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The Frugal Book Promoter, 3rd edition
How To Get Nearly Free Publicity On Your Own Or By Partnering With Your Publisher
by Carolyn Howard-Johnson


Modern History Press / Reader’s Digest
September 2019/ ISBN 978-1615994694
Nonfiction / Writing / Publishing

Reviewed by Leslie C. Halpern

 

From the author’s popular “How to Do It Frugally Series,” comes this third edition of The Frugal Book Promoter, a nonfiction guide to getting no-and-low-cost publicity. As the publishing industry has changed over the years—primarily because of the internet—each new edition provides updates accordingly. This latest version of the first book in the series has been reorganized to help readers better understand promotion, and provides up-to-the minute advice on producing effective media releases, query letters, and media kits.

Divided into seven sections (along with helpful appendixes with writing samples and an index), the book focuses on getting started, using publicity basics, working independently or with a publicity partner, promoting a book through writing other material, understanding the media, standard promotions that still work, and tips for rejuvenating earlier publications. Sections are broken down into chapters, and chapters are further broken down into subheadings and bulleted points. These methods of dividing material into smaller chunks of information should keep the abundance of advice from overwhelming readers.

Some of the updated internet information is contained in Chapter 21 “Game Changers.” Howard-Johnson, an award-winning author and former publicist, encourages writers to consider blogging as a social network where they can establish their personal brand, promote their work, build name recognition, and network with others in the publishing world. The chapter provides specific ways to begin a blog, find content for posting, and nearly a dozen ways to promote it. “We use our blogs to promote, obviously. What isn’t so obvious is that the blog itself must be promoted. One of the most important ways to do both things is to integrate it with all the other entities you use for networking on the web.”

Whether authors are first-timers or adding the next book to their series, this book offers helpful suggestions for authors of fiction and nonfiction (and all genres within these categories). The book also provides links, publication titles, and other helpful resources for additional information. All authors who want to spread the word about their publications should have a copy of The Frugal Book Promoter on their bookshelf.

Reviewer: Leslie C. Halpern is the author of four nonfiction books, including 200 Love Lessons from the Movies and four children's books, including Silly Sleepytime Poems.
Reviewed 2019
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