How to Build a Targeted Media List: Q&A with Leah Paulos

This is an excerpt of Leah Paulos’s presentation for this Authors Guild Launchpad Q&A session. In these meetings, authors discuss the topic with a publicist and engage in live Q&A.

Earned media coverage is among the best ways to get your book in front of more readers. When you put the legwork into creating a targeted media list, you’ll have a more robust plan for approaching various kinds of media outlets and a system for pitching them. Leah Paulos of Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School will give advice for building a contact list as you prepare to pitch for reviews, interviews, and tie-in pieces. This one-hour session will provide practical tips and a space to discuss your book promo efforts with Leah and your fellow authors.

Presenter

Leah Paulos is the founder and director of publicity at Press Shop PR and Book Publicity School, and has worked at the intersection of publishing and media for over 25 years. Twice named a top PR firm by the Observer, Press Shop PR has worked on #1 bestsellers including March by Rep. John Lewis and On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder, and titles by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil deGrasse Tyson, James Kirchick, and Pulitzer-finalists Samuel Freedman and Louise Aronson. Leah leads the workshops at Book Publicity School, which offers virtual classes and coaching on book promotion. She graduated from Cornell University and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.