Going local often provides the surest path to meaningful publicity. Standing in front of a library audience, chatting at a farmers’ market stall, or fielding questions on community radio transforms a distant byline into a neighbor readers can root for. That face‑to‑face connection sparks genuine word of mouth—the signed copy passed to a friend, the snapshot shared on local social media, the casual mention that “the author lives just down the road.”’
Local coverage also offers built-in story angles a national outlet would miss. A novel set in town, a book launch at the historic theater, or a workshop at the high school gives reporters and event planners an immediate reason to say yes. Even a short notice in the weekly paper or a few minutes on morning radio can draw curious readers who later click “buy” online. The numbers may look small, yet they create a loyal base that returns for each new release.
Still, “going local” takes persistence and a clear sense of return. One author may end up on the front page, another might read to five people at a retirement home, and a third will decide the effort fails the “Would I be better off writing?” test. The stories that follow—from packed launch parties to empty chairs, from supportive booksellers to closed doors—show how ALLi members weigh those trade-offs and why many keep trying anyway.
SJ Banham (Essex, UK)
“Yes, I’ve done heaps of local, in‑person events. That’s not to say they were all well‑attended; sadly, you cannot control what people do with their days or evenings even when they say they will come. As I used to present local radio with a writing‑related show, I do have a wide network of people to contact. I tend to use the freebie aspect of social‑media platforms first, then focus on local‑radio contacts, community‑radio contacts, possibly podcasters and YouTubers, and I’ll print out flyers to display on community notice boards in cafés, libraries, bookshops, pubs, community centres, supermarkets, etc.
I’ll also add details in my monthly newsletters and blog. Approaching radio presenters when there is no previous relationship requires careful handling, as they could see your email as yet another person getting in touch.
I’ve tended to avoid local newspapers of late, as they either don’t respond at all or—after you’ve done the work for them—still don’t always print it. Word of mouth is good too, and I also attend a few business‑network events, so taking printed flyers with me helps.”
Natasha Backs (Nova Scotia)
Natasha Backs
“I recently pitched five local newspapers to invite them to my book launch, discuss my writing, and the workshops I hold at the local library—two got back to me; one I was on the front page! I put posters up for the launch party around town and had fifty people show up, some of whom I didn’t know.
I do really well at local craft markets; after testing out a few my first year, I found the larger ones where three to five thousand people attend over the weekend were my largest success. Considering the cost of my time, the table fees versus sales and exposure, the smaller ones were cut unless the table fee was free.
Overall, I’ve found getting out in the community, being part of writing groups, and talking about what I do is starting to get my name out there!”
Amy Shojai (Sherman, Texas)
“I used to have a twice‑monthly local TV segment that arose from pitching one of my book releases (pet care). Local media wants more than ‘I have a new book.’ To gain attention, as others have said, you need an event—and, if for TV, you need visuals.
Nonfiction often is easier to pitch as you’re offering information or even how‑to advice. For fiction, think about what the character(s) do. Writing a cozy with a garden‑expert character? Talk about that. Or a coffee‑shop/culinary theme? Pitch prepping a recipe from the book. One of my friends has chocolate as a theme and has visited many places to learn about the process, and that’s always a ‘sweet’ winner for media.
Since COVID, our local stations now mostly want virtual guests and no in‑studio, so think about what you can do on Zoom or similar.”
Vicki Masters (Peebles, Scottish Borders, Scotland)
Vicki Masters
“My first book is set in my hometown of St. Andrews, Scotland, and is about the siege of its castle in 1546. It took a great deal of tenacity and perseverance to get it into the castle shop (run by Historic Scotland). Eventually, I discovered my books had to be on Bookspeed—the distributor Historic Scotland uses—which takes 50 percent, so by the time I’ve purchased the books and shipped them, I make about 80 p on each sale.
Toppings of St. Andrews, a local bookshop, have taken my books from the beginning and again take a big cut—45 percent—but they have been really supportive, and I had a book launch there.
The Dundee Courier ran features on the first and final books in color. I sell at craft fairs, but do really well at agricultural shows; people are interested to speak to the author, and historical fiction is a draw.”
Jackie Watson (Tyne Valley, Northumberland, England)
“I’ve done lots of library events and also Women’s Institute, Townswomen’s Guilds, retirement homes, local bookshop signings, and craft/book fairs. Everyone is always so friendly and welcoming, and it’s always so inspiring at craft/book fairs, being with lots of creatives. I’ve also done local PR as well, but I’ve never got on the radio—yet!”
Victoria Noe (Chicago, Illinois)
Victoria Noe
“I do book events and podcasts in places specific to my nonfiction books, which means I include the women who live there who are in the books. I reach out to organizations more than media, tapping into multiple networks for promotion. But I had coverage in the Chicago Tribune after I pitched a columnist on how unusual it was that multiple women here all write about the AIDS epidemic from different perspectives.”
David Somerfleck (North Fort Myers, Florida)
“I’ve only just recently begun to think about attending local events, and there are a lot of independent, different, and some connected variables to consider in doing it. I’ve started promoting my books through Facebook and Google Search campaigns with some modest success, but SEO and blogging can only go so far; competition is local and often staggered or nonexistent in some geographic regions.
Since it’s challenging to put together a holistic approach for indie authors in general, you have to break it down to an idiosyncratic approach where the individual indie author exploits whatever local connections they may have and throws enough rice at the proverbial wall to see which strategy or combination of strategies may stick.”
Kevin McLaughlin (Somerville, Massachusetts)
“Personally, I’m of the opinion that this sort of thing barely ever passes the WIBBOW test—that’s ‘Would I Be Better Off Writing?’ For me, an hour of writing is about 2,500 words, or roughly one‑thirtieth to one‑fiftieth of a novel. If my average novel nets $10,000 in profit, that means each hour of writing earns me more than $200. If I spend two hours promoting something and it doesn’t make me $400, then I’ve lost money on that promotion.
Of course, if it’s fun, do it anyway. I know folks who hand‑sell books at live events because it’s fun. They don’t make back enough to validate the time spent, compared to what they earn writing, but they enjoy that sort of selling, so they keep doing it.
Tracy Cooper‑Posey (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
“Funny you should ask about this. A group of Canadian indie authors and I regularly discuss how badly we’re treated here—we’re essentially invisible. We can’t get traction with local writing groups, funding bodies, or libraries, which refuse to stock our books because we’re ‘not real writers.’ The Canadian literary scene shuns indie publishing; awards and grants exclude us, and the media follows suit.
Every few years, I try breaking the barriers, but I end up quitting and going back online, where I can at least find other indie authors to commiserate with. I’ve tried the local scene; it doesn’t work for me.”
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
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