Ten Best-Selling Public Relations Books on Amazon

Looking for a good read to improve your understanding and skills in PR? Look no further, we have summaries of the top 10 best-selling books as of today on Amazon:

1. The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott

The latest edition of this internationally-renowned, industry standard guide to public relations and marketing has been updated to include information on social media, digital trends and the future of the profession. Equally beneficial for PR professionals and business entrepreneurs, it emphasizes cost-effective solutions leveraging modern tools to disseminate information to the public quickly and accurately.

2. Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator by Ryan Holiday

In this engagingly written, energetic work, self-described “media manipulator” Ryan Holiday shares his secrets from years of working in the communications industry. In “Trust Me, I’m Lying,” Holiday discusses the ins and outs of the media business, illuminating the connections between marketers and journalists, big names in the blogosphere, and how public relations fits into it all. With an eye for accountability (or the lack thereof), “Trust Me” is as entertaining as it is informative.

3. Broken Windows, Broken Business: How The Smallest Remedies Reap The Biggest Rewards by Michael Levine

Levine explains how attention to the small stuff frequently sets a business apart. Examining cases varying from the particulars of B2B sales to JetBlue Airline’s commitment to giving customers the little things they want, writer Michael Levine makes a strong case for an obsession with sweating over particulars emphasizing crossing t’s, dotting i’s, and making sure customers walk away with all their expectations surpassed.

4. Please Delete: How Leadership Hubris Ignited a Scandal and Tarnished a University by John Diamond

This fascinating book is a case study about Arkansas State University, a college suffering a major PR crisis when its budget manager spent millions of dollars beyond what was available — and then worked in concert with members of the administration to cover it from the people of Arkansas. What unfolded was a lengthy drama, played out in the media and on the university’s home base. The school is still trying to recover. “Please Delete” serves as a stiff warning to those looking to skimp on transparency.

5. Crystallizing Public Opinion by Edward Bernays

This classic of creating and shaping public thought is as relevant in 2015 as it was in 1923 when it was published originally. When Bernays penned “Crystallizing,” the entire communications profession was in its infancy. He is remembered for both developing its foundational principles and practicing them to great effect. This book lays these tools bare.

5. #AmWriting: Social Media Marketing for Writers and Authors

Professional writers may be skilled at conveying a message or telling a great story, but that doesn’t always translate to social media savvy. This book includes straightforward, effective techniques to get writers on the road to growing their fan bases without a huge financial cost.

6. Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics by Dennis L. Wilcox

This is an academic textbook used in foundational public relations courses across the world. Its scholarly approach includes references to benchmark cases in PR history and communications techniques standing the test of time. The latest edition of “Public Relations” features tips on wielding digital tools successfully in a wide range of programs and PR campaigns.

7. Badass: Making Users Awesome by Kathy Sierra

This breezy and engaging guide to creating products and services users will love is based not on luck or stunts, but time-tested strategic insight. Kathy Sierra believes if your customers like themselves better after using your service, you’re on the road to building a great company. Her business insight is broadly applicable and helps professionals see things from their customer’s point of view.

8. THINK Public Relations by Jae-Hwa Shin

Geared at students, this introductory guide to public relations presents the theory and practice of the discipline with innovative visual design. Shin wrote the text with professors in mind, aiming to improve the process of teaching and learning public relations in a classroom setting. With a notable focus on ethics, THINK Public Relations emphasizes critical thought and inquisitiveness throughout its chapters.

9. Corporate Diplomacy: Building Relations and Reputations With External Stakeholders by Witold J. Henisz

“Corporate Diplomacy” argues that strong, meaningful relationships with stakeholders are essential to a thriving business. Henisz draws on interesting case studies and includes several relevant techniques to empower your business to influence the opinion often mattering most – that of your investors. With a nod to the changing outlook of stakeholders in the 21st century, this book is a roadmap to instigating and developing powerful stakeholder relations.

10. This Is How You Pitch: How To Kick Ass In Your First Years of PR by Ed Zitron

Written by a PR veteran who claims to have made every possible mistake in the industry, “This Is How You Pitch” offers those just starting out in public relations a guide to not only surviving their first few years but turning early passion into a long-lasting career. Zitron focuses on the most crucial skill in PR: the pitch, and counsels his readers on how to avoid becoming a buzzword-repeating wannabe turning the media away.

We have other recommended book lists for PR professionals – but this is the top 10 best-selling PR books right now.