A Look Back at 2024 at Susannah Greenberg Public Relations - A Book Publicity and Marketing Company

 

CONTACT: Susannah Greenberg, Public Relations, 

publicity@bookbuzz.com

(646) 801-7477

bookbuzz.com

December 20, 2024

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Greetings! Below I share my 2024 news with you about my firm, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, aka BookBuzz.

As the year draws to a close, I want to thank you for supporting me in my work at Susannah Greenberg Public Relations and for being a friend.

I wish you the best for happy holidays and a joyous new year! 

Sincerely,

Susannah Greenberg

Susannah Greenberg

Books Represented in 2024 Included: 

Children’s Books:

Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock: A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection by Vikram Madan, Wordsong/ Astra Books for Young Readers. Starred Reviews in Kirkus Reviews and Horn Book. Just announced!: Selected for one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2024 by the Boston Globe. 

Five Stories by Ellen Weinstein, Holiday House Books for Young Readers. A Junior Library Guild Selection. School Library Journal, Starred Review. Recommended by the Jewish Book Council.

Music:

Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews by Margo Cooper, University Press of Mississippi. Starred review in Library Journal. Interviewed on Fox 17 Rock & Review (TV, Nashville) and KVNF Radio’s ‘Pen and the Sword' (an NPR affiliate, Paonia, CO).

Fiction: Fire Music by Connie H. Connally, Coffeetown Press; Number 12 Rue Sainte-Catherine: and Other Stories by Roberta H. Gates, Running Wild Press; The Waw by Gay Walley, Etruscan Press

History: Land of the Dead: How the West Changed Death in America by Terry Hamburg, Prometheus

Memoir: Under the Goddess of the Sky: A Journey Through Solitude, Bach and the Himalayas by Judith Glyde, Coffeetown Press; Counterfeit Mother by Deb Hirsch, Olympia Publishers; Where the Shadows Dance by Dana Killion, Amplify Publishing

Mystery: A Thirst for Murder: A Sheriff Ulysses Walker Series by Cedar Koons, Camel Press

Nonfiction: Answering Alaska’s Call: An Intimate Portrait of Alaska’s Legendary Surgeon, Bush Pilot, and Legislator, Milo ‘Doc’ Fritz by Linda Fritz, Epicenter Press

In 2024 Susannah Greenberg Presented Webinars and Was Interviewed on a Podcast: 

'Social Media for Authors,’ at the Write on the Sound Writers Conference, City of Edmonds, WA

 

'Social Media for Authors,’ at Professional & Continuing Education/ University of Washington 

‘Book Publicity for Authors,’ an interview on Writer, Memoir Teacher, and Podcaster Marion Roach Smith's Podcast, Let Me Introduce You

Books Susannah Greenberg Will Be Representing

in 2025 and 2026 Include:

Nonfiction:

Beyond Division: The Resilient Lives of Thirty Diverse Israeli Women Leaders by Bilha Chesner Fish, MD, Wicked Son/Post Hill/Dist. By Simon & Schuster, March 4,  2025; 

Abortion Rights as the Free Exercise of Religion: The Constitutional Case for Choice by Peter S. Wenz, McFarland & Company, November 7, 2025

Memoir:

Blue Skies, Troubled Waters: An American Twin’s WWII Odyssey in Minahasa, Indonesia by Martha Walandouw Lohn and Brian Kimmel, Together Mapalus Press, April 2025

Finding The Buddhist Communist’s Jewish Granddaughter by Hoangmai H. Pham, McFarland & Company, 2026

ABOUT SUSANNAH GREENBERG

SUSANNAH GREENBERG, President of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity and marketing firm, has over 20 years of experience in the book industry. Notable clients include the Bader Foundation, Book Industry Study Group, Bloomberg, Chronicle, Hazelden, and the Jerusalem International Book Forum.  

She is a past president of the Women’s National Book Association and board member of the Women’s Media Group and has also served on committees of the Publishers Publicity Association. She is currently a publicity consultant for KidLit.tv

She has lectured on book publishing topics at Hofstra University, Marymount, CCNY, the American Book Producers Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. She was the organizer and presenter of numerous panel discussions on book publishing topics at BookExpo and for the Women’s National Book Association. 

Among the most successful book campaigns Susannah has worked on in the past are Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD, (Penguin), an international business book bestseller and Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds by Les Beletsky (Chronicle), also a bestseller.

Subjects/Categories Represented Include: 

Addiction & Recovery, Asian American Interest, Biography, Children's Books, Fiction, Film, Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, History, Immigrants/Emigration, Jewish Interest, Law, Literary Fiction, Memoir, Music, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Poetry, Theater, Women’s, Women's Rights

Social Media Marketing For Authors - 5 Things You Can Do - Getting Started

Social Media Marketing for Authors

5 Things You Can Do

Getting Started

by Susannah Greenberg,CEO, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, A Book Publicity Firm for Publishers, Authors, and Book Industry Organizations

August 9, 2018

So many authors I work with have questions about social media marketing and how to get started, that I have decided to write down some of the advice I give them as well as offer social media coaching services.  

If you have been reluctant to get started for any reason, the first bit of advice I can give you is to get started one step at a time. Try breaking it down into actionable steps you can take daily.

In that spirit, here are 5 Things You Can Do. Try exploring just one of the five things to begin with.

1. Sign Up for Amazon Author Central.  Create your Author Page. Complete your author profile. Make sure to upload a book jacket image, author photo, and a book description. You can also include video and a link to your blog. This simple step will increase your visibility on this leading book selling site. There is no fee. You may think of Amazon as a shopping site, but it is also a social media site and go-to site for discovering what to read. Learn more at: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/

2. Create an Author Page on Facebook. This is different than your profile page.  It is a business page. On a business page you can connect with an audience rather than socialize with friends.  You can buy low-cost targeted Facebook advertising to promote your books or page. You cannot advertise on a personal profile page. I recommend you create an author page rather than a book page in case you write more than one book.  Be ready with author photo and book jacket images to upload.  Be sure to fill out the ‘About’ informational sections. Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/creation/?ref_type=universal_creation_hub

3. Get a Twitter Account.  Go to https://twitter.com/signup  Sign up. Start tweeting, retweeting, following, and searching. Use # hashtags. A tip: For a better Twitter experience, be selective about following accounts and don’t follow too many accounts.  It’s better to organize accounts into Twitter Lists rather than follow them. A List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List. More on how to use Twitter lists here: https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/twitter-lists

4. Build an Author Website.  If you’ve been putting off getting yourself an author website, the good news is that it is easier and less expensive to build a website now than it has ever been.  Most DIY website services offer a free basic website with upgrades available for a fee. Your website will likely be the more static of your social media sites, a sort of home base which should provide basic information and link out to your other social media sites. Check out these services which can help you to build your website:

wix.com

weebly.com

wordpress.com

5. Start Blogging. Would you like to communicate with your audience at length, more than a tweet’s or a Facebook post’s length, and do so frequently? Then blogging might be for you. Blogging is another way to increase your visibility online, establish your expertise and promote your books. It’s free to set up a blog. Many blog sites are also website builders and allow you to incorporate your blog into your website. Top blogging sites include:

wordpress.org

blogger.com

weebly.com

There’s so much more to be said about all these social media sites and how to use them as well as more social media sites to explore; Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, Google+, and more.  But this list of 5 Things You Can Do is a good place to start!

Now get started! You can do it! Use Social Media. Learn, Explore, Connect, and Share! Enhance your visibility and find your readers! Sell more books! 

Creative Content Opportunities for the Self-Published Author: A Panel Presented at uPublishU Bookexpoamerica 2014 with Bestselling Author Kailin Gow, Steve Wilson of FastPencil, Miral Sattar of BiblioCrunch and Susannah Greenberg Public Relations

Book Publishing, PR, Promotion and Marketing Tactics for the Self-Published Author to Be Discussed at uPublishU at Bookexpo America in NY, NY

Susannah Greenberg

Kailin Gow

Saturday May 31, 2014, New York, NY - Susannah Greenberg, President, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity firm, will moderate, speak and present a panel entitled Creative Content Opportunities at uPublishU, at Bookexpo America in the Javits Center in New York, NY.  uPublishU is a conference for self-published authors, those aspiring to be self-published authors, or any authors interested in maximizing the effectiveness of their book marketing, promotion and public relations.  

Bookexpo America is an annual book trade convention, the biggest of its kind in the United States. This year uPublishU at BEA has the largest exhibition floor ever featuring more than 28 exhibitors and over 40 speakers. See the full list of exhibitors and check out the session schedule packed with expert speakers: http://bit.ly/11xC06d.

 Creative Content Opportunities,  3– 3:50 p.m. Room 1E10. 

In the digital age, authors can leverage their content into new opportunities that will engage readers and build their author platform. In this panel learn about the many opportunities for authors, including: maximizing your blog, photos and more; an inside look at successful spoken word audio publishing: pricing promotions; and off the book page publicity. Presentations and Q & A. to follow.

SPEAKERS:

• Susannah Greenberg, President, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity firm for authors, publishers, books and the book industry. She has launched numerous bestselling books including Who Moved My Cheese? and is past president of the Women's National Book Association in New York. Greenberg will speak and moderate. http://bookbuzz.com

• Miral Sattar, CEO, BiblioCrunch, BiblioCrunch helps connect authors and publishers with book publishing professionals to get new books and apps to market. With an exclusive community of professionals who have worked for some of the largest publishing houses, including Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Random House, and Harper Collins, BiblioCrunch users can create the perfect publishing team for their needs. http://bibliocrunch.com
• Steve Wilson, FastPencil, The fastest and easiest way to write, publish, & distribute your book to hundreds of retail channels. Intuitive web-based tools guide you step-by-step. Cloud‐based content management, authoring & publishing technology with embedded social & mobile functionality. http://www.fastpencil.com

• Kailin Gow, Bestselling and Award-winning Author of over 100 Young Adult Books, including the Frost Series, Pulse Vampire Series, Saving You Saving Me, More http://kailingow.com

uPubU Program Guide http://t.co/FnLn7N6O7p via @publisherswkly#BEA14 #upublishU #seflpublishing #publishing #authors #books#ebooks

Harnessing Social Media to Promote Your Titles and Company

American Book Producers Association

ABPA Brown Bag - 

Harnessing Social Media

 to Promote Your Titles and Company

05 Mar 2013 12:30 PM • In Good Company, 16 West 23rd Street, 4th Floor

Susannah Greenberg, Matt Pantoliano, Sarah Christensen Fu, Nancy Hall.
March 5, 2013, American Book Producers Association Event.
Photo credit: Susannah Greenberg Public Relations

With

Susannah Greenberg, President, 
Susannah Greenberg Public Relations

http://bookbuzz.com

Sarah Christensen Fu, Founder 
Hey, Sarah!

http://www.hey-sarah.com/

Matt Pantoliano, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, 
Simon & Schuster Children's Division

http://kids.simonandschuster.com/

UPDATE: Click here to see the story about this event which was published in Publishers Weekly on March 6, 2013


(What follows is an account of this event written by Susannah Greenberg) 

Matt Pantoliano of Simon & Schuster spoke about a successful social media campaign for Young Adult Author Cassandra Clare, a "cover reveal" fueled by tweets. With each tweet more of the cover would be revealed. 


Below is a link to a campaign for a "chapter reveal" where more of the chapter of a Cassandra Clare book was revealed with every tweet.

We did it Shadowhunters! The first chapter of CLOCKWORK PRINCESS has been revealed! Show your Shadowhunter Pride and wear this badge with honor!

http://www.shadowhunters.com/clockworkprincess/

Matt Pantoliano spoke about the new S&S teen social media outlet PulseIt. Looks great! #ya #teens

Matt Pantoliano also mentioned a video chat events online service at www.shindig.com

Shindig | Video chat events

www.shindig.com

Shindig Video Chat Events for Book Tours, Release Parties, Presentations, and Q&As. On Shindig, you see all participants in a shared space. You move freely in and out of conversation with as few or as many as you 

and another one called Spreecast.  "Spreecast is the social video platform that connects people through video conversation."

Sarah Christensen Fu

Sarah Christensen Fu of hey-sarah.com spoke about bringing Mary Higgins Clark in closer rapport with readers by creating a Facebook page and then a video based on questions sent to the author through Facebook.  

http://www.facebook.com/maryhigginsclark?fref=ts

Mary Higgins Clark

Welcome to the Official Mary Higgins Clark Facebook Page.

Page: 275,138 like this

Greenberg recounted a social media campaign which launched a YA novelist who was self-published.  The campaign succeeded through buzz built by blogger reviews including The Pioneer Woman blog, online phenomenon such as Goodreads with its giveaways and quizzes and participating in Twitter chats on #yalitchat.  In addition, she referred to success in launching Albert Whitman Teen books and was able to make media placements on NPR and in the Wall Street Journal by reaching out to journalists through social media.  

She also mentioned online book pr tools: streaming video of events through www.ustream.com and internet radio talk shows for audio samples of authors on www.blogtalkradio.com

More on Social Media
by Susannah Greenberg

Top Social Media Include: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, Blogger, Wordpress, Instagram, Foursquare and Tumblr. These are the key ones. Get to know them. Spend time on these sites familiarizing yourself.  It will be an important investment of time. 

Each one has a unique character or personality to it, a unique mode of communication and type of following.  For instance, Facebook encourages connections between friends and socialization. Twitter is great for following trends.  LinkedIn is good for business contacts. Pinterest is good for visual interest and images. Mobile and location based services like Foursquare are on the rise.  Foursquare is based on gaming incentives. Also look at customer review sites like Yelp! and shopping sites like Amazon.  Look to photo sharing sites such as Flickr.  For books in particular, Amazon, and Goodreads, a social reading site, are especially important.  

Build your platforms early and attract your following.  Get liked. Get followed. Get linked.  All your social media platforms combined will raise your SEO (search engine optimization) so that people can find you or your book when they search for you or your topic online.  You cannot have too many social media platforms with regard to improving your SEO.  It may be too many to manage if you are a small company.  If so, pick three or four which are most important, most likely that would be Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Build your email lists from your social media sites for direct email to your audience later when you are ready to launch.  

In the process of reaching out, you will and you must find your community.  Find your niche.  Target the right media.  Microtarget.  Narrowcast. Find your most likely constituency first and build out from there to expand and grow your audience, your customers, your readers and book buyers.

Find your voice.  Be real.  Be responsive to feedback.  Look at your data for insights. Facebook offers insights on pages.  Google Analytics helps you analyze traffic. Blogger.com gives you detailed stats on how many page views your blog posts receive.

With regards to voice, remember that when you use social media for marketing and pr, you are speaking to more than one audience.  You are speaking to b2b and b2c, that is you are speaking to the trade, the customers, the media and the general public all at once.

It is and will be increasingly important for Book Producers and Literary Agents as part of a selling package to sell a book or project to a publisher to have the author and book platform and following established before the publisher buys the project. It is a marketing asset for the sale of the book.  It is equally important for book producers and agents and any independent entrepreneurs to build their own businesses through social media outlets and channels.  It is becoming how we do business.

Help yourself along in your social media efforts by having a social media campaign checklist and a timeline.  Plan ahead.  Stay with it.  Short but frequent efforts and consistency are important to keeping your community and followers engaged.

Integrate traditional and new media into your campaigns. As much as social media counts, so do traditional media outlets. Do not forget them!  NPR still counts.  So does the New York Times, the Today Show, CNN, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and MSNBC.  But now also look to online news web sites of import including the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Book Riot, The Millions, Gawker, The Daily Beast and more.  

Analyze and strategize.  Data is available quickly and for free. Look at Alexa web rankings to see how much traffic a web site gets.  Look at what is trending on Twitter to discover social trends.  If you are launching a campaign for your company, Google yourself, and search for yourself on Twitter.  See what comes up on Google.  See what people may be saying about you on Twitter. Look at the same for your competitors. Look at which pages have the most likes on Facebook in your areas of interest. Google keywords related to your subject matter.  Sign up for Google News Alerts on your subject matter.  Try out Google Analytics.  Look into free online services such as bit.ly and ow.ly which help you book mark and track visits and traffic on specific links you create.

Explore the possibilities of online advertising. Facebook advertising and Google Adwords,   for instance, are cheap, effective, targeted and easy to do compared with old school media advertising and the results are far easier to monitor. 

Keep up and keep learning about social media.  It changes almost daily. Expand your book trade reading from publications such as Publishers Weekly, Publishers Lunch, and GalleyCat, to include tech oriented publications such HuffPo Tech and Mashable. Read David Pogue's column in the New York Times. Follow the groups Digital Book World and Tools of Change.  Keep up with technology trends in terms of books pr and marketing and ebooks and apps.  Use Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media to scan them for information on your trade as well.

Finally, remember that social media is only a tool.  Your expertise, experience and "real life" social networking are still critical to the life of your business and books. Do not undervalue your experience and knowledge when faced with the glories of the newfangled. You still must remember old rules such as have good ideas, be creative, write well, be succinct, and have an eye for design and aesthetics.  Also, remember that it is important to find good partners or team members to work with to complement the skills you have or don't have.




MORE RESOURCES:

The #1 Top Social Media Marketing Book on Amazon:

Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen 

In this book, Likeable, Kerpen notes how a book can be interactive and includes links (hyperlinks in the case of the ebook) where you can contact the author with questions and comments.  I clicked and contacted Mr. Kerpen through Facebook to let him know I'm reading his book and to thank him for it. He practices what he preaches with regards to responsiveness to customers through social media.  He wrote me back to thank me almost immediately! He also encouraged me to contact him with any questions I might have and asked me to write an Amazon review if I liked the book. Gracious, attentive, and also LIKEABLE marketing are all exemplified in this response I think.

Also of Interest:

Free: How Today's Smartest Businesses Profit by Giving Something for Nothing

by Chris Anderson

According to the Social Media Examiner Readers

The Top Marketing Sites for Social Media Marketing Trends

Sites, blogs, and newsletters for learning the latest about social media marketing trends.

1. Mashable earned the top spot with 82%
2. Techcrunch followed with 61%
3. AdAge earned the third spot with 54%
4. emarketer – 44%
5. Brandweek – 36%
6. MarketingProfs – 27%
7. SmartBrief for Social Media – 26%
8. Altimeter Group – 26%
9. MarketingSherpa – 21%
10 ClickZ – 20%

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/top-20-social-media-marketing-articles-2012/


Susannah Greenberg thanks her co-panelists Sarah Christensen Fu of Hey, Sarah! and Matt Pantoliano of Simon & Schuster and the hosts of the event at the American Book Producers Association including the moderator Nancy Hall of Nancy Hall, Inc., a full service book producer, ABPA Board Member Valerie Tomaselli of MTM Publishing, also a book producer, and the President of the organization, book producer Richard Rothschild of Print Matters Inc.