This section was a shock to me because I assumed the publisher would be doing all the promotion and publicity. They do a lot of it, of course, but they also want to know what you can bring to the table.

How big is your online media reach? Do you know any editors or producers that will help promote your book? Any published authors that will commit to writing a foreword for your book? Now is the time to drop names. Shamelessly.
famefriends
If your own social media followers aren’t that amazing (at least 5,000 or more), don’t list those numbers. No one cares that your 274 Facebook fans are eager buyers. Instead, think about your reach. Combine the numbers of your friends and colleagues, people that will gladly pass on your good news. Two hundred close friends that all have 200 close friends that all have 200 close friends is a recipe for viral magic.

Don’t go crazy promising the moon though. It’s unlikely that 20 million people will Tweet about your new book, and the publishers know it. A book can hit the New York Times bestseller list with as little as 3,000 copies sold (see How the New York Times Bestseller List Works), so a small, but solid fan base is all publishers need.

Worker Bee
This is also where you let publishers know how hard you’re willing to work to support your own book. They want an author who’s willing to travel far and beyond to hawk their wares. Authors who don’t hustle for their own books are the ones who don’t get picked up for second deals, no matter how many copies they sold the first time out.

The more people selling your book, the better, so if you have already have a relationship with a public relations (PR) company, or are in the process of hiring one (hint, hint), say so.

Finally, highlight any interview and especially live television appearance experience you already have. Publishers have relationships with all the major morning shows; appearing on them moves tons of books. But the shows don’t like to book people with no experience. Live TV is fast, furious, and not for the faint-of-heart. They can’t risk having a guest who freaks out or (even worse) freezes up. Any experience you already have here is like gold to a publisher.

Don’t have any live TV experience? Here’s how to get some.

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