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Self-publishing is a great many things: it gives a voice to thousands of writers, artists and creative folk that wouldn’t meet the strict publishing criteria that many conventional publishers have. It is a method of protest, a passion project in the evenings, a publication read by a hundred, or by a handful.
For example, zines – self-published, low-cost booklets featuring concepts like art, niche content or countercultural views – continue to thrive, with writers sharing and selling content in zine festivals up and down the country.
Self-published content is essential lifeblood for the publishing industry and beyond. Rupi Kaur, an Instagram poet, self-published her work and sold 12 million copies, outselling classical work such as The Odyssey. Amanda Hocking left her job at 25, and using Kindle, launched a trilogy that would go on to win her the honours of ‘New York Times Bestselling Author’. Without the avenue of self-publishing, it’s likely that Kaur and Hocking’s work could have fell by the wayside, unnoticed by millions of readers.
Yet besides its importance, it’s also a lot of fun! Not long ago, I gave up smoking and vaping and wrote a zine about it, named Off the Juice. It wasn’t a self-help book, but rather a talk about the process of getting into, and off, nicotine. After I consulted a friend working in print, and got a few dozen copies produced, I distributed it to friends, family, and held a stall at two local zine festivals, selling a few there.
While the feedback from friends and family was encouraging, something truly special emerged from the experience. At my second zine festival, an individual who had seen me at my first event showed me a piece of blackout poetry they had created using my zine. Seeing my own words carefully reshaped into poetry, often with a completely different meaning, was a deeply sentimental moment. Which is quite an odd thing, considering someone was showing me something I spent hours writing, only the majority of it was sharpied out!
That, in essence, is what zine culture is all about. Sharing views, speaking and connecting with people.
‘Tom,’ I hear you plead, ‘tell me what this has to do with PR!’
Despite the obvious differences in scale between the publication I made, and the owned content businesses make in forms of social media posts and blogs, there is a similarity: making your content relevant and getting it read – not always an easy task.
In the words of a self-published author I spoke to: “I’m not a self-published author 90% of the time, I’m a self-marketeer.” Not every business has the means to balance both. Producing exciting copy can be a challenge, and getting it seen by a meaningful audience can often prove too much. In result, both the message and the targeting suffer, and neither end up proving as effective as they could’ve been.
Much like zines offer writers an avenue to express the ideas that might not fit the mould of conventional publishers, blogs and social media posts allow businesses to explore stories that the press won’t typically cover. Whether that’s a post from your staff night out, or a blog diving into industry insights, these mediums offer a platform to share moments and thoughts that matter. Having that freedom to craft a narrative and connect directly with your audience is as vital in the B2B world as it is for self-publishing.
Zines foster niche communities by appealing to specific interests, issues or subcultures. Your business will centre around a specific interest and has a community around it too, comprised of your employees, your customers, your competitors and other stakeholders. By tailoring your message for, and about that community, you nurture a deeper relationship with them.
While zines and independent publishing thrive on the pillars of independence and being niche, however, businesses require a more strategic approach to the content they publish. And this is where a PR agency is invaluable.
Knowing the story within your news, knowing what your followers want to read, knowing who will want to publicise it. The value of a PR agency lies in understanding good storytelling, and where the readers for those stories are. As editors are to authors, PR agencies are to businesses.
As far as self-publishing goes, it’s not just a creative outlet; it’s an exercise in storytelling that business can learn from. Whether you’re taking a personal hobby, an insight to the life on your cul-de-sac or a collection of your poetry, the act of creating something tangible refines the message and reach. That same exercise can translate into your business’ communications and shape the way you engage with your audience through social media, blogs and other platforms. Self-publishing gives you ownership of your story, much like how effective PR helps businesses take control of theirs.
In the meantime, if your business could use some help telling fantastic stories, or reaching the right readers, get in touch with Nielsen McAllister.
Bob believes the human touch will always have an important role in PR and communications, despite the latest developments in technology.
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