If there's one thing book publicity professionals agree on, it's the need to plan campaigns thoroughly. Success doesn't happen by accident, and in today's hyper-competitive marketplace, it takes a strategy to reach target readers. Campaign planning starts with identifying potentially interested groups of readers and making sure outreach goes to media where they are in the audience. It also makes a case for niche audiences because they're increasingly shown to be more active book buyers. The allure of mass media exposure continues, but it's less efficient than highly targeted media with more minor, focused audiences.

What are you trying to accomplish with your book marketing campaign? It's one of the first questions a good publicist will ask because it varies by author. Today many business executives and professionals have learned that books are incredibly effective publicity generators for them and their businesses. As a result, it's common to write a book for promotional value with less concern for how many copies or downloads it sells. The differing priorities will cause adjustments in PR campaign planning and target media. The same goes for events and speaking platforms which may be more focused on business.

Book PR programs can have beneficial effects for many years because media coverage lives on the internet indefinitely. Articles and videos will appear if someone searches your name or book years from now. It affects planning because it's reasonable (and wise) to set short- and long-term goals for your campaign. Also, many commercially successful books sell at a trickle over long periods. They become good sellers and earn significant sums of money for their publishers and authors over time. It's especially true in some genres, most notably children's books.

Key message development is also a crucial part of book publicity campaign plans. Consistently getting across the most important facts or stories about your book will help bring results with the media and target readers. The trick is to explain why your book is more exciting or helpful than its competitors. You can be sure other authors are trying to make similar points; yours must be the most compelling. You'll get results when you plan your campaign carefully and stick to the plan as you talk with the media and post to your social media accounts. PR successes are nearly always incremental.