Reach the Largest Audience Use your local newspapers, magazines, community guides, the web, radio stations, and television and cable access channels to help spread the word about your used book sale to expand your audience. The local press welcomes information about community events. Many radio and TV stations and news outlets offer online forms to simplify event promotion.
The best time to send media announcements are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Publicizing the Sale – Before and After
- Use a promotional flyer. (See the sample on the next page as a guide for creating your own.)
- Ask permission to display flyers, posters or postcards at coffee shops, local libraries, malls and local businesses. Invite local businesses to participate with you (as volunteers or co-sponsors).
- Ask local community members to promote book donations and the book sale through their local place of faith, bowling club, community group, etc. People are most likely to do this if they’re motivated by the charity that will benefit from the sale.
- Invite a local celebrity – a congressional representative, your mayor or a radio show host – to give a talk about one of their favorite books.
Contact the Media
The best time to send media announcements are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
- Solicit volunteers who can help develop a local media list of editors and reporters with their names, phone numbers and email addresses. Most newspapers and radio and television stations will list newsroom contact information on their websites.
The reporters most interested in your announcement will be community editors.
- E-mail basic details of the event, using plain text without any fancy graphics. Put the event’s date in the subject line. The e-mail should include:
- Name of event (_______ Used Book Sale)
- Complete dates and times of the event
- What organization is being supported, and how much money you are hoping to raise for a specific cause
- Any special guests or events
- Contact information for volunteers
- Send your announcements at least two weeks before the sale.
- Follow up with reporters several days after the event to announce the total number of books purchased and the approximate number of visitors you had to your sale, as well as the amount of money raised, and what that amount of money is expected to purchase. Send this information to the same media list.
