So many books are being published it's more and more difficult to get publicity when a title does not attract media attention on its own. Review outlets like The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune get book pitches from all the publishers, their internal and external media relations professionals and sometimes even the authors themselves. Yet, too often, a book gets next to no publicity. Should an author simply lie down and cry?

Although book reviews in major newspapers and magazines are tough to come by, there are some ways to get some attention for your book:

Think story angles, not just a book review: Many media outlets want experts to help interpret breaking news (e.g. health problem with a national leader) or trends (e.g. outsourcing overseas versus using in-house staff). Many topics are related to news stories. Therefore, authors need to make themselves available for comments as experts.

Realize it's no longer a print world: Newspaper circulation is down. Even some established magazines go out of business or convert to on-line publication. On-line magazines, newsletters, blogs and many other Internet-based media sources are growing fast and are becoming more niche. This makes it easier to get to the people who would care about the central message of your book.

Boil down your central messages: Except for book reviewers, most writers who might be interested in the topic of your book will not read the entire book. Be glad if they glance at the table of contents. Therefore, consider drafting three to five newsy items to send to reporters. For example, if you wrote a book on how businesses can be more innovative, write out five ways that most businesses can consider the principles in your book. Then reporters might just use the advice in an upcoming article and credit your book.

You'll be amazed at how publicity can multiply itself once you get picked up, even at a few significant Internet sites. The point is that after you've gotten the rejections from the major media outlets, you need to be creative in getting the media's attention with alternative pitches.