Crafting a Standout Media Pitch: Step-by-Step Guide

Every author wants to go and appear in the media outlets so they can promote their book. However, they don’t know how to reach and make outlets interview them. This is where a media pitch plays the role of marketing books to the media outlet’s audience.

When you pitch your book or ideas to media outlets, you have to make it compelling. Many authors struggle with this, but the key to standing out is to learn who you’re talking to. When sending pitches to the media, you must identify the right story ideas from your book and tailor them to each specific audience.

A media pitch is where you email or message specific media outlets in which you ask them to promote a book. Then, they break any news story or interview you based on your book. Well, authors usually have this question in mind when they begin marketing a book.

How To Write a Media Pitch That Works?

This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of how to pitch to the media successfully after your book launch and help you find the right angle for each media contact. As a result, you will gain the media coverage you desire.

What Makes an Effective Media Pitch?

A media pitch that works for authors has several key elements:

Compelling Story Angle

Your pitch should offer a unique and exciting angle that captures the attention of the media outlet. It should grab their interest and make them want to know more.

Tailored to the Audience

It is crucial to customize your pitch to fit the audience of the media outlet you want to target. Get to know their interests, preferences, and needs. Then, craft your pitch according to it.

Problem-Solving or Value-Adding

Your pitch should address a problem or provide value for the audience of the media outlet. It should offer solutions, insights, or info that can benefit them in some way. For example:

• Make money writing a book.
• Tips to make your relationship stronger.
• Ways to reduce costs with the grocery.

Takeaways for the Audience

Provide clear and actionable takeaways that the audience can learn from and apply there and then. It shows the practical value of your pitch and makes it more appealing.

Position Yourself as an Expert

Showcase your expertise and establish yourself as the right person to provide the takeaways you offer. Highlight your abilities or unique insights that make you a credible source.

Keep in mind that a media pitch is not a book press release. So, your pitch should show that you’ve done your research and understand the media outlet and its audience. However, it doesn’t need to be highly personalized. Keep it concise, clear, and direct.

Take the media pitch as a targeted email sent to specific media contacts. It pitches a particular news story or interview topic based on your book positioning. In most cases, you can send the same pitch to a targeted list of media outlets that share a similar focus.

However, when you pitch to top-tier media outlets, each pitch should be unique and tailored to the specific outlet. For further guidance, you can consider the option of hiring book publicists.

How To Generate a Media Pitch That Works?

To come up with great pitch ideas, follow these steps:

Research the Audience

When you begin the process of media pitch, research your target audience first. Identify media outlets that align with the interests and choices of your audience. Keep in mind that each outlet may reach a slightly different segment of your audience. For example, suppose your book focuses on marketing children’s books. In that case, you can start a podcast that caters to the following:

• Parents
• Teachers and Educators
• Guardians

Understand:

• Who is the audience segment.
• Their geographic coverage.
• Common interests.
• And their needs.

Then, adapt your pitch to suit the specific media outlet and its target audience.

Brainstorm Pitch Angles

After you learn about your audience, brainstorm different angles for your pitch. Consider how the content of your book relates to each audience segment. Identify stories, examples, or chapters from your book that would be most interesting to them. Determine the unique value you can offer to each group. Imagine if you could convey one concept from your book that could make the biggest difference in their lives—what would it be? Generate a list of possible angles and select the most compelling one for each audience.

Perform the Exercise for Each Audience

Repeat the brainstorming process for each audience you intend to pitch to. Tailor your approach and angle to suit the specific niche of each audience. It will help you create targeted and relevant pitches for each media outlet. Remember, media pitches are not book advertisements.

How to Write a Media Pitch?

There should be reaching out to media to promote your book in your book marketing plan. Here are easy steps on how to make a pitch to the press:

Start with the Hook

You can follow the basic template if you want to write the media pitch yourself. By the way, the template starts with a hook. However, what could be the hook of your pitch? It can be:

• A unique perspective
• A recent trend related to the book
• Your expertise

Identify the most compelling aspect of your pitch and use it to grab attention right from the start. Craft your opening in a way that sets the stage and clearly establishes the relevance of your pitch for the specific audience you are targeting.

“Pro Tip: While timely pitches are often compelling, it’s essential to be mindful of market saturation. PR professionals who provide book marketing services receive numerous pitches, sometimes in the hundreds or thousands. If a particular topic dominates the news for an extended period, it is worth it to consider an alternative approach or angle to stand out.”

Add Value

After presenting your hook, clearly outline the value you will provide to the audience. One practical approach is to highlight the problem that makes your message relevant to the specific group of listeners or readers you’re targeting.

For media pitch examples:

• Dream vacations often turn into a wrong choice due to hidden fees and expenses that leave people increasing their budgets.
• Dealing with a friend who is easily upset can be like walking through a field filled with hidden bombs, where one wrong step could lead to bursts of anger, hurt feelings, or tears.
• Authors frequently ignore the hidden costs that they need to sell your book and market it. It leads to financial strain and the need for more funding

Following the problem setup, deliver a clear and concise statement of the solution you will provide. Consider listing key takeaways in brief bullet points, such as:

• Approaches to avoid that often make vacations worse.
• Strategies to de-escalate your friend’s emotional outbursts.
• Sell an eBook on Amazon.

While including your credentials and previous work in the field is essential, keep them brief and relevant to the pitch. Explain:

• Why you are the right person to discuss the subject matter.
• How you can add value to the audience.
• What makes your voice unique.

Keep in mind to be concise and pack great value into your pitch. Impressive pitches effectively convey the benefits in a minimal amount of space.

Make the Ask

Conclude your pitch with a straightforward statement indicating your interest in being a guest on their show, a guest blogger, or any specific request you have. Keep this part short and simple.

Edit Your Pitch

Take a break from your pitch and come back to it later with fresh eyes. Edit it with the recipient in mind, thinking about how it will be received. Keep your pitch concise. Aim for no more than three short paragraphs. Read it aloud to ensure it has a tone of simple, direct confidence.

Create Your Email Subject Line

Craft a subject line that starts with your ask, posed as a question, and add a short hook related to the topic. This helps grab attention and increase the chances of your email being opened.

Follow Up

If you don’t receive a response, wait for about two weeks before following up. Reply to your initial pitch email and include a link to your media kit if you have one. Keep your follow-up email brief and ask if they are interested.

A Note on Repitching

If you’re pitching podcasts, avoid repitching the same idea if they pass on it, even with a different angle. However, if you’re pitching to print or digital publications, you can throw a different idea after a couple of weeks with a new angle.

Keep in Touch for Further Prospects

After you secure media coverage, express gratitude with a thank you message. Acknowledge the enjoyable conversation. Establish a connection and maintain ongoing engagement. Keep following them and interact with them.

If you nurture the relationship, you may have the chance to become a recurring expert on their show. As a result, you can transform into a long-term collaboration.

FAQs

Conclusion

If you write a standout media pitch, you can capture the attention of journalists and secure media coverage. By following the above step-by-step guide, you can enhance your chances of success.

So start with thorough research and understand the media outlet and journalist you’re pitching to. Develop a compelling story angle that aligns with their interests and audience. Craft a concise and well-written pitch that highlights the unique value of your story. Personalize your contact and make it relevant and timely. Finally, be persistent and follow up appropriately, but always maintain professionalism and respect for journalists’ time.

With these strategies in mind, you can elevate your media pitching game and increase your chances of getting your book noticed and featured in the media. So go ahead, put these steps into practice, and watch your media relations soar to new heights. Take your media presence to new heights. Contact Authors Breeze today. We help authors reach success with our best services for authors.