If you're an author deciding on how to market a book, consider writing a bylined article. They are 700-900-word stories in your area of expertise that can run in print or online outlets. You can demonstrate your knowledge and will receive full credit as the writer. In the brief bio at the end, you'll have an opportunity to include your book title. The idea of writing and publishing such an article is to reach readers who then might want to learn more. They could buy your book, hire you to be a speaker or consultant, or begin using your products. It's an excellent way to connect with new readers and clients.

Links from bylined articles to your website, and vice versa, are incredibly helpful to book marketing.  You also can use links to the article as content for your social media posts. When a respected outlet chooses to run an article you've written, it helps build credibility and stature in your field. The links to your website are highly regarded by search engines and will improve your visibility in Google and Bing. When you're planning to write an article, carefully think through the target audience, and what angle on your topic will be most of interest. Also, keep in mind the demographics of the intended media outlet.

If you're working with a book PR firm, they can act as intermediary ad present your article to media that could be interested in publishing it. While well-known national and regional media are excellent choices, smaller niche media can sometimes produce surprising results. It's because their readers are interested in specific topics, and if you address their needs, they may be very responsive. If you're pitching the article yourself, do some research before deciding where to direct your presentation. Also, make sure your article is genuinely informational and never be self-promoting in any way.

Non-fiction books are ideal for articles, and you can often use the topic of a chapter as the subject. It might even be possible to use chapter titles as the title of your article. If you have a blog, you might also expand a popular post to article length. Fiction authors need to be a bit more creative. Some examples of articles would be fun ten cafes to sample in the city that is the setting for your novel. Or perhaps the seven most romantic ways to spend an evening if you're a romance writer. Children's authors can share ideas for parents and teachers that connect well to their stories or book topics.