After writing your book comes the equally difficult task of getting it published. Once that is achieved, your book proudly sitting in the palm of your hand, the work is still not over. You now need to promote your book.

Given the cacophony of news in the 24-hours news cycle, it shouldn't come as a surprise that landing media spots to talk about a nonfiction book are not easy to come by. Not sure how to promote a book? Here are my Secrets to Nonfiction Book Publicity.

The long and short of nonfiction book publicity is that you need to know your audience, which media outlets cater to your target audience, and develop an effective marketing hook for your book.

When you are offered media spots, whether to publicize your book or as a subject expert, think quantity over quality. The more you are on TV, the better you'll become at giving political commentary and the more popular you will become with the producers and the audience too. As they say, "Practice makes perfect."

Media outlets are always looking for experts to provide insight and context to breaking or trending news stories. The good news is that if you have done step one - written a book - you will already be considered a subject matter expert.

Besides writing a book, your professional background should lend you political or governmental expertise. Ideally you will have worked in government.

Maybe you were chief of staff at the mayor's office, or the governor's political director. A city council member, former judge, assistant district attorney, policy advisor, even a city clerk - these are all roles that have enriched your perspective as a government insider. Whether it is at the local, state or federal level, you have an understanding of the inner workings of government that most people do not. This makes you an expert.

For example, I have worked extensively with Laurie A. Watkins. She is a former policy advisor who served in President Barack Obama's administration at the U.S. Dept. of Defense, and also worked on both of his '08 and '12 presidential campaigns as his political and policy advisor. I highlight her credentials as a Democratic campaign strategist, a Florida politics guru, and an insider on matters where politics and policy intersect.

This may seem like a no brainer, but if you are going to be a political pundit, then you have to be opinionated. Always have a take on current events. Be ready to back your take up with facts and stats; the media loves numbers.

And be prepared for rebuttal.

When you're booked on a network for a panel discussion, the production staff will tell you ahead of time who will be included on the panel. Do your research on the panelists. Look at their Twitter feeds and go to their websites. The more prepared you are for a segment, the better you'll appear on TV. Your goal, every time you're on air, is to entertain first and educate second.

Hopefully by now you are realizing that to be a successful TV pundit you need to develop yourself as a brand with a clear set of niche expertise and informed opinions. Like any brand, you constantly have to market and promote your service - or in the case of punditry, yourself and your opinions.

The media insider world can be cutthroat. To get ahead you need to be very comfortable with self-promotion. That said, the media world is a people and relationships business. Be courteous, respectful and flexible too.