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Ive Published a Book When do I get on Oprah

Written by: Anthony Mora

Article Overview: Even if you are publishing with a major house, approach your book’s PR launch as though you're self publishing your book. Don’t expect your publisher to do the work.

Ive Published a Book When do I get on Oprah

So you finally did it. You wrote that book you've been threatening to write, sent it to
publishers, amassed a mountain of rejection slips, but finally found that right publisher. Your manuscript was accepted. You're going to be a published author. Great - you can now turn your attention to your next book. Your first book's finished; your publisher will take care of everything from here on out. You’re Oprah segment is just a matter of time, right? Surprise!

At my firm, we run the gamut when it comes to representing authors, from self-published, first-time writers to writers who have landed multi-book deals with major publishers and, I am sad to report, the one common link among all the authors we work with is that, unless they are already household names, few seem to receive much support from their publishers.

It would be easy to blame the publishing company's media relations departments, but most publishing companies have slashed their in-house staffs and their publicists are overloaded. Every month, up to thirty books are dumped on a couple of in-house publicists. It's an impossible task. And unless you have name recognition or have written a shocking expose that the entire world is waiting to read, chances are you and your book will get lost in the shuffle.

Whether you are self publishing or are publishing your book through a major house, this is one instance where I strongly recommend you hire an outside PR firm that understands book media relations to implement your campaign. This is one time you don't have the luxury of learning as you go. You need to launch an effective campaign even before it's published. If you want to have it reviewed, you need to send a copy of your book, or the galleys, to reviewers, often as long as three months before the publication date. Once it's published, you immediately want to hit the local media, the talk shows, and the national press. One area you definitely want to focus on is national and regional radio outlets. There are hundreds of regional and local radio talk shows and current event-oriented programs that feature books and authors. These interviews are almost always conducted over the phone. You can be at home in your bathrobe, discussing your book, while thousands of people listen.

Even if you are publishing with a major house, I suggest that you approach your book’s PR launch as though you're self publishing your book. View your publisher primarily as a printer and distributor and assume that all of the responsibility for securing publicity for your book rests firmly on your weary shoulders. Try to convince your publisher to pay for at least two to three months worth of outside media relations. If your publisher launches a campaign for you, that's great, but don't count on it doing a heck of a lot. You don't have the luxury of being wrong. If you assume the media relations will be done for you and it's not, by the time you discover your error it will be too late. You’ll keep waiting for the phone to ring and for that Oprah segment to magically appear. Take your PR campaign into your own hands. If possible, hire an outside firm to handle your campaign for you. You finally have your book. Make the most of it. Don’t miss your window of opportunity.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008

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Article Tags: book deals, entire world, galleys, gamut, household names, impossible task, local media, major publishers, media relations departments, pr firm, publicists, publishing companies, publishing company, radio outlets, regional radio, rejection slips, s media, self publishing, staffs, time writers



Related Forum Posts
Oprah - Just an FYI - Suze Orman met Oprah years ago when she became one of Oprah's dream team of consultants. Just like Dr. Phil, Suze became a big hit after Oprah promoted her books and expertise. I doubt Oprah gets paid endorsement dollars per say but I do know that her production company has equity positions in a variety of programs and experts. I will look back through my files for more specific information. I recall a past Oprah staffer who know consults with people on how to get on Oprah. I'll pass it along! Good luck Shri. I think you can write a letter, or contact a series of the big names in order to get endorsements. you have to be professional, but persistent! It is said that Jack Canfield gets over 500 such requests each week. Cheers Jude
Re: Get on Oprah, make a fortune! - Suze Orman is very passionate about her work so I'm not surprised she got noticed by Oprah, however it came to be. (I've heard of people sending their books to Oprah's staff so they can filter information for Oprah to consider.) I personally have really enjoyed listening to Suze when she's been on Larry King Live. She has great tips and advice. She has also openly shared her passion for helping women achieve financial success as well. I guess the inspiration is that if you have something to offer that you believe can make a difference to many, then attempt to pull at Oprah's heart strings and see what happens. I remember reading in one of Marianne Williamson's books how being on Oprah instantly changed her life and she became a so-called overnight success. Being on Oprah isn't a dream of mine, but if it's yours, I cheer you on!
Re: Get on Oprah, make a fortune! - [quote="OmnivoreInk":3pr8ilfu]That's the thing, of course. If you're not a "big name" or don't have some kind of a pull with Oprah, there's no way you get on her show.[/quote:3pr8ilfu] Well what about those book authors that Oprah brings into the spotlight from obscurity? I was under the impression that "Oprah's Picks" were always titles that she discovered on her own and wanted to share with the public. Or is that a shame? Is Oprah just paid to endorse those books by wealthy publishers or were those books already bestsellers? How does it work?
Re: reframe what you want to accomplish - [quote="TheRainmaker":3a9wv4jy]it is said that if you help other people to reach their goals, you too will reach yours. Find out what Oprah is trying to accomplish over the next few months and pitch a link to a topic. Recently she is really motivated by the Eckard Tolle, A New Earth and the awakening of the human spirit. i will check out your stuff. good luck[/quote:3a9wv4jy] Another suggestion might be to specifically write a new book on what interests Oprah. If you can't control what Oprah is looking for, then control what you produce.
Re: Making money with Obama.me - Recently I was watching a game show when Oprah name was used as an adjective. the guy lost it, he could'nt believe Oprah na,e could be an adjective. The moderator said using oprah as an adjective means , the woman in question was rich and famous


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