How to promote a book? Let’s run through events since Bristol University Press published “Lessons in Diplomacy: Politics, Power and Parties” on 24 September 2024. Thanks to everyone who has come to an event, bought the book, reviewed it, or all three!
How to promote a book: hard admin
Let’s be honest, I’m knackered. By the time 24 September rolled round, I’d done two months of hard admin trying to set up as many events as possible. It’s a lot of work.
How to promote a book: help from the publisher
Bristol University Press, my excellent publisher, helped set up some great events, such as appearing at the Cheltenham Literary Festival to discuss “Kim and Putin: an Alliance Against the West?”

The audience in the Forum at Cheltenham was around 600
Do it yourself
Other things I set up myself, such as visiting the Basotho High Commissioner, N.S. Bereng, an old friend who generously bought several copies of the book including one I dedicated to His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho, an avid reader.

At the Lesotho High Commission in London
How to promote a book: interviews and talks
Other events over the past couple of weeks have included speaking to London-based ambassadors about “Diplomacy and the Media: A mutually beneficial relationship?”; an interview with Nick Ferrari of LBC; an interview with Times Radio at Cheltenham; an interview with TRE Talk Radio Europe; and a couple more interviews that have not yet been published. My Foreign Office training taught me always to prepare carefully for interviews. Whether it makes the results any better I’m not sure, but I like to put the effort in.
What else? When I was invited to buy tickets for the Cambridge Alumni Festival, I wrote back and asked if they might have a speaking slot. They did, and I appeared there on 28 September.

Downing College, Cambridge, looking beautiful by night
Other events included an appearance at the Chelsea History Festival; talking to the Americas Directorate of the Foreign Office; addressing the Royal Thames Yacht Club; and talks to Richmond University and University College London.
“Lessons in Diplomacy”: a launch party
Some authors say ‘Don’t bother with a launch party.’ But I was delighted when Bristol University Press organised one for “Lessons in Diplomacy”, generously hosted by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. I was particularly grateful to Tom Fletcher, author of “The Naked Diplomat” and Principal of Hertford College, Oxford, for chairing our discussion. He arrived two hours after the United Nations had announced his appointment as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. Many thanks, Tom.

With Tom Fletcher at the AUGB
How to promote a book: making a difference
Does all this frenetic activity make a difference? While it’s happening, it’s impossible to tell. Ask me in a few months. But an experienced publisher said to me that when a book is published, the actual act of getting the book into people’s hands is an important part of any launch campaign. If the book is good, people will read it and tell other people. But that can only happen if they have the book in the first place. Sounds logical to me.
The other thing I’ve found is that “one thing leads to another”. For example, after my interview on Talk Radio Europe, the editor of a major publication contacted me to say she’d enjoyed it. Could I do an interview with her? Of course, I was delighted to do so.
Thanks
I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has organised, or attended, these events. That includes the more than 100 people who turned up for my talk in Cambridge at 9 a.m. on a Saturday; the university societies who got in touch via this blog, or through Linkedin; and others who have taken a chance on inviting me, or who have given up time to chair or organise events. Thanks, all of you.
If anyone else would like me to speak at something, do get in touch. And if you have enjoyed the book, do write a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Every little bit helps.
For future events, see my post Lessons in Diplomacy: Latest events.
One Response
This is really helpful, Leigh. I hope you continue to knock that ball out of the park.