Writers appreciate that reviews are golden, but self-promotion is also key. Sometimes that means promoting ourselves through guest blog posts or interviews with a podcaster. But in addition to all the work to reach a wider audience, it’s also important to remember where we came from, or where we are. I found as a writer that home, whether my hometown or the place I currently live, will always support my work, whether through a local newspaper article or a talk at the library. When promoting, go local as well as far and wide. I’ve come up with a few tips and ideas that have helped me in my search for local exposure.

No Matter How Big the City, There’s a Local Somewhere

When I published my last literary novel, The Beekeeper’s Daughter, I lived in New York City. I asked the Barnes and Noble on the Upper West Side if I could do a reading there as a local author. They told me there were no fewer than 500 “local” authors within a five-block radius, but even in New York I managed to find a local angle. I taught at an all-girls school in the Bronx and realized that the headline “Bronx Teacher Publishes Novel” would be of interest to the community. I reached out to the Bronx newspaper and the local television news, and they were both happy to do a story on my novel. Even in big old New York, there was a smaller, more reachable market.

Remember Where You’re From

Never forget your hometown, no matter how far you live from it. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve done library visits and school visits in my hometown, and even though I haven’t lived there since I was in high school, the local paper always does a story when I publish a book. My old friends are there, my old teachers and mentors, my family and their friends and coworkers, and they’re still interested in a hometown girl who publishes a novel.

Local Can Mean More than Location

The definition of local comes down to the people you have a connection to, so try to broaden the definition of local to mean organizations you’re a part of like the company you work for or places you might volunteer. Does your church have a newsletter? Maybe they’d like to do a write-up. Maybe you work for a large company, and sure, you could be featured in the branch’s newsletter, but maybe, if you reach out to someone higher up, you can get a blurb in the company’s larger corporate newsletter. It never hurts to ask.

That’s the Thing: Ask

Don’t be offended if the local paper doesn’t knock on your door for an interview the second your first review comes out. Dare to reach out to a reporter or media manager for attention. The squeaky wheel and all that, but even if you think your local paper should know about your work, it never hurts to give them a call. In pursuit of publicity in local papers and news outlets I’ve learned by simply asking, they are often receptive.

We must reach for the stars for publicity but as you’re reaching, remember there’s a market of old friends, current coworkers, and people you haven’t met yet who will be excited about your book knowing they have a local connection to it.

Bio: Jessica Stilling is the author of two literary novels, The Beekeeper’s Daughter, and Betwixt and Between. Her third literary novel, Just So Many Places, will be published by NineStar Press later this year. Jessica has published three YA Fantasy novels, Nod, and books two and three of The Pan Chronicles Series under the pen name JM Stephen. She currently lives in Southern Vermont with her family. Her website is Jessicastilling.com