Every year at this time, newspapers, online news sites, and bloggers start thinking about their holiday gift guides.\u00a0You’ll start seeing them in late November and all through December.<\/p>\n

Holiday gift guide topics vary, but typical headlines include \u201c10 last-minute gifts for under $20,\u201d \u201cThe best gifts for cooks,\u201d and \u201cWhat to buy the person who has everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many authors notice these and email me to ask, \u201cHow can I get my book included in a holiday gift guide this year?\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are three ways to do that.<\/p>\n

1. Propose a “roundup” of books in a specific category or genre.<\/h2>\n

A “roundup” article usually gathers up the best, worst, most, least, newest, top, funniest, etc. products related to a specific category or theme.<\/p>\n

Here are a few ideas for book roundups — use them to think about what might work best for your book:<\/p>\n

\n
• Best books for runners<\/li>\n
• Favorite instant pot cookbooks<\/li>\n
• Most popular new novels<\/li>\n
• Best books for getting fit in the new year<\/li>\n
• Top books for entrepreneurs<\/li>\n
• Favorite books for early readers<\/li>\n
• YA novels everyone’s talking about<\/li>\n
• New diet craze books<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  Pitch a roundup to specific, targeted media outlets using the instructions in “How to pitch a roundup article<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

  To get your idea picked up by multiple media outlets,\u00a0write and distribute a press release<\/a> announcing your gift idea, instead.<\/p>\n

  Write your press release as if it’s a newspaper article — no hype, no superlatives, no selling. List the books you recommend for the gift guide, making sure to add yours near the top. Include a short description of each book.<\/p>\n

  Use a press release distribution service to reach as many relevant media outlets as possible with your press release. Here’s an affiliate link for my favorite service, eReleases<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  If you don’t know how to write a pitch letter or a press release, you’ll appreciate the templates for each plus actual samples in Build Book Buzz Publicity Forms & Templates<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

  2. Propose a gift roundup built around a topic or theme.<\/h2>\n

  Even I publish one. It’s my almost-annual gifts for writers and authors post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

  The umbrella concept you select might be built around a budget, hobby, profession, the recipient’s age, or your book’s theme. Ideas to get you thinking include:<\/p>\n

  \n
  • Best gifts for soon-to-be or recent retirees<\/li>\n
  • 10 must-have gifts for under $20<\/li>\n
  • Holiday gifts for health nuts<\/li>\n
  • 10 kitchen essentials for foodies<\/li>\n
  • Favorite gifts for the newly-engaged<\/li>\n
  • Top teen holiday gifts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Follow the pitching instructions in point 1 above — either send an email with your idea to specific media outlets, or write and distribute a press release for wider exposure.<\/p>\n

    3. Subscribe to Help a Reporter Out — HARO — and respond to gift suggestion queries from journalists.<\/h2>\n

    HARO is a free daily email service that connects journalists with sources.<\/p>\n

    The 800,000-plus people who use it receive three e-mails a day loaded with queries from journalists who describe what they\u2019re looking for in a source and why.<\/p>\n

    In November and December, you’ll start to see queries for holiday gift guides. If you make the effort to scan those emails for these opportunities, you might get your book into a gift guide pretty easily.<\/p>\n

    The trick to getting selected as a source \u2014 all of which you don\u2019t pay for \u2014 is responding to the right queries appropriately. Learn how to do that in my online course, “Get Quoted: A Journalist’s Strategies for Using HARO to Snag Book Publicity<\/strong><\/a>.”<\/p>\n

    It takes just a few minutes each day to scan the emails for gift guides that could be a good fit for your book.<\/p>\n

    It’s a more passive approach than making a direct pitch to just the right media outlet or sending out a press release, but it’s easier and takes less time.\u00a0Just be certain to respond only to those gift guide queries that truly are a good fit for your book.<\/p>\n

    Respond promptly, too. Journalists who receive more responses than they need tend to accept those that come into their inbox first.<\/p>\n

    Finally on that point, read the entire request and follow the instructions carefully.<\/p>\n

    Promote your book as the perfect holiday gift this year<\/h2>\n

    Make getting your book into a media outlet’s holiday gift guide a priority this year.<\/p>\n

    Whether it’s a blog, an online magazine, or a printed newspaper, your book will enjoy the boost that publicity always brings.<\/p>\n

    Has your book appeared in a gift guide? Please leave a comment telling us how it happened.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    <\/a><\/p>\n

    Every year at this time, newspapers, online news sites, and bloggers start thinking about their holiday gift guides.\u00a0You’ll start seeing them in late November and all through December.<\/p>\n

    Holiday gift guide topics vary, but typical headlines include \u201c10 last-minute gifts for under $20,\u201d \u201cThe best gifts for cooks,\u201d and \u201cWhat to buy the person who has everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Many authors notice these and email me to ask, \u201cHow can I get my book included in a holiday gift guide this year?\u201d<\/p>\n

    Here are three ways to do that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":19802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,12],"tags":[174,1037,1038,1039,123],"class_list":["post-11551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tactics","category-tools","tag-books-as-gifts","tag-gift-guide","tag-holiday-gift-guide","tag-pitch-letter","tag-press-release"],"yoast_head":"\n