways PR has changed over the years, and how online interviews and podcasts have become an important part of any successful author's portfolio.

One of the ways that authors and publishers support a book is by focusing on an existing platform. Mark discusses the importance of creating a pre-established, strong social network (and potential audience) before your book gets published, and offers alternatives if you don’t have one in place. It's important to live up to your publisher's expectations, but Mark shares his hard-won wisdom on the things an author should look for and expect from their publisher as well.

Three Key Takeaways:

• Thought leaders publishing their first (or fifth!) book can benefit from the knowledge and experience of public relations firms.
• Social media is a long term strategy. Thought leaders publishing a book need to start building a large, connected network as early as possible.
• Thought leaders should seek out a publisher they can work with, and ensure that their publisher truly understands the material's message.