There's no business like show business (or local media)

I've talked before about how you've got to start local if you want to get major press coverage. By adding clips and references to your media kit, other outlets will have something to go on when you approach them.

But some authors might think it's better to skip this step. If you don't have any intentions of contacting major media outlets, you could be tempted to forgo your local radio, tv, and newspapers.

To that I say...Big Mistake.

Why?

Because you never know who's watching.

Back in December I sent a brief intro over to our local station and asked if they would be interested in featuring a local author. They were more than  happy to have me on. So I went down, did the filming and I had my 60 seconds of fame later that night.  Super fun and exciting, but I hardly expected a rush from the local market to go buy my book.

I also didn't expect an email from a professor in the English graduate program at our local university. I never expected to hear that she wanted to assign her class my book this semester. And I couldn't have expected the department head would invite me to come speak to their program.

Nope, I didn't see that coming. But it turns out this English professor did see the news and jumped at the chance to include a local author on her syllabus.

Look, I'm not saying that if you get on local media you'll start pooping glitter rainbow opportunities. I recognize all the galactic Jenga pieces that had to fit together for a professor looking for a book to see my news spot. But I do know that if I had not taken the fifteen minutes to send off an introductory email, none of that would have happened.

So don't overlook the smaller opportunities because you can't see the obvious, in-your-face payoff. You never know who's watching.